The Pageant

Doesn't Recommend

Marleigh D.

Joined 3 months ago

I have attended countless (30+) shows at The Pageant for the 7 years I have lived in St Louis. I am amazed at how this venue can disappoint you more and more each show. Last night’s show was ridiculous, the band performance was fine, the venue on the other hand was more awful than the show we attended 12 days earlier. Both shows were ALL AGES and BALCONY CLOSED. Everyone over 21 was all using a single bathroom facility (5 stalls for women and 3 for men), it was a constant 5-10 people deep the entire length of the only bar w/ 3 bartenders. Sure the Halo bar is attached w/ another 2 bartenders, but why miss the show to go next door and wait in that line to get a drink. There were 5 bartenders between the 2 bars for about 1400 people. There was a full drink thrown in someone’s face directly in front of the only bathroom during the 1st set and it took nearly 30 minutes for it to be cleaned up. Another 20 ft we almost stepped on unattended broken glass from a drink. With this show being oversold and the BALCONY CLOSED, people can’t use the restrooms as needed or get a drink. This made for a very tense night with patrons becoming more unpleasant by the minute. Trying to get a water and a breath of fresh air is nearly impossible with all the lines and security checks. You will definitely feel like you are part of a cattle drive if you try. This all made for several spats between patrons w/ patrons, patrons w/ security, patrons w/ staff. It really has felt like you are herded cattle at this venue, especially if it is an ALL AGES and BALCONY CLOSED show. I cannot blame the staff, they were clearly understaffed which made the service unpleasant as well. The BALCONY is for 21+, where there is 2 additional bathrooms for each sex and another full bar, which gives everyone room to move, even at a sold out max capacity show. I am also one who needs accessible seating and uses mobility devices, this is not a accessible venue simply due to the facts listed above. You cannot move if you have NO disability, let alone if you need a little help getting around. I have almost injured myself on several different occasions. I will never attend another ALL AGES/BALCONY CLOSED show at The Pageant. There are some upcoming shows I had wanted to see there, but that is not gonna happen. I am tired of spending my hard earned money at this venue for a show and then feeling mistreated and cheated afterwards. I will definitely consider going to an out of town venue for touring bands and stay in their hotels from here on out! And a note to other St Louis venues, please start competing with The Pageant for popular touring acts so we have a choice.

Doesn't Recommend

Jimmy M.

Joined 1 year ago

Horrible. This place is worthless... I think this FB group says it all.

The-Security-at-The-Pageant-STL-is-Horrible-and-have-a-God-Complex/339057942791004

going to have to add that after the facebook . com part...

Doesn't Recommend

PaytonWilson

Joined 3 years ago

THE PAGEANT SUCKS!. The pageant is a great place to see bands EXCEPT when your a MINOR and you have to pay more to see bands and get stuck sitting in a kiddie section when the ticket cleary says ALL AGES SHOW! I am 20 years old live on my own pay my own bills payed $41.00 for the ticket and minor surcharge and got stuck in a very small minor section was not allowed to go into the pit on the floor unless i had a special stamp on my hand tried to get in for the last song as the security guards were givng me evil glares, no luck! They were rude and the music was way too loud for such a small venue! Needless to say, you lost customer I will never see a show at the pageant again! you suck!

Recommends

karmit

Joined 4 years ago

this place has issues. I went to see Mike Birbiglia at the Pageant for my first visit. The view from our seats was fine, but there was no room. The dude sitting next to my husband was halfway on his lap. Thankfully the chick sitting next to me was really skinny, so we all shifted slightly to her side just to fit in the seats. Floor seats were packed WAY to close together. Reminded me of bac hotel conference room seating. Next time, we are sitting in the balcony.

Doesn't Recommend

314dc

Joined 4 years ago

Good and Bad. This place has become worse over the years. There is only one exception, the sound here HAS improved after many attempts. In the past if you showed up early enough to make it in to the Halo bar, you had a decent shot at getting a seat with a reasonable view. But these days you, the customers are treated like cattle shoulder to shoulder the whole show. And when you finally DO get inside it is revealed that they already let a good quantity of VIP's in and whole groups of tables are reserved. Five people deep at the bar is now a common occurence since the waitstaff is pathetic at best. You'll be lucky to see any of them past 9. For a venue this size they have very limited seating and even less capacity for bathrooms. Be prepared to wait and miss the show. And even if you are lucky enough to get a seat, without designated seating, anyone can stand in front of you-and they will. Joe Edwards may have had good intentions but the results are terrible. And all of his ventures have the rudest staff in the metro area (Blueberry Hill, Pin-up Bowl, Tivoli). If you're DESPERATE to see a band, then be prepared. Show up late, bring your own, pi$$ in the sink, and you could possibly have a good time.

Recommends

billt4sound

Joined 7 years ago

Best Small Venue in St. Louis or Surrounding Area. Don't pay attention to the negative reviewers of this establishment. The Sound here is as good or better than anyplace I've been and comparable to the Ambassador Theater, American Theater or the Fox for sound. I've seen a few shows there and have NEVER been disappointed. The Strokes, 2 shows and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were fan-friggin-tastic. I even took my teen age daughter and 2 friends to see Jesse McCartney....not my cup of tea but they enjoyed themselves thoroughly.

Doesn't Recommend

rufuskonkel

Joined 8 years ago

Doves Concert. First time at the Pageant and was really looking forward to a good show. Very limited seating for anyone over 21 and wanting a drink. The volume was so obnoxiously high and the sound mixing was so horrible we left a half hour into the Doves set. Acoustics are horrible and am certain this is the last time I see anyone at this venue.

Doesn't Recommend

juliannabanana

Joined 8 years ago

why the pageant is crap. I have never enjoyed a single concert I have attended at the pageant. If you actually want to sit down,get there almost 2 hours in advance.secondly,the staff and security the rudest bunch of jerks I've ever had to deal with. "you can't stand here,you can't do this,you have to shup now". The idea of arena shows in general annoy me,but when I pay 25 dollars to see wilco,I would like good seating and a chance to actually enjoy the band I came to see.

Recommends

luvin eamon

Joined 8 years ago

LUVS IT. I went there to see The New Left on 10/29/04....It's a beautiful venue! Very clean and bright. I haven't seen such a nice place to see concerts! Free parking and very near the venue. They really worked on this piece of art!

Doesn't Recommend

slm1998

Joined 11 years ago

Horrible. Oh how I wish there was a better mid-size venue in St. Louis than the Pageant. The accoustics are just horrible in my opinion and the drinks are outrageously expensive. The staff there is by far the worst. They are rude and harassing. I thought I was safe from the terrible B&D staff going to other venues, but apparently they provide a rent-a-jerk service to other venues when they're short staffed. A few years ago, they used to allow people to wait around the side of the building for a chance to meet the bands after the show. But now they keep the bands off at the other side of the lot and chase off anyone that just wants to get a picture or an autograph. The ticket prices are also outrageous considering you could see a much better show (with better sound and staff) at pop's or mississippi nights.