The Granada — Attraction in Lawrence

Huge concert goer, been to many, many venues - this may take the crown for the worst.

First, we had purchased "early entry VIP". Less than 72 hours prior, the early entry details were released - with firm guidance that 6p was the time to arrive/enter - and being late could result in the early entry not happening. After email conversation, noting my concern we may be a bit late due to weather and a 250 Mile drive - I was told very ambiguously that I was either on time or may not be able to partake in early entry activity. After rushing, we were only 15 minutes late (615p) - only to find early entry hadn't even started and we'd have to wait another 45 before it did, which was 7p - the official "doors opening" for general admission.

Outside of the above, the management was absolutely clueless as to how the operations for this show should be flowing and even the manager of the facility had no idea. They were very rude and inconsiderate of the fact we had paid MORE to actually ENTER EARLY!

The establishment was so mismanaged, the security check was extremely unorganized and I witnessed at least several folks who entered without being wanded, as again - operations were clueless. Even a member of the artist's team made a comment on how awful the venue was managed.

Venue itself is pretty small, but I did like the setup of the multiple levels. Sound accoustics wasn't the greatest but it did the job.

My recommendation - drive the extra hour or two to the NEXT closest venue and avoid going to a show here...

I found this venue to be pretty standard compared to typical places. Being from Omaha, NE, I would compare it to attending a show at Sokol Auditorium but perhaps a little smaller, with a floor layout more like the Slowdown. Maybe I'm just used to it but I didn't think the place was particularly dirty, just old and in need of a little TLC. The sound was decent but not overwhelmingly amazing. The drinks were at a fantastic price point so I'm not sure why others say it was super expensive. We got tequila sunrises for 4 bucks a piece which is a steal compared to the 8+ we were expecting to pay. Someone pointed out to us that it was technically a college campus so perhaps that's where the expectation comes from... anyway, I was happy with my experience for the most part. Still not quite sure why the staff had us get numbers for a general admission show... they said it was in case a mob screwed up the lines or whatever but to me it defeats the purpose of general admission. I can imagine I'd go there often for shows if I was local. Will possibly watch them for tours after seeing what acts they've pulled to play there historically. Overall a decent experience. I'd feel safe going there alone. The staff were perfectly decent to us so I really have no complaints about the venue...

Generally, anytime I have to drive across the Missouri state line to go see a show I'm a little bit on the grumpy side. However, I look forward to good shows that come through this venue, because it really is a pretty good place to see/hear a show! Lawrence, Kansas is in itself an adventure, and I highly suggest walking around before the doors open to take in the atmosphere and maybe even stop in at one of the local pizza bars littered up and down the street. The culture of Lawrence consistently pulls me in and makes me forget all about being far from home. The staff is moderately polite and respectful to the patrons and once you are through the doors, you have the choice of watching this show upstairs in a seated environment, or downstairs in the pit. With the right group, those mosh pits are thoroughly intense and violent. The opportunity to see some very intimate shows arises here, but being a college town there can be quite a group of young aggression pushing their way up towards the front. Drinks are reasonable for the price and the sound inside is better than you'd expect, given the size of the room. I definitely recommend visiting or checking out this concert hall just for the additional pleasure of getting to experience a piece of what Lawrence...