Nice place to see a show. Not a bad seat for viewing. It seems they are doing alot of upgrades. We enjoyed the new seats downstairs. Look forward to future shows read more

Carnegie Library Music Hall - Music Venues Near Me - Munhall, Pennsylvania

Small, intimate venture that seats 1,045 people. According to the website, it was built in 1898 and "has barely changed since it's original structure." That was very apparent to me when we were seated. The seats are wooden - no cushion - and look like they were built in the early 1900s. My sister and I came to see a comedy show and we were so excited about purchasing good seats in the first row of the balcony. However, my sister's chair was completely broke! She couldn't sit back on it at all. We were so disappointed. When we brought it to the theater's attention, it appeared they already knew and shrugged it off. They offered us other seats that were so much worse of a view so we declined. Other things to know about this venue - there is NO parking. No lot or parking garage. Street parking only in the residential area of Munhall. They had a make shift concession stand that took cash only. I got a water and ginger ale for $7 - insanely expensive. They also had a "bar" aka a table that sold barefoot wine, white claws, and cheap beer at a high price. To end this review on a more positive a note, it is nice to see artists in an intimate setting like this (size wise). But I would highly recommend to the business to invest in renovations. read more

See all

Quite a classic venue. The sight lines and sound seem to be excellent here no matter where you are sitting. It is a very live room. I do agree that the seats aren't the most comfortable (they are just hard and not "cushy" in the least), but I think it is part of the experience. The parking here was super super easy (and free! What a concept, PGH! ) read more

Carnegie Library Music Hall - Guster concert from Row A of the balcony (actually felt much, much closer than this picture looks) - Music Venues Near Me - Munhall, Pennsylvania

I have attended probably 25+ concerts/comedy shows at Carnegie Music Hall in Homestead. The building itself is so huge and beautiful. Street parking is always pretty easy (if you are good at parallel parking ;)), and you don't hit crazy traffic on the way there/back from the city. I think most of the staff are volunteers, and they are always so friendly. They sell candy, chips, and snacks in the lobby for only a few dollars. If you walk through the actual library, there is a bar where you can purchase drinks to take in the theater in sippy cups. It doesn't feel right drinking red wine out of a sippy cup, but it's a cute idea. People definitely take advantage of the bar at the shows! The sound in the theater is always solid! The negatives of this place are 1. Walking up the big flight of steps/steep ramp to get there. I feel like I always wear heels and then instantly regret it when I get there. I am assuming that handicap people can get dropped off on the side of the building where the tour buses load in. 2. The chairs in this theater are awful. They are old and it's a historic venue, so what do you expect? The couple in front of us brought their own seat cushions. Genius! I am absolutely doing this next time! (Does this mean I'm officially getting older?! lol!) I am 5' 8" and my legs literally did not fit in the chair at all. I had on a dress so I couldn't sit with my legs wide open like the man next to me did. He had to sit with his arms crossed the whole show because he literally had nowhere to put his arms. 3. Where is the air conditioning?! They closed for renovations and said they would be putting in air conditioning. We were so excited, because my boyfriend and I have sat through so many unbearably hot concerts there. It is always a fun time, and we can't complain since this is a beautiful venue that brings incredible live music and comedy shows to Pittsburgh. Just a heads up if you are attending a show here to dress light, bring a seat cushion, and bring small bills for snacks/water! read more

See all

I really enjoy getting to see concerts here. The sound is always spot on and there's not a bad seat in the house. It's an older and historic theater and my only issue with it is the seating. Old, wooden chairs. Not the best way to experience an event. But everything else is decent. I understand that it's an old space but I'd love to see them get some sort of funding for better seating. I've seen three shows here at this point. All-in-all if it's a performance I really want to attend then I'll put up with the seats. Obviously lots of other people feel the same way because most concerts here sell out. read more

Seats in balcony have poor view. The place is very outdated. They are very few restrooms. I would avoid this location, unless you absolutely must. read more

Purchased tickets with my mom to see a friend performing with PMJ. We got a couple balcony seats with 0 notice of any obstruction to the view. (I did go back on their site recently to look again and try to check out for the same seats to a dif show and again, 0 notice that the view would be obstructed) To our surprise we were greeted with this large obstruction to the exact section my friend would be performing on the stage. We were calm and immediately went to ask for assistance from the staff if we could switch to any other available seats where we could see her perform without this obstruction. We were told to wait and look for any open seats as it got closer to showtime so we did. We were then told we could stand up behind all the seats to watch the performance near security. 5 minutes in, we were rudely told by another staff member to sit down in our assigned seats. We explained our situation again but he was persistent and we took the nearest empty seats hoping nobody was coming late. The majority of the performance we were paranoid that someone would arrive and remove us from these seats when we could have just stayed in the back standing and not blocking anyone. The security even said we were fine where we were. Overall a disappointing experience at the venue even though the performance was amazing. read more

Carnegie Library Music Hall - Stage view. Circled area is where my friend was to be performing. - Music Venues Near Me - Munhall, Pennsylvania

Really not a bad seat in the house .. the bar experience is different but on the positive you get to experience the awesomeness of this library ! Parking is really convenient & plentiful . It's located near all the restaurants too ! read more

Carnegie Library Music Hall - on the walk to the bar - Music Venues Near Me - Munhall, Pennsylvania

A cozy music hall with good acoustics but poor seats. Obviously dated. Friendly staff. Watched Colin Hay this evening. Lot of noise from balcony seating above us. read more

I've attended many events at this location. The sound is always great, and it has a great nostalgic feeling to the theatre. It is a great place for an intimate show, with not a bad "seat location" to be found. Although, the main negative is, as everyone has stated--the seats themselves are terrible. But, it's historical, and you "know that" going into it. The people who run the events are always super friendly and helpful, and you're always guaranteed to have a good time at this location. Parking is an issue if you come late--so get their early! read more

I look forward to concerts at this old historic concert hall. The history of this hall alone is worth the visit. I also like the library attached to the music hall. Old and classic in many ways. This small venue gives a unique feel and great view from any balcony seat, there is truly not a bad seat in the house. Tickets to an event should be purchased as soon as possible to most concerts, they do sell out fast and they have many on the hall list that purchase as soon as the list appears. We have seen, Kenny Wayne Sheppard and many other performers here, and the staff has always been so helpful and friendly. * side note, they are always looking for volunteers to staff the events. It's a great way to help community and see free concerts. I have read the reviews, as others have, of those complained about parking. There is only off street parking. Plan ahead and arrive early enough to walk a short distance, rather than having to park far. Parking is free. They offer bottled water that you can take into the hall with you. They offer a bar on the other side of the library, past the music hall. Only plastic purchased cups can be taken into the hall and for all the right reasons. They offer small snacks as well. The halls lobby is very small, not much room to move around and linger. I suggest sitting outside for as long as possible or venture to the bar area for more room. read more

See all

The venue is good for small concerts. Intimate with good views and sound. Comfort is a different story. The seats are wood with no padding. The venue is very warm even on a night that was only 70 degrees. Take chair pads to save your body! read more

As many years as I've lived in Pittsburgh, I had never once been to the Carnegie Library Music Hall. I can't think of any other way to describe this library/music venue/community center other than: charming. Recently, I went to see Allen Stone (who was amazing by the way!). Our seats were up in the balcony with a decent view of the stage. Be aware that if you choose seats near the aisles in rows A or B, then you may not be able to see due to wooden scallops on the railing. At this point, I've gone to see two concerts at this venue. The second was Esperanza Spalding (who was also amazing). I have to say though I like the balcony seats way better than the floor seats. Either way, the venue is small, intimate and charming. read more

I like the setup of this venue and its size, giving a more intimate performance than a much larger venue like the Benedum. This is the second performance I've seen here. The first time I sat on the Orchestra floor; this time in the Balcony. I had no problem seeing the performance from our seats. Comfort level? Meh; wood chairs in the balcony; can't recall my Orchestra seat experience. Restrooms? Ok. I found I could get to the restroom easy enough down the stairs and didn't experience too long of a wait and could get back in time for the performance so it met my needs. Cleanliness? a-ok, as expected, not bad. The downsides? The sound for this particular performance -- American Idol -- was dreadful. The lighting on stage? Whose fault is it? Somebody thought it was a great idea (NOT) to have lights behind the performers shine out into the audience repeatedly, nauseatingly repeatedly. We were constantly being blinded. Not fun. The person in charge of lighting should have their head on a platter (maybe not the venue's fault, but I'll let them share the blame as it affected me, the audience member.) And, the temperature? Sweltering for me, the audience member, so I"m sure the performers on stage had it much worse. Would I pick this venue again? Yes because I like the size and location. read more

Carnegie Library Music Hall - American Idol, our own Gabby! - Music Venues Near Me - Munhall, Pennsylvania

Historic (I.e. old) building used as a public library and concert hall venue. I've seen various acts here over the years, and have always found the same things to be irritating about the venue. One - there is no parking lot. This place seats over a thousand people and there is no parking lot. You have to show up early if you don't want to walk a mile to get to the place. And you must parallel park as street parking is the only thing available. Second, the seats in this venue are ROUGH. They are old, wooden and tiny, and there is not a lot of leg room. So if you are a person who is over 5'5" and/or 150 lbs, you might have a rough time. I think this place needs remodeled, but I guess the dusty old atmosphere is part of this place's charm. Food/drink options are limited too, so just don't expect to eat or drink anything here. But if you're going here to see a favorite musician or a comedian, you are bound to enjoy yourself despite it all. So, just go and have a good time. But expect to be annoyed a little bit by the lack of modern conveniences. read more

I love the touch of class that this mid-sized venue has. The classic red "showtime" curtains and round light bulbs frame the stage's face. The chandelier at the ceiling and the etched statues around the stage make you feel like you are in a one of a kind theatre. I even enjoyed the wooden chairs that have absolutely no cushion and are guaranteed to hurt your cheeks after an hour :) The middle front row balcony seats were like sitting in VIP. Only a few minor cons: Parking outside is a struggle but arrive a little early and you won't face any hassles. If you need to eat, I recommend going to the nearby spots since they didn't have much to offer. read more

Carnegie Library Music Hall - Music Venues Near Me - Munhall, Pennsylvania

This is a beautiful auditorium with great sound but the seats are absolutely terrible. Old thin wooden seats with no cushion or support. Hopefully they renovate and get some better seats. Terribly uncomfortable. read more

I love this venue. I think it's mainly the nostalgia, but why else is it awesome? Acoustics and they pull some really awesome acts there! Most recently I was there for Ben Folds. Great show. An intimate atmosphere where you can feel like your sitting on stage with the artist (and in this case Ben did not disappoint.) Prices are pretty reasonable and there really not a bad seat in the house. They are the old wooden seats, but it's what it is with a historic venue as such. I love the balcony seats, but the floor is sloped so that you're not really looking through the person in front of you. Parking can be a bit of a struggle because its residential location. Definitely get on their FB or website and look ahead at who's playing. read more

I wish I could review the show we went to over the venue. The show was Louie Anderson, and I loved him! The venue, meh I would place it in the category of I've been to better. And by been to, I mean every other place we have seen a show or standup in and around the city of Pittsburgh better. I don't want to hate on the Carnegie Library Music Hall. After all the place is a time capsule. Per their website "Completed in November 1898, it is the third oldest Carnegie library in continuous operation in its original structure in the U.S. after the Main Branch and Lawrenceville Branch of Pittsburgh.2 The library is an independent entity; it is not a "branch" of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, which operates one main facility and 19 branches within the city of Pittsburgh." So pretty cool having this piece of history as an active operating establishment to see comics and concerts alike right? Well it would be except the auditorium lacks layout functionality. Let me start with the seats. Ouch. Picture elementary school wood desk and seats. Remove desk leave hard seat. Top that with very little grading as you approach the stage. So not only was my bottom crying I am stretching my head and neck around like a giraffe trying to see over and around the women in front of me. No, she was not a giant. Just your average sized women yet I struggled to get a clear shot. Not only were the seats hard and incredibly uncomfortable they were very close together and you really couldn't use the "armrest" (hardly qualifies) without infringing on your neighbors personal space. The parking situation is also not wonderful but that's a drop in the bucket to this seating situation. Also the restroom are in need of an overhaul. The pink tile circa 1950's and the toilets with paper signs hanging above telling you to hold the handle down for 30 seconds to flush really were the icing on the cake. Historic? Yes. A good venue for a show? Not in my opinion. I think with a revamp this place could be a very enjoyable venue, unfortunately that probably will not happen, but we still had a great time seeing Christine, I mean Louie. read more

Carnegie Library Music Hall - Music Venues Near Me - Munhall, Pennsylvania

Great for events great people the mayor was here! A great day for Veterans Day and community event and awareness for all who have served ! I love bringing my family to free events and just getting to know other veterans and servicemen and women in the community!! I hope there are more great art and music for more of us to enjoy!!! Keep art and music in schools and the love for each other strong !!! Thanks for this great community hall and it is also going to be renovated so going to be closed for the next few months so yay!!! Keep our local community great! read more

See all

After having seen two VERY different acts at the Library Music Hall within the year, I have concluded that the venue works better when it's not featuring hard rock or metal concerts. Months ago, I caught Swedish guitar god and prog/power metal innovator Yngwie Malmsteen and found the sound to be somewhat muffled. Also hindering my experience a bit was a broken chair and annoying ushers who let everyone stand but me even though I wasn't blocking anyone's view. The other night, however, Kay, a huge fan of the defunct television series "House," dragged me to catch Hugh Laurie (the star of the aforementioned show) in concert with his blues/gospel/jazz act The Copper Bottom Band. The seats are still a might uncomfortable, some air may have been beneficial. and from our balcony vantage point, I had to turn at an angle and lean forward at times to watch Laurie (a multi-instrumentalist) play piano, but those minor caveats aside, I couldn't believe how amazing the sound was. Every note, be it from a guitar or from one of Laurie's fabulous back-up singers, came through with astonishing clarity. So yes, like the Benedum, CLMH is better suited for music sans power chords to my heavy metal ears. P.S. You're surprised that I expanded my horizons, aren't you? It was a good time, and Hugh was hilarious and entertaining throughout. Kay squealed left and right for the duration of the 2 1/2 hour set. Psst. She has a thing for older, lanky, tall British men. P.P.S. Grab some dinner prior to coming here if you want to avoid getting gouged for bagged chips, canned soda, and candy. read more

See all

I love the idea of this place- the history, getting a drink in the library before the show. But man the guest experience is uncomfortable. There is no air in the hall and it gets stale and ripe smelling quickly. The chairs are horribly uncomfortable and cramped. They are very old and wooden and horrible on your back. The acoustics were distorted at times. Saw a comedy show here (Kevin James) and there were some parts where I missed the punchline of the joke because the audio was distorted. Parking was fine, but it is all street parking. read more

Carnegie Library Music Hall - From balcony right, row g - Music Venues Near Me - Munhall, Pennsylvania

Recently I had seen a couple of concerts being held at this venue. It piqued my curiosity. Then one of my all time favorite performers was going to be performing there so I knew I had to go. Let me just say that the Library itself is a vintage beauty. I need to go back and sit in front of the fireplace surrounded by books. #booknerd The concert venue inside the library is a vintage masterpiece. It is on the small side with a balcony that wraps around. The balcony is only 4 rows or so. The seats are the original wooden seats. I have to say that I wasn't sitting much but they seemed comfortable. All of the carvings in the wood surrounding the stage were amazing. The touches of gold brought warmth. Everything was original. It was charming, welcoming, and a touch romantic. There was no bad seat in the house. The staff was incredibly nice. They were mostly volunteers. They had a sign advertising for volunteers for concerts. The Music Hall is a beautiful piece of history. I want to go back when it's empty and take pics. read more

See all

Where can you go to experience a small venue concert in a historic concert hall- circa late 1800's? This small venue gave us a unique feel and great view from the balcony. Not a bad seat in the house seriously. Saw Cyndi Lauper here and the staff were so helpful/ friendly. Other reviews complained about parking - there's off street parking for free, just arrive early so you can be close walking distance. Be vigilant , bc this is supposed to be a rough neighborhood , but plenty of police visible. I liked this place and would go back - I estimate that venue held 500 or less. read more

See all

I stopped by here a couple of Saturday evenings ago with my wife. We had purchased tickets online for Paula Poundstone and her stand up comedy and this happened to be the venue where she was performing. Whenever we first arrived I found the oldness of the building to somewhat charming and comforting. I thought that the actual music hall was pretty cool too as it's unlike anywhere else I have been in Pittsburgh. Then I had to go to the bathroom which is where the troubles started for me. We were in the balcony and the bathrooms were in the basement. A few flights of stairs aren't a problem for someone fit like me. However fighting through the narrowness of the stairs and hallways to get there was quite the pain. Then whenever I got back to my seat other people had filled in the seats and I realized that I was going to have a tough time seeing Paula on the stage. At 6'3 this shouldn't ever really be a problem but here it was and throughout the whole show I was only really able to see Paula's head if I was sitting up really tall. Speaking of that, these seats are old and not meant for someone as tall as me. That meant an uncomfortable night with lots of switching positions. Last but certainly not least the music hall was hot! It was cold outside and I had taken my jacket off but by the end of the show I was sweating. This wasn't just a regular sweat either as it was pouring out and I was dabbing the sweat off of my forehead every minute or two. I can't say that I have ever had that happen before in a performing arts venue. The bottom line for me is that I probably will avoid coming back to see any shows here. While I did enjoy Paula Poundstone's comedy, the overly cramped seats combined with the heat and not easily being able to see the stage made for a very long night for me. read more

Unfortunately, I noticed that a lot of the reviews here are pretty unreasonable. I would like to remind you naysayers of a few important things: (1) You are at a LIBRARY. (2) Volunteers are what keep the arts in Pittsburgh thriving. (3) You just paid well below the pocket gouging prices of Ticketmaster and Live Nation events. So use that extra money and bring along a flask or a can of soda or some peanuts or a bag of chips. Or, better yet, go eat a pre-show meal at one of the hidden culinary gems Homestead has to offer. (4) Don't like Waterfront traffic? Try using the Rankin Bridge instead: a quarter of the traffic and only two stop lights away from Library Place. (5) Parking in Pittsburgh is abysmal no matter where you go - so suck it up, arrive early, and spend a few minutes walking around and enjoying this historical building. In a venue that only holds a little over 1,000 people, I'd rather spend a few extra minutes at a stop sign than an hour of gridlock in a major venue's parking lot. Disclaimer: I love old venues. So, of course, I'll overlook some of the more unappealing features of the Carnegie Library Music Hall - like the narrow, hard, uncomfortable seats; the lack of restrooms; and, the nightmare parking situation. however, the charm of the building, the intimacy of performances, and the off-the-beaten path nature of the acts that chose this venue are all reasons why I will continue to choose to attend shows here. Simply put, I love the Carnegie Library Music Hall. read more

This was my first time at the Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead. I had heard a lot of good things about it, but never saw a show that perked my interested enough to go. UNTIL Sara Bareilles announced she was coming to Pittsburgh. My friend and I bought the tickets the moment they went on sale. We planned to meet for dinner at the Waterfront before heading over to the show, and there's a ton of options to pick from. We decided on Bravo (see review) which was really good. We thought we'd be too early, so we shopped around a bit, but we should have gotten there early if we would have known the parking situation ahead of time. There is no parking lot, only street parking around the venue itself, and all of the houses that surround it. We had to park 3 blocks away and neither of us were familiar with the area. This is the only reason it doesn't get 5 stars. Walking up to the building, it has this grand staircase that welcomes you and it's very old-world looking. Kind of like where you would imagine men would wear tuxes and women would wear gowns to go see a show. The theatre inside has this huge red velvet curtain on either side and at the top. It had these old wooden seats, and this beautiful balcony. The thing I was most impressed with were the acoustics. The sound in there was amazing, and for a small venue that can be challenging. They set up a "bar" on concert nights in the library area, and where you would check out a book is now where you get a drink. People were standing around all of the books. sitting in the reading chairs with their wine. It was a really cool set-up and atmosphere to add to the experience. I would definitely go back here again for another show, and I would DEFINITELY get there earlier than we did for a better parking spot! I give this venue 2-thumbs up! read more

I really hate to give a 1 star. To be honest the venue, the volunteers, the library are all 4 stars but the security staff they employ are sub par and downright rude. Me and a few friends went to see BlackBerry smoke perform at the hall on 3.21.15 and it was our first time to the venue from out of state. We loved the place, the fans were great and the people were great. Cell phone cameras, have you been to a concert in the last 10 years? Every bar band, concert, venue or sports event has thousands of fans taking pictures and video. For the most part venues ignore this because it's not high enough quality that someone would pay for it so they look the other way. Bands look the other way too because people sharing pictures and video on social media means thousands of people are seeing them and hearing about them. Where artists and venues have a problem is when someone comes in with a $3,000 camera and uses that. That will produce a quality that might represent lost sales, makes sense right? I've been to hundreds of concerts and scores of venues and never been to a venue where security was so overbearing and annoying that it actually detracted from the show. I know it was the venue and not the show because I've seen the same band at other venues and never saw security disrespect so many people. In about a 4 hour time within 60 feet of me I saw at least 50-60 times where security was barging in front of people making them stop their recording on their cell phone. Seeing security jump in front of people like morons at a respectful and mostly adult crowd was way more distracting than the random drunk. Because of this, I will never go to this venue again. I am not a person that holds out my phone the entire concert but I do like to get one song on my phone for memory, sharing with family and something to look back on in the future, not to make money. The ironic part was security did not check bags, do a metal wand scan or stop anyone coming into the place. To me, I'd rather they ensure that someone doesn't have a bomb or a Rambo knife than a dang cell phone. They did no security checks just cell phone camera checks which was annoying. If u were trying to record I would have been upset, I actually got my one song recorded but every 15 seconds they were stopping someone around me for 4 hours, it was ridiculous and hurt the freedom and enjoyment of the show Great band, great venue just get a new head of security and focus on keeping the public safe, the band safe and not on camera phones. Wanted everyone to be aware of this because I didn't know before coming to this venue, had I known I would have waited to see them at a different venue read more

The curators of this venue are not friendly adding to the cramped entryway and lack of seating for handicapped individuals.

This building is 100+ years old. It's sits on a hill among old, well kept homes and narrow streets. Take note that you will be searching for parking on these same streets. There is no parking lot. We were here for a concert by the Rides. The band consisted of Stephen Stills, Barry Goldberg, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. This was our second time here. The first was to see Kenny Wayne Shepherd with his regular band. I like the old fashioned hall with red stage curtain, chandelier hanging from the ceiling and the wooden seats. The seats are uncomfortable but I saw some people bringing in seat pads which would be a good idea. The sound quality was great. Our seats were on the left near the front. Last time, we were in the balcony and seats were almost the last row. Usually a good concert experience is helped by having good people around you. We were fortunate that no one near us was overly obnoxious or loud. The crowd was comprised mainly of old rock lovers, but there were college age kids and young adults, too. No one stood in front of us until the last 2-3 songs and then we stood, also. Volunteers do many jobs from ticket scanning, ushering patrons, handling the line outside the building and selling merchandise. The usher in our section did warn everyone about no flash photography and no video taping. Although, after the concert started, no one bothered the man in front of us who seemed to video the whole concert on his phone. Snacks and drinks are offered, but it was a little too crowded where they were offered. This venue gets a lot of good shows (popular bands, singers, musicians, comedians) and I would definitely like to come back here again. read more

See all

When I first heard that John Hiatt would be playing at the Carnegie Library in Munhall, I thought "You've gotta be kidding me. Why is one of the most gifted songwriters in all of pop/rockdom playing at a fricking library?" See that's how WYEP billed it. Like Darren W. states, this place is a well-kept secret. I'd never been to the Carnegie Library of Homestead (which is actually in Munhall). So what I didn't know was that it's a beautiful 1,000 seat auditorium. Everything about this library including the music hall harkens back to the Gilded Age. Built in 1898, the music hall mainly hosted local community shows, church productions, and graduations. . But seeking to draw more visitors from outside the neighborhood -- and help the independent library's bottom line -- library officials decided to start booking major concerts at the music hall. It was renovated in 1998 and since then has hosted such acts as Hiatt, Patti Smith, Bare Naked Ladies, Toad the Wet Sprocket, etc. Lindsey Buckingham, Drive By Truckers, and Jon Anderson (formerly of Yes) are all slated to play here later this year. The building itself seems to be of a Baroque design, common to public buildings of that era. I'm no architectural expert, so correct me if I'm wrong. The performance space is quite amazing. When entering, I was taken by the huge curtain acress the stage and the illuminated proscenium arch overhead. There are a few drawbacks though. First of all, parking around here is v-e-r-y limited. They have no lot, so you have to park on the street. Second of all, refreshments here are very limited too. They set up a temporary bar for each show. Third of all, the seats are all wooden so they get a little uncomfortable after awhile. As for John Hiatt, I think the Trib Live described him best, stating that while you might not know his face nor even heard of him, you've probably heard his songs. Bonnie Raitt had a hit with , "Thing Called Love" (though she really altered it). "Riding with the King," was a hit for B.B. King (appropriately, though "the king" is a reference to Elvis Presely) and Eric Clapton as a duet. Others including Kenny Rogers, Jewel, Delbert McClinton, Joe Cocker, Mandy Moore, and Linda Ronstadt have had hits with Hiatt's songs. Even Jon Bon Jovi did a version of "Have a Little Faith." Hiatt's songs are well known for their wry wit. One of my favorite verses in all musicdom is from "Slow Turning": "And I'm yelling at the kids in the back/'Cos they're banging like-a Charlie Watts". Hiatt likes to name drop in some of his songs. "Shredding the Document" mentions both Larry King and Oprah Winfrey. Anyway, Hiatt tours extensively and he seems to be an old pro at performing live and that's a good thing. You know an artist is still a vaiable songwriter and performer when you stick around for his new material. He did some songs from his new CD "Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns" which were just as good as anything else he's recorded. And of course he went through a lot of his classic songs like the aforementioned "Slow Turning" plus "Memphis in the Meantime", "Thing Called Love", and "Cry Love" among others. Opening act was Big Head Todd & The Monsters, probably best known for "Please Don't Tell Her". Todd & Co. delivered a rollicking good set too. I'm at the point now where I'd rather see a show at a venue like this than fork over megabucks for a concert at some McCorporate-Name-of-the-Month shed. I'm glad there are still great alternatives to shows sponsored by Live Nation. Come check out a show here at the Library some time! read more

My boyfriend had the worse seat in the house, to this day we still laugh about just how terrible his seat was, it was the last row in the theater right against the back wall and there was a huge black pole obstructing his view of the stage. The theater has those hard wooden seats , school auditorium style. I think this place could use a face lift. read more

NO AC! I repeat, NO AC! We came here for the Kevin James show tonight. I agree with the other reviews about the seats being uncomfortable, but we got past that. Parking is a non issue, tons of on street parking available. The main problem is the temperature of this place when the show starts. You're packed in like sardines and there is literally no ventilation. Kevin James brought it up at least 10 times throughout his act! If the act is spending this much time complaining you would think someone would listen. It made it so uncomfortable it was hard to even enjoy the show. read more

Heard Ted Nugent was playing there. Automatically gets one star. Any place that gives this POS a platform is written off my list of concert halls. read more

This is one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever been in, let alone as a music venue. Great acoustics and ambiance. Only complaint: if you are sitting in certain seats (back rows in the lower level), the upper level of seating seems a bit low and claustrophobic and impedes the view a bit. read more

Very cool venue to check out! I sat in the balcony for the show I attended. I thought the sound was good (when the band wasn't playing you could hear people talking, but I wasn't bothered by that during the show). I saw a bluegrass band and enjoyed he acoustics (might be different for a rock/metal band). Its the type of venue that doesn't have a bad seat. I didn't explore the bar area, but to take drinks into the show you have to buy a special cup (similar to the Benedum and Heinz Hall). There is street parking available. I was able to park within a couple blocks. The workers are volunteers and are friendly. I would definitely go back! read more

I don't like this place as much as Darren does. They gouge you for snacks ($3 for a bag of chips!), the staff can be really uptight and unfair (some usher told Darren to sit down even though we were in the balcony and he wasn't blocking anyone's view, for a metal concert no less!), and they need a/c bad. Anyway, we saw Yngwie Malmsteen here, and he rocked, even if the sound could have been better. The seats were not comfortable and hard. Darren's seat was unstable (and they wouldn't let him stand???). I also saw the Cult here with Darren a couple years back. read more

This is one of my favorite places to see a show. It's not too huge and the stage is close so you can really get up close and personal. We went to the Lauryn Hill concert and it was AWESOME!!! Sound was great, seats were awesome (sat in the balcony practically on top of the stage) and they sell beer and wine there that you can drink in the theater with sippy cups what more could you ask for? Love this venue read more

We came for American Idol. The show was great, but I didn't love the venue. We normally like sitting in the balcony, but not here. They have these large wooden screens at the bottom of each aisle. We were up 6 rows but the screens blocked our view. We saw mostly heads. It was also extremely warm. The acoustucs made it difficult to understand when they were speaking. They don't have parking, so you take your chances on hilly street parking. I don't think we will be back, even though I would love to see Andy Grammer. read more

Saw Sara Bareillis last night. We love the setting of both Music Halls (Homestead and Oakland) Simply beautiful! But did not dig the sound at the Homestead location last night...our seats were back/balcony and honestly we couldn't make out most of the words when Sara sang/spoke. Everything seemed muffled, so I'm wondering if it was just that section. I asked others, though, and they said the same thing. Side note: we saw Train a couple of years ago at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland and the acoustics/sound was much better. But then again, we were on the floor! read more