Paradise Rock Club

967 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Address:	967 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Phone:	+1 617-562-8800
Site:	paradiserock.org
Rating:	4.1

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 12

Malory Mendoza

So beyond disappointed with this place. The FOH staff was anything but welcoming. To start, they all but strip search you at the door. There was a heavyset woman working at the door who had a really bad attitude and liked to do a lot of yelling. She even went through my makeup bag, opening bottles of foundation and things like that. Two minutes in I found her aggressively escorting one of my coworkers out of the building. I confronted her and tried to calmly address the situation. She didnt want to talk to me so I asked to speak with a manager. The manager was slightly sympathetic but didnt want to give me the time of day either. He talked about terrorism and safety concerns, which was totally unrelated to the situation. I hadnt been drinking, but my coworker had and I believe that this is why they would not allow him reentry. Were the type of team that sticks together, so we all left even though we had traveled two hours and spent almost $40/ticket. My coworker had been looking forward to this particular concert for months, so it was really unfortunate.

A Private User

Ive only been a couple times now to see Volbeat and The Darkness, but with gusto, I can tell you those two concerts instantly became highlights of my concert going life. Not because those are two of my favorite bands, but because.....well, I guess it may be because Id kill for Michael and Justin, but thats not what Im trying to say. What Im trying to say is the place is well set-up, unless youre on the far right balcony behind the huge pillar, and the sound is great, and bartenders are flirty and busty (not with me mind you), and the crowd is usually a bit dumb due to it being right next door to BU...but whatever about all of that - the Paradise knows what bands to bring, and they do it almost better than anyone. Also, its nice having a couple bar/restaurants right next door to chow down on before/after a show. It really does make a difference. kbai

Anna Wiggins

The important things for a concert venue: * The acoustics here are good, but not great. * Decent enough layout, with a main floor in front of the stage, a balcony above, and very little else. Although a support beam directly in front of the stage means theres limited visibility from the balcony. * Good ventilation / AC. We were here for a sold-out show, and it wasnt oppressively hot. * Seating is very limited - theres some places to sit around the back edge of the balcony, none on the main floor. Typical for a GA / rock venue; optimized for packing in as many fans as possible. Which is annoying when a member of your group has mobility issues, but predictably, the seating was mostly empty during the show.

Josh Trubow

Ill start by saying that Ive had a great time at the Paradise Rock Club every time Ive been. The artists they bring in are not always the biggest names, but the prices are reasonable and the venue is small and cozy which makes for a great show. They renovated the place within the past few years and there is a floor area as well as balcony where you can listen to the performances. I took off two stars because they sometimes allow 18+ depending on the show, and at the shows Ive been to that means that there are underage kids on drugs or way too drunk which makes the experience much worst for everyone else.

Cedric Hom

I dont go to many concerts, but I went to one a few weeks back and it was a nice, small and intimate area. It didnt get too crowded, there was easy access to both bars, and there was water readily available to serve yourself. There were some seats at the back towards the entrance, but we werent sure if we could grab one to sit as we didnt care to get that close, we just wanted to hear the live music and enjoy. There were already a couple seats set, but they were taken. Im pretty sure we could have asked and got some more seats. It was nice and laid back. I would go back for the right act.

Lesley Katzen

The pros: Paradise really does bring the best medium to large indie acts to Boston (The Middle East downstairs in Cambridge sadly has veered more Rock and Roll recently). If the balcony is open its a really nice place for aging bandophiles like me to comfortably see a show without being pushed around by drunken kids or having to stand behind the tallest guy in the room. Cons: despite the recent renovations there still seems to not be enough center stage space, which is so awful when the place is near capacity. Lord, and the womens bathrooms...bring your own Lysol.

Christopher LeBlanc

One word... Awful. My wife and I went to a Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, and Pat Green show a few months ago. The staff was so flippant and rude to Wade Bowen Band (their name wasnt on any of the collateral, the website, or even the marquee outside) that they packed up their equipment and left. Wade and Randy are two of our favorite bands. And we were jilted out of half the show we were there to see because of poor management. This is to say nothing about the poor layout of the venue in general. Needless to say, we will not be returning.

Mike Molon

ABSOLUTE WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE. Flew up to see Mike Stud from Florida and we all got in and they kicked our whole group out for absolutely nothing. There was soda in one cup and the security guard kicked us all out. While waiting to hear from Fader about the situation the security guards had pulled at the very least 50 people out of line and denied them to go in because the security guards THOUGHT they were drunk. DO NOT GO HERE THE VENUE SUCKS AND THE SECURITY IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!

Conor Galligan

Awesome venue for a loud show. It feels like your average rock club with two perfect exceptions: 1) they strictly enforce a clear perimeter around so you can always get out without shoving and pushing and 2) theres an attached bar where you can still hear the music, but is quiet enough to get away from crappy openers, if need be. Remember to leave pocket knives and the like at home since they frisk you on the way in.

Joshua Berk

One of the best concert venues in Boston -- a great addition to the vibrant music scene (though there are some obstructed views) -- great people (a favorite of BU students), atmosphere (dark + comfortable), and their TVs stream the whole event. Hosted classics like AC/DC, Phish, and U2 -- artists are often up-and-coming, but not obscure. Pro-Tip: Avoid the coat check, with plenty of nooks upstairs to hide one.

Kayla Scarlet-Sage

Rudest staff ever! The bar back got in my face telling me I cant use a big cup to fill up with water. He got all ghetto on me and "yod" me telling me he did not care that I NEEDED water and to use those TINY little cups. But if that cup with filled with a mixed drink (which it is intended for) that would be OK but because I needed to put water in it it became a HUGE issue. NOT happy one bit.

patti spanks

This is the worst place to see standing room only concerts. They squeeze you in above the white lines. Staff is constantly telling you where you can and cannot stand and easily get "offended" if you speak back to them. Female bartenders obviously ignore female patrons and only answer to males. Never going back. I prefer Hampton Beach Casino any day of the week over this place!