Palace Theatre — Attraction in Saint Paul

I had an excellent evening at the Palace Theatre. I will for sure be returning not just based on experience but also because the shows being booked are incredible. I absolutely love the staff. They're there to monitor, but don't impede on the evening without cause.

First impression, multiple hands on deck at the door. Easy and simple to get in. Once you're in you walk right up to a big main bar with lots of bartenders. If you want a drink immediately then do yourself a favor and walk to another bar if you're feeling impatient. This way you can see the rest of the place as well. It's worth the walk! Someone mentioned to me that it takes a while to get a drink (that's because your impatient or you didn't look for the other bars). IMO.

Numerous amounts of places to stand. You can get up close just like First Ave, which I love, because not to many venues give you a chance to be literally standing an arm's length away. Big building so you can walk around with friends and adventure, all while getting fantastic sound quality. Based on your style you will find a place to stand/sit that suits you!

I'm sure certain places will be blocked off for different shows, so do your research ahead of time if you want to have an opinion on logistics. Otherwise, ask questions to the staff, they will help.

Bathrooms were beautiful, tasteful style, clean and easy to find.

Let's talk music! Sound quality and stage/lights set-up is AWESOME! I saw the String Cheese Incident and the whole building was lit up and colorful. I could walk anywhere and still hear the music. We stood in the best spot for this show. We were a step up from the floor right by the bar so we could see really well and the sound was perfect.

I love the vintage look and am glad they kept it, but if you have an eye for detail you'll see the upgrades and that they are tasteful and tactful.

I've been to a ton of shows, venues, festivals, and no where feels more like home than at a place where Frist Ave has a hand in!

Oh! And there's a parking lot extremely close and a little café. Get there early to have a close spot and grab a bit to eat! Hope you have as great of a...

When this venue was established, I remember being blown away. As time has gone on, I've come to recognize the shortcomings of this venue.

First and foremost, the stamps.. why are we giving folks 3 stamps and two wristbands before they can get on the floor..

Secondly, this venue is always oversold.. this wouldn't be an issue if it weren't for the pinch points in it's setup. The dual stairwells to the floor are reminiscent of the Myth, two narrow stairwells that just invite congestion. You get your 3rd stamp, get on the floor, and see nothing but a wall of 40 something's not dancing, not having fun, craning to see, and not moving. A proper venue would have more floor entrances to prevent people from becoming cattle-like and hostile.

Lastly, the lack of a smoker's section is concerning to me. You're forcing, by design, potentially vulnerable or under the influence clientele to stumble into the heart of downtown St Paul for a cigarette. Things can happen fast and you can't tell me that venue security is going to have your back should something go down.

I've seen a handful of shows here, I have had less than three experiences with proper sound and a fun crowd. The floors are sticky, the bathroom lines are long.. ugh.. it will do for the winter.. but once summer comes around I'm seeking venues that breathe a little better and cater more to an...

Sat in the balcony for the Japanese Breakfast show. The acoustics were amazing. The band themselves were amazimg.

The place is vey old and the seating was definitely poor because of that fact. As a 6'2" man there really wasnt any way for me to sit without my shins digging into the top of the chair in front of me and by the end of the show it was becoming painful. It was also pretty hot inside and I'm sure that's because we were in the balcony and heat rises but it was a cool day and i know the air was on because i could feel it sometimes walking around when getting drinks. I would hate to know what its like in actual heat of summer. I'm not sure if it was just this specific show but the lighting would actually often just point straight into the eyes of everyone in the balcony off and on throughout the show. When it was happening you could look around and see eveyone visibly reeling from it and closing their eyes until it went away. The staff outside checking ID'S was very rude for what seemed to be no reason. The staff showing us where our seats were told us to wait for a song to finish before we could go to the seats which is perfectly acceptable except then a different staffer came and yelled at us for waiting where we were told to wait.

If I do go again I'll not be doing the balcony and I hope that would change some...