Congress Theater

2135 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, USA

Address:	2135 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, USA
Phone:	+1 773-360-8162
Site:	ticketfly.com
Rating:	2.6

Location

Photos 64

Reviews 4

A Private User

After reading all the negative reviews I was reluctant to even go however I went anyway and had a great time. When we got there the line was wrapped around the side of the building to get in but it was moving quickly and only took us about 5-10 minutes to get to the door. They wanted to see a photo id which is common practice in Chicago. The next person was taking tickets. I printed my ticket at home and the barcode was there but un-scannable, they were cool about it and let me right in. The lines for security were split up women on the left men on the right. The pat down was not bad at all and I didnt see anyone being humiliated. The lobby was outdated but was still nice enough. We bought a t shirt and went inside to the lower level. There are a few areas when you first walk into the hall that have chairs and a railing around it and anyone could sit there. The rest of the hall was wide open. It is an old movie theater so the floor is slanted. The floor was just concrete but was not sticky at all until the patrons spilled beer all over. There are bars on both sides in the main hall and out in the hallways so you dont have to wait long for the drinks or leave during the show. The security was walking around and keeping an eye on things but didnt seem to be thugish or menacing at all. We did see one guy get escorted out by a male and female security guard and despite him turning around and shoving the female he didnt get beat up and when we left he was standing out front making his girlfriend cry. There was no security near him and he didnt look like he had gotten the beating we thought he was going to get from the other reviews. Im sure hell be the one to write a review. Other than the small areas in the hall there is seating upstairs and it is not only for V.I.P.S anyone can go up to the right and there was plenty of room. The seats are old but comfortable enough we did need to dust them off. The mens bathroom wasnt bad much cleaner than wriggly only downfall was that there was only one hand dryer. The music was a little loud and hard to understand for the first act (pep love-rap) but everyone after him was much easier to understand and sounded very good. (The Green, The Wailers, Rebelution-reggae) over all it was a lot of fun and a cool old venue in Chicago. I think the kind of show your going to and they type of people that are there make the whole experience unique just remember people, you get what you pay for. If you want a really up to date venue go to Allstate or the Sears center. We paid $25 to get in and paid $3 for street parking a block away.

A Private User

My experience here began with a belligerent, shaven headed "security" guy aggressively feeling me up and yelling at me. Buy any drink and experience some rude employee. Enjoying a show isnt something I felt comfortable letting myself do as these "security" guys are constantly walking through the crowd in an aggressive manner while shining flash lights onto concert goers. The venue looks like it was once a nice place long ago, but hasnt been maintained. Water is coming through the ceiling into the auditorium. Railings on stairways are missing. Plaster is crumbling on walls, and much else of it is in desperate need of repainting and cleaning. Shortly after walking into a bathroom stall, I was grabbed by one of these "security" goons who then search me and took what he wanted while yelling that he was going to arrest me if I didnt let him. After taking what he wanted, he said I could go back. It was all about the shake down. Note that the bathroom stalls dont actually have doors, but curtains. I suspect this is part of their setup their to facilitate the ease of their robberies. I told him I had no interest in being around them anymore and was leaving even though they kept trying to tell me I could go back. Even after going outside to text my friends about what happened, One of the shaven headed thugs was telling me I didnt have to leave. I guess sadists dont like to lose their victims. Watching how they acted toward others here, I almost get the feeling from the place that it isnt about making money from selling tickets to people wanting to enjoy live music but more of a place to shake people down. And since these "security" goons are corrupt off-duty Chicago cops immune to any accountability, what is to stop this behavior, other then letting potential ticket buyers know what this place is like? Maybe the theater does make money selling tickets and just has an agreement with the Chicago Police to let them run shake downs here. Maybe it is part of some agreement that involves the building department overlooking the many code violations. I cant know the real reason. Anyway, stay away.

A Private User

Ive been going to shows at the Congress since I was 16 years old. Im 23 now. Ive always dug the Congress for their respectable security, easy parking, and location via the toll road. Im writing this review to say that Ive changed my mind. Last night, I attended the Mothership Tour headlining Skrillex. I bought an outfit specifically for this show - a tutu, bikini style top, furry legwarmers, and furry hat...all encrusted with LEDS. We got through the doors fine, but when we got to security, it all went downhill. My spouse and friend got through security, but I was told that I needed to remove my legwarmers. The rude guard made me walk 3 blocks back to my car BY MYSELF to remove the lights. When I returned, she was even worse. She lifted my skirt several times, and also made me remove the leds in my skirt and hat, even though they were turned off, and unactivated. SHe wouldnt let me take them back to the car. I left them in a plastic bin, and she said the LEDS would be waiting for me after the show. They werent. The Congress needs to get its act together! Did they not expect lights/glowsticks at an electronica show? They could have at least posted signs outside, on the website, or on the tickets themselves - this would have saved me a risky lone walk in Chicago at night, the loss of my brand new LEDS, and a degrading experience in front of hundreds of people. And the Congress would still have me as a customer. Never again.

Randy Ojeda

The Congress Theater is one of the worst venues I have ever been to. Its especially frustrating because it really has the potential to be a great place to see a show and they book awesome acts; however, the staff is so incredibly rude and the security guards are so militant that it almost makes you wanna turn around and go home. For this show, they did not allow hats inside the building. They also did not have a way of checking a hat. Multiple times while near the building, security guards essentially verbally harassed me, telling me they would tear my hat up and throw it in the garbage if I brought it through the front door. They also wouldnt let me stand in front of the venue while I waited for somebody to come pick up my hat (since I really like that hat). I have never been treated so poorly by event staff at any venue. I know the phrase "verbal harassment" sounds dramatic, but their tone and language was far more aggressive than necessary. This show of bravado continued throughout the evening, as the Security Guards continually walked through the crowd to push around teenagers and disrupt the enjoyment of all the attendees. After this experience, I will only return to the Congress Theatre if a time machine is built to transport the Beatles from 1967 to the present day to play a show there. Until then, no concert is worth the trouble.