I recently attended a concert here and it was my first time ever going to the State, an iconic…read morePortland landmark. Getting into the theater was attacked tricky as there was a lot of road construction happening nearby and the sidewalk was partially closed. I found on street parking just two blocks away. Upon entering, everything was easy to locate, bar, merch counter, bathrooms. They even had big water thermoses and paper cups if you didn't want to buy a drink. There were ushers floating around, so I had no problem finding my seat. I did explore up to the upper level and was surprised there wasn't any real lighting in that staircase. After the concert, exiting is a little crowded. Being an old building, the doors are fairly narrow. Overall, it was a nice evening and I will definitely go back!

The state theater is a historical venue, we can to see Lucy Darling!…read more Great show, we were on the first floor balcony, lower level and had a Great view. There is a couple of bars in the venue and bathrooms on both floors. Challenging for handicapped friends. We did not eat anything we ate before we came to the show and plenty of options in the area. Service was prompt and staff were great.

The Laugh Track is a fun, fast and fabulous 90 minute play about Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll…read morejr...the writers of the I Love Lucy Show. Taken from Ms Pugh's autobiography, but with some poetic license by the wonderful Playwright, Wendy MacLeod, it recounts scenarios from Madelyn Pugh's perspective both in and out of the writer's office. Her role back then was NOT always as an equal, though she was equally as funny a writer as her male counterpart. It also hits on the dynamic between all the people involved in making that show a groundbreaking hit as well as the ultimate end of the show in 1957.

Quaint little venue to catch a good show. Stopped in to experience Bound and was pleasantly…read moresurprised with this venue! Small amount of street parking available or parking garage just down the street. Small lobby area which is where the box office is located as well. Once in you can take an elevator or the stairs to the second floor for concessions and theater access. One can enter the theater from the second floor or venture up another flight of stairs for entry towards the top of the seating area as well. Volunteer staff was great today, very friendly and helpful. Can't speak of concession as they were not open for this event. Bathrooms available in the second floor as well. Not sure how I have missed this venue with all the time spent in Portland, but don't take as long as I have see what's upcoming and experience a great time at the theater!

My wife and I recently went to our first show at Blue the other night. Had never really known it…read morewas a spot prior to this concert. It was an album release party for local pop-punk/emo band Broadwing. The card featured other local bands as well as a New England DJ. I know now that some shows at Blue are free or minimal cover which is great. Tickets for this show ended up being $12 which is a great value for a concert/night out. Hard to find tickets that cheap nowadays. The person working the door was friendly and had our name already so didn't even need to pull the tickets up. Bartenders were friendly and the drinks were well made. I especially liked their spicy cocktail Bing Bong which had the perfect kick to it! Prices were reasonable for drinks as well. Venue is on the small side as expected but had a great vibe for intimate smaller shows. Even with a sold-out show it was not overpacked. The acoustics and sound were good for a smaller venue as well. If you love smaller concerts I would recommend checking out their event schedule to see if something piques your interest. Also if you are a fan of pop punk music then do yourself a favor and check out Broadwing (especially their song New England Baby)! Very down to earth friendly band!

The online presence of Blue is a dumpster fire. Why do I need to enter my contact information just…read moreto see what's happening tonight? If I don't, there is NO current reliable information on who's scheduled. Pathetic and unreliable. I'm not doing it. I've enjoyed many evenings there, but the basic management of the venue is a joke. It will be a shame when it closes. What acts are scheduled for the NEXT WEEK? How difficult is that to maintain? Apparently, it's not possible.

I have seen them perform twice. Each time I laughed so hard my jaw and ribs hurt. They do such an…read moreoutstanding job. It takes real talent and lots of practice to just roll with everything throw at them and to be able to improv it all. This is defiantly a show for adults. They folks are awesome. So much fun and so much laughing. I can't wait for another. They have experienced actors and occasionally some new members. They take lots of from topics from the audience. They do serious scenes in which actors take turns doing a serious scene and whenever the audience laughs they get tapped out. They do a scene where everyone is a character and one actor that has bee out of the room has to guess them all at a party. They often end with "sex with me is like ...." And the audience gives out the ideas. This is hilarious.

Great Holiday Show by the POS, atmosphere and seating was perfect. The music was really nice, I…read morewould have wanted to hear more of the Classic Christmas tunes than what they chose but it was still enjoyable.

We have seen PSO shows at the Merrill. The Magic of Christmas and Star Wars a New Hope…read more Both shows were fantastic! The seats were comfortable and not too cramped. You can clearly see the stage and the instrument sounds filled the venue beautifully. The volunteers were so nice and definitely have a pep in their step. There many of them, there to greet and bring you to the general area of your seats. I say general area, because one actually brought us to the opposite end of the row were were seated. It's ok, we were there early and just walked back around. She apologized, when she saw us walking back the other way. As expected with older venues - there are a lot of stairs to traverse if you are in the balcony - this your warning. Drinks and restrooms are not available at every level, so make sure you plan accordingly. Parking is separate and it's not a bad walk - just wear comfortable shoes, so you don't twist your ankle. Security was friendly - expect the metal detectors, wanding, emptying of pockets and searching of bags. Typical for most venues. We look forward to our next show this year!

Staff is wonderful Locals even better…read more Bathrooms are clean Fun Cheap drinks Packet Softest toilet paper for your cooch ahhh

This place has rocked since before it was on Congress Street. The bar that started the Portland…read morePunk scene with Kip Brown in the 70s. Continuing it with is daughter Gina who is the Princess of punk is this town! A true punk, metal, queer rock and roll bar. The coolest place since CBGBs! This is the real deal. Metal and punk are queer AF so it only makes sense that this amazing place is all of the above! The Island of the Misfit Toys!!!!!

Fabulous (as always)! We have really enjoyed attending the Magic of Christmas over the last few…read moreyears and this year was no exception. We really enjoyed all the music and it was a treat to hear Julia Gagnon perform with them this year. The conductor always does a wonderful job of interacting with the audience and creating a fun, welcoming atmosphere. The musicians are so talented and we enjoy the music each time we attend. I also feel as though the price for tickets are very reasonable, so I recommend checking out a concert if you're able!

Good for a small city symphony. The trumpets were held WAY back, like parts that should be forte,…read morewhich means really loud with bite, were very soft and quiet. The Bangor symphony a ways back, maybe 2019 did a Star Wars tribute, with actors and 6 French horns, a large bone section and very loud trumpets. That was awesome. Thai conductor now with Portland does not like brass, they play way too quiet and don't sell the big passages.