I attended my first show at the Paradise last night, it's a smaller venue, great for a more intimate setting. The balcony is really where it's at, being down on the floor if you're not in the very front or 6' tall isn't great for viewing. Everyone that I interacted with that was working there was friendly and helpful. The bathrooms were good at the start of the show but by the end they were a mess. read more

No phones, no smoking, no re entry, main artist 2:45hrs after doors opened, 1:45hr after what was scheduled . We are not cattle. Delay, and rules of establishment ruined the experience read more

This place has been here forever.... It's a nice small venue to see a concert. Very cozy. Personally I like the couches on the second floor. Very comfy.... The cocktails are outrageously priced. I paid $18 for a jack and coke! Good grief... read more

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A friend and I went to a concert at Paradise Rock Club and we loved it! We did find one of the bouncers to be rather rude. He was rushing us through ID check and was very snappy at the people in line. Everyone else was awesome. As a whole this club gives old school CBGB vibes and has fantastic acoustics. I will definitely be back soon! read more

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There's so much history at this legendary music venue in Boston. I've been here plenty of times, but most recently I had a fabulous time (per usual) but I also discovered the front lounge/restaurant bar scene they've got going on that you can hang out in before the show. We got some drinks and hung out at one of the high top tables in this restaurant area. It serves food until 10pm and it's loaded with sick concert memorabilia from past performers that played at Paradise through the years. I'm still thinking about the poster for The Police and The Pixies. I want these as decor in my apartment lol. Such a fun and intimate experience no matter who you're seeing here. I couldn't recommend seeing a show here more. read more

Paradise Rock Club - Outside - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Headed to the paradise rock club to check out a show on a week night. It's a super small venue right on Com ave with a bunch of cool little restaurants around to grab a bit before a show. It's very close to BU and felt like a vibrant and safe area. There are a couple bars inside, and a pit area and upstairs seating as well (I didn't go upstairs). It was just a cool spot and the sound was spot on. A pit was not tolerated, and crowd surfing is not allowed. Great spot that I'd go back to in a heartbeat. read more

Saw the killers here with my girlfriend! What an amazing experience. It was my first concert and I think I will be spoiled by how close I was to the band. The drinks were expensive and it is a little tiring having to stand the entire night but I had a blast. Bring your earplugs or you will go deaf and get tinnitus. read more

Paradise Rock Club - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The bar service is always fast & friendly. They always have a great team of staff who n hand to make your experience an enjoyable, kind ROCKING EXPERIENCE! The venu are is always clean with an ambiance only the Paradise can offer. Great night out every time ! read more

Shows are great. Very eclectic and willing to host classic punk bands. Sound guys are lacking. Gain is tow on HR. Can't hear him singing . Fourth show I've seen here and the sound guys are the only lacking thing read more

Great little venue, not a bad spot in the house. Good sound. I like that they tape off the area around the sides of the club for space to move around. read more

Went to a drag show recently. Standing room only here. 2 levels to view stage. Parking is on street. Located adjacent to BU so lots of college kids around and safe area. We did find a parking garage a block away. Very reasonable prices. Multiple bars in the establishment to grab a drink. read more

Paradise Rock Club - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The actual concert I saw was great music wise And all the staff (especially at the bar) that we interacted with were really nice But over all the worst experience I've had at any venue in Boston. People who came in after the headliner went on were pushing and shoving from the back trying to get to the front. If you are all the way in the back under the balcony, there are lots of support poles. When people would lean up against them (especially to hold up a phone or a drink) it would block out any windows too see the stage. Line up early if you care to see the performer at all! read more

Paradise Rock Club - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The show was advertised to start at 5PM when in reality it started at 6PM. This was poor advertising on their part. The line was super long and it didn't start moving until 5:15PM which I found unprofessional. The line moved at a steady pace and security was very thorough which is always a good thing in my book. The bathrooms are tiny but fairly clean. The show itself didn't start until 6:16PM. I will not be coming back. read more

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When it comes to seeing a band you want to see, you have very little choice in the matter. Having just moved to Portland (Maine) after living in Chicago and other major cities, my best option was to drive two hours down, see the show, drive two hours back. The venue is pretty grungy, not that there'd anything wrong with that. The layout is not very good. It feels three or four times as wide as deep, making for awkward viewing in most spots. There's a balcony of sorts, but a lot of it is fenced off and reserved for elites. The sound quality isn't the best. If the band has a good sound engineer, it'll sound okay, but not many standards. As someone who uses a cane to get around, I was cognizant about trying to contact the venue ahead of time to get handicapped seating. Don't bother calling because they won't answer. Email them. I didn't manage to do that and some of the staff was a bit disgruntled with me, but big shoutout to staff/bouncer John, who made an extra effort to get me a pass and and extra seat, despite me dropping the ball on contacting them ahead of time. Street parking will probably be a challenge, but there's some side streets and parking lots if worse comes to worse. read more

Paradise Rock Club - the front of the building - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Okay venue TERRIBLE SECURITY. The security guards are incredibly rude and aggressive for no reason at all. I wore a chain to a concert here and after passing through the metal detector, I was hounded by three brutish security guards. I literally did nothing and they threatened to kick me out if I take my chain off, like its some kind of weapon? Mind you, its not even a real chain, very light weight and non threatening. Paradise rock club, please do better than hiring insecure bullies with absolutely no manners at all. Other reviews indicate extra aggression towards people of color, I definitely think that holds true. read more

An amazing venue for some incredible musical acts! With great acoustics, reasonable drinks, and lots of cool vantage points, the Paradise is an ideal music venue. I recommend coming on the earlier side to get a good view! read more

Paradise Rock Club - a band performing on stage - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Terrible acoustics for a concert venue, I left before the main performer even came on. If only I knew sign language because those with hearing couldn't understand the lyrics over such terrible sound. A waste of money and on top of that it was a 7pm ticket and the show didn't even start until 8:30. read more

Had fun at Lotus last night. Security got the crowd inside quickly and the process was simple. Once inside the bathroom was cleaner than most venues and the bar lines were short. Nice merch area where I snagged an old Lotus show poster from the Paradise in 2023 for $10! Current poster was $30 which is still reasonable in this scene. I parked for free on the street near Mobil and walked a few blocks to the venue. There are so many lights and i love lights but last night i got a migraine during set 1 so I left at set break. This venue allows you to go out to smoke and return into the venue! I love that policy! Fun and energetic crowd, good music, chill security made for a memorable night. My first visit here since People Under the Stairs about 15 years ago and it was great. read more

Drinks are expensive but that's to be expected at a concert. The sound at the shows is great and the stage is pretty big. Weird set up as the venue is kind of a weird shape but there are many different spots to stand. read more

Good venue, Intimate, good views. Sound wasn't spectacular. Beer selection average. I'll go back. read more

I've lived very close to this venue for a while now and just had not been able to see a concert here before. 3OH!3 was preforming here and I thought this was be a great opportunity. The venue is so small so no matter where you are in the room you feel up close to the band. We stood on the ground floor, but there is also an upstairs balcony. It does get a little tight downstairs because everyone wants to be next to the stage. The bar is very small and has two bar tenders but the wait can be a little long. The drinks are a little expensive but I would say normal for a concert venue. It was very easy to get in, you also had to show your vaccine card, but everything moved very quickly. read more

Killer shows and nice wide venue that isn't very deep. We've seen Walk The Moon and TWRP here and both were great shows. It's a bit of a funky but historic spot. The only think that keeps it from being a 5/5 is the A/C was off so it was balmy even in May for TWRP, and parking is a bit tough. Easiest spot we've found is at the arena a block away as long as no event is going on there. Still would highly recommend. read more

Paradise Rock Club - TWRP rocking the house. Both times we've seen them here it's been a blast! This is the view from the balcony right above the merch booth. - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Came here for a rap concert and had a grand ol' time. Once the line starting moving, it went pretty quick. Inside is grungy AF, but I imagine that's the whole point. It looks like a big ass unfinished basement. The standing room area is relatively small and they have a balcony area so if the concert is lit, it makes for a great atmosphere. There was enough space for people to stand in the back and have breathing room. I ordered a bottle of water from the bar and they served me a Liquid Death can, which I appreciated because I fit right in with the alcoholics. This is a low key spot for a concert, would come back for sure. read more

Can I give zero stars? What kind of establishment has a 7pm concert and doesn't open the doors as of 730? Totally unprofessional. read more

Paradise Rock Club - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Went to see a few artists here and security was very tight which was good. Our group made it very close to the stage and that meant security was a lot closer to us as well. They did not hesitate to tell people to get back or get onto people when it was necessary. The security was also nice enough to give us water bottles during the concert. A lot of the bad reviews on here are simply people that do not listen to bartenders or security. They also don't understand there's many consequences to acting crazy and being super intoxicated in public. One thing I do agree with is the venue needs to start to open the doors on time. read more

this venue is truly so fun, although its not the /best/ if you dont like an intense crowd (depends on the show obviously, but moshes have happened here more than any other venue ive been to), but if that turns you off theres a balcony, which is honestly just as fun to just watch people go nuts in the crowd read more

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I've been to a few concerts (Dave East, Ty Dolla $ign) at this venue. I like that the train is very accessible at this location. However, waiting outside the venue, they should control the lines better. It's always so chaotic but not in a regular way. Lines looping around itself and security just lets it happen until the whole sidewalk is blocked. Because of how the venue is set up, I recommend staying on the lower level or staying towards the center on either floor because of the pillars by the stage. Also, just get there early for the show! read more

Paradise Rock Club - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I have been going to this venue for many years, as a teenager it was fine and tix are (were) cheap, however when your ticket shows "doors open at 7", and you are still standing in line at 7:45, well that's a problem. This happened with the last 3 shows I have attended here. The inside is just tired and decades old. The best thing about this place is the parking / T accessibility. For future shows; I will be attending them at the other venues in vicinity. Someone needs to drastically change this place or just shut doors down. read more

The band was great and the stage set up was perfect. The bartenders were less than friendly and could be trained to be nice to people.

40+ years strong, the Paradise it was one of Boston's last, great venues. These days Boston's music scene is a pale shadow of what it once was. Even just 5-10 years back, you could expect that most bands touring through the states and playing in NY would surely stop in Boston. Unfortunately, that's no longer an assumption that can be made. However, an assumption that you (or at least I) can make is that most often the bands of worth (and a certain size) do choose the Paradise as their go to. And rightfully so. First, location. The Paradise is located in the heart of the BU campus, right on the cusp of Allston. For access to your audience, they'd be hard pressed to find a better spot. Even if you're coming from other areas (Cambridge, etc.), the distance is relatively small (though MBTA travel can be troublesome). Second, size. It's just big enough to host relatively well-known bands with good followings, but not so big that smaller bands can't cruise through here too. Third, configuration. I've always liked clubs that have a small balcony area. You don't need to be upfront at the edge of stage for every show, so if you want a more detached spot (that still has a decent view), the balcony is a nice option. Finally, the people who run this place just seem to get it. They book a great variety of bands, make the transition between bands (setup, etc.) super smooth, and also do a great job with sound. What more can you ask for? Well, I could ask that all bands I want to see play the Paradise, but we know that's not feasible. And anyway, their sister club is Brighton Music Hall down the street. And knowing it's under their umbrella, not surprising that they too run a good operation. So here's to hopefully another 10 years (and more) for the Paradise. If they and/or the Middle East ever close, we can consider Boston's music fully dead. read more

I just got thrown out for absolutely no reason. Do not go here. They will literally rob you. The bartenders are absolutely insane and will cut you off for no reason. The bouncers will throw you out for having dilated pupils. "Becky the bartender" (gag me) has no idea what's she's doing. Serves drinks with no alcohol in them and then cuts you off. Then Matt the bouncer throws you out for having dilated pupils. What century are we living in? We're in a dark concert hall, everyone has dilated pupils you utterly useless tools. All I said to the bartender was that I would leave a bad yelp review. And then she started this nonsense aggression that got me kicked out of a show. Great job losing a paying customer causing zero trouble, for life. This place is absolute garbage and so are all of its employees.. read more

Terrible experience at this venue, me and my boyfriend came in all the way from jersey for Teezo Touchdown since he was not performing in the city. At the door the security guard decided my ID was fake I am 24 years old and my boyfriend 23, they started mocking us saying they were from our town and getting super defensive we weren't even drinking but to have my obviously real Id be deemed as fake they clearly do not know what they're doing and kept making passing aggressive comments it felt like they were trying to get us to give them a reaction after finally agreeing to get x's on our hands so we can just go they did it so aggressively and laughed again my id is real and I will be 25 this year so this was just insane to experience and then I get inside pissed off and overwhelmed and I go to buy some water to cool off and the bartender completely goes off on me for not tipping for WATERRRR????????? What am I tipping you for ??? What did you do she didn't say hello was extremely rude why would I tip you on water if youre not even nice? The entitlement is crazy! Literally just slid a can of water to me, I work in the service industry and blacking out on someone over a tip? Is so unacceptable again if she made me a drink I would have 100% tipped but I was just grabbing some water. This place needs a new staff asap, they completely ruined the experience of this show for us completely killing our energy CANT believe we traveled 6 hours for this. Extremely disappointing. read more

Such a disappointment. Thought it would be fun but the BOUNCERS LOOK FOR TROUBLE here, they're bullies. It's like they were on a mission to make sure you don't enjoy yourself. We were totally chill and they hounded a bunch of people all night for no legit reason. It ruined the night. We were really looking forward to the band and it totally sucked. Worst nightclub experience ever. Never going back. read more

I've been coming to the Paradise for many,MANY years with zero issues. Last night I came to see Thursday play "War All the Time" first person puts a wristband on my wrist then some bouncer guy says "you can't come in you're intoxicated" I didnt even drink yet!!!! I left for a minute came back and he says the same thing and tells me to have a nice night....what a POS. Talk about getting singled out for absolutely no reason at all. read more

Paradise Rock Club is an okay venue. I've been here to see Kurt Vile/Waxahatchee in 2015 and Alvvays in 2017. It's cool that this venue can hold large crowds of people. There are two standing areas- one on the ground floor and one on the second floor! Another good thing is the lighting they use. It's never too glaring or excessive! I think the sound could use a little work because the quality was very different both times. During my first visit, everything was crisp and clear: vocals, instrumentals- all that jazz! During my second visit, not so much... it was kind of muddled, vocals-wise. The stage formation is also a little strange depending on where you choose to stand. If you like to stand off to the side (like me), be wary!! It's entirely possible for you to get a shabby view of the stage if you stand way too off to the side, which is something I've never had a problem with in other venues. read more

Paradise Rock Club - Alvvays - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

So we got tickets for Electric Feels at this venue last weekend. Me and my friends were in line, one of them had a hard seltzer in her hand. First bouncer showrt, white male comes by and asks for her ID, she's from Missouri, he checks her ID and says its fake and she's not getting in, she shows another ID, he says the same. Another one now comes by black male with a weird eye, and he checks her ID, pulls the can outta her hand and tosses it onto the street behind him and starts yelling at her face saying "I don't know how the f*** it works in Missouri, but you're in Boston and you can f****** drink in my line. You're not getting into my club and get the f*** outta here" Terrible experience, we were psyched to have a fun night and he ruined it for all of us. Never going back to this place. read more

Really had fun at the concert tonight! It's not a crazy place for a concert since the venue is not that large. They have drinks. Not a lot to choose from since it's not really a full bar restaurant. Just a basic easy drinks to choose and get from the side of the stage to the other side. Me and my friends had a blast and hopefully another cool artist would be playing there soon and we can all come back again!! read more

Concert Dogstar great. Really enjoyed it. We easily got in and found a good spot to stand. Good pour on cocktail. Security was great too. Felt safe. read more

Really grungy place, with incredibly rude staff. Really disappointed in my experience there, and would highly recommend you just wait for your artist of choice to perform at a different venue... not worth the disappointing experience of being there....Honestly you'd probably have a better experience at a bar... for your sake would highly recommend trying somewhere else read more

Went to see a Scotty Sire because my sister is a fan. For a club, this place has a really small stage. Also, even with a 2nd floor, it was still hard to see because of the beams being in the way. I do enjoy the convenience of having bars on each floor. There's also a restaurant inside too. The wait time to get in wasn't that bad either. Not sure if I will be back, wasn't really feeling it that night. read more