College Street Music Hall

238 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA

Address:	238 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
Phone:	+1 203-867-2000
Site:	collegestreetmusichall.com
Rating:	4.5

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 4

Ryan Stefiuk

I saw two shows there this past weekend - Dawes on Saturday and Brandi Carlile on Sunday. We had mixed experiences, with the Dawes show being disappointing and the Brandi Carlile show being pretty good. The Dawes show was loud (way too loud), and seemed to be plagued by sound issues. Neither Dawes nor their opener, Hiss Golden Messenger (both great bands) sounded good and during the silence between songs there was a constant loud hissing. The bass was not discernible at all the entire show, and the levels on the monitor seemed way off. The second night was better - an acoustic show that was not as loud, but there was still a bit of white noise coming from the speakers between tracks. I am guessing there are general sound issues at this venue or the person working the soundboard needs a bit of assistance. Brandi Carlile (and the twins) stepped out in front of the mics for two songs and their voices were audible throughout the theater, including at the top of the balcony, so the acoustics in this medium-large venue seem to be generally excellent (impressive for a 2000 person music venue that was completely full). It seems that the sound issues may have more to do with the sound system and soundboard adjustments. A few other things detracted from our experience here. 1) The seating is really tight. If you are tall expect your knees to hit the seats in front of you. Even if you are not tall you may feel cramped. 2) The bar is open throughout the show, and people were constantly getting up to get drinks and go to the bathroom. This means you may end up having drinks spilled on you, or be required to stand up repeatedly (and have people obstruct your view) as people go get drinks during the set. 3) Both nights the single sets were short (1:30). I was hoping for more; 2 shorter sets plus an encore would have been nice to see. Overall, this is an ok spot to see a bigger act or an acoustic show. Even the nosebleed balcony seats have a good view of the stage. If you are seeing a slightly less popular artist, a smaller venue might be a better choice due to better amplified sound quality and a different bar configuration (like a bar that isnt open during the set). Personally, I will probably choose other venues over this one in the future.

Dwight Godwin

The 2nd RE-opening night, (5/2/2015) was an excellent time. They have done a great job remodeling. The acoustics are very good, the lighting was good for Lyle Lovette & John Hiatt last night. The staff were all friendly and helpful. Overall the place has done a good job and I certainly intent to go back for more concerts. We sat in "H" Row of the front balcony. Pretty good seats and could see everything from there. Major PROS: Good location, good seating (albeit a little crammed), good performers lined up. Keep it up folks. You are doing great! A few of the Cons that prevented that magic 5th star from showing up: The renovation is clearly not done 100%. The womans bathroom on the second floor was not working- this upset more than a few of the ladies in attendance who all had to go downstairs to the main floor to use the 1 working womans restroom. The ushers flashlights. They seemed to be using very bright LED pencil sized lights. The issue was that when ushering in late comers or helping people back to their seats, the lights were shining in peoples eyes. Super irritating during the concert. - Get some red lights folks so we dont have to wait 3 minutes for the spots to stop dancing before we can see the stage again. BAN the use of Cellphones during the concert please! This is not really a Con against the venue, but I was annoyed as hell that so many people were texting and what not on their phones during the show. The "blue" screen lights do detract from being able to see as well. And really, whats the point? If you want to pay $50 - $70 to sit in the dark and listen to music while you play on your phone, I have a dark closet I can put a blue tooth speaker and a chair in and I will only charge you $45.00 for two hours. I do think the venue could forbid the use of cellphones, many other venues do. Just my .37 cents (.02 cents adjusted for inflation)

Timothy Johnstone

Ive seen 7 concerts here, most of them awesome including 2 of the best shows in my life, and the venue definitely contributed. The GA section is tiered, meaning you can get essentially front-row views even if youre short or late to the concert, and its very easy to move around during the show if you need to stop at the bar or bathrooms. Since people spread out on the tiers, its also possible to get right up front even arriving late to big-name bands. Stage-row speakers are well-placed, the "youll go deaf if you happen to be standing here" area is pretty small. Sound quality has been great (ESPECIALLY compared to the other established venue in downtown New Haven), with the exception of one show, leading me to believe it was probably the techs fault rather than the venues. The place feels clean and well-ventilated, not cramped at all. Decoration is minimal, though its charming that theyve preserved the original dragon motifs from the old theater. I havent sat on the balcony, but friends say it has a great view and sound is decent even high up. Security is efficient at getting people in the doors, and though the coat check is a little pricey, they manage the long lines well at the end of the show. Beer selection is refreshingly large and totally worth it, cocktails are variable, though food and drink are as expensive as youd expect for a concert venue. Speaking of prices, tickets are deceptively cheap, watch out for fees when purchasing tickets online - ticketfly plus the venue fee tacks on $7+ to any given ticket. Since CSMH opened, way more nationally touring bands have been stopping in New Haven, and it is only getting better. Its about time New Haven got a world-class concert venue like this!

E Smart

No reflection on the amazing artists I saw, but the staff, the venue, and the people attending all left a lot to be desired. First of all, I was given a pat down for "security" and they had me open my purse. I could have had anything in the bottom (it was never checked), but someone who was not the person checking (but who worked there) insisted I take out my two bags of chips for my husband and myself and get rid of them. We are disabled and had the worst day already, and would have had to pay a lot to get chips inside. They barely let me squeak in with my sealed water. I gave this venue no money for food at this point. Another staff member misdirected me to the complete wrong side of the venue for my seat. I had to ask 3 in total to get to my seat. Finally, leaving, I had a little water left in my water bottle, and they told me I wasnt allowed to leave the venue with it. I had enough of them at this point, let them know repeatedly as they kept trying to get me to leave it there that I brought it in. We didnt let them win this time. Whether I brought it in or not, how terrible is that to treat someone who maybe purchased something at your venue? The crowd left a lot to be desired with smelly drunk older dudes sitting, shouting and obstructing view in front of us. I think Id find somewhere else to see Rodrigo y Gabriela if they were in the area again. For the price, definitely BAD. Chairs werent even comfortable for any reasonable period of time.