I've had a chance to visit this concert hall a couple times, all for events hosted by Northwestern. First time I had the pleasure of seeing a stand-up gig by Aziz Ansari. Second time I got to see a Q&A session with James Franco. Both times, I had no desire to wait outside in the cold for a good seat, so I ended up sitting on the second level balcony. Despite these less-than-ideal seats, I had no issues seeing the stage or hearing them speak. Concert hall itself is clean and modern looking! Great venue. read more

Pick-Staiger Concert Hall - James Franco - Music Venues Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

A concert at Pick-Staiger actually turned out better than I expected. First, specifics about the hall itself. - Excellent acoustics. I was in the balcony, about half way up, and I could hear the rustle of paper as the conductor turned a page. Wow! I should add that the hall was only about half full, but since there were a lot of college students there, their noise level quotient is higher than the average baby boomer's. - The house lights go down for the concert, but it's not pitch black. The hall just becomes dim. I could see the musicians on stage perfectly, no problem, and yet, I didn't feel like a cast member in "Scream 4Ever", expecting some scary creep to pop out of the darkness. - Excellent sightlines. - Would you believe, I had leg room? Yes, it's true. And I'm a tall woman. I actually had leg room. My knees were not jammed against my chest. Wow. That never happens. And during intermission, I did not have to stand on my seat, to allow other patrons to pass by. - The seat itself was okay, nothing special, but it was comfortable enough. It shows that the hall is a little older. So is my ass (older, I mean, not comfortable), so a little more padding on the chair would have been good. - The seat numbers were marked clearly enough that I found my seat, quickly and easily, and did not need to pull out magnifying glasses to read the numbers. Good thing, because there were no ushers around. Hire some students! They need all the help they can get to repay their student loans. For the venue: - Ample ladies' room, and clean. - Easy to turn in my groupon for my ticket. Tickets lines were well-marked and organized. - If there were water fountains, I didn't see them. They must be some, right? If not, that's a ding against the venue. - No refreshments being sold, anywhere. (See above about water fountains.) I would have paid for a drink of something; didn't have to be alcoholic. Maybe this is some sort of weird Evanston or university ordinance. Refreshments, please. - Temperature was comfortable. I had an overcoat and was wearing a sweater (layering is so Chicago, I know), but I was perfectly comfortable in my turtleneck. - There was some kind of free student performance in the lobby before the show. Very nice! Wish there had been some information about who they were, though. I'm assuming students. Give these people a little advertising, please. - This was a Sunday evening concert, so there was plenty of parking close by.No problem with Northwestern University parking stickers, assigned spots, etc. I got in and out quickly and easily. This might have been tougher if the crowd had been bigger, but, like I said earlier, the hall was only half full. Bottom line: recommended. Good venue for music. I would definitely be happy to hear any musical act here. Or play, for that matter, given the solid acoustics. read more

Looking for a cheap option for some great music? This concert hall is right on Northwestern University's campus and the acoustics are really great. It is mostly student performances but also will feature the Music School faculty, as well. I love taking my kids to their Kids Fare concerts. At the All About Brass concert, after the concert was over, my kids got to go up on stage for an 'instrument petting zoo' where they got to touch and feel and ask questions about each instrument. The tickets are very affordable and they offer an NU discount, as well. Parking is free in the structure next to it (which includes covered underground parking and above ground) and you've got a gorgeous lakefront view outside. read more

Located on Northwestern University's Evanston Campus, Pick-Staiger (Pick, if you will) holds many school of music, Evanston Symphony Orchestra (ESO), and North Shore concerts throughout the year. They also host the National High School Music Institute over the summer, providing many free concerts to the public. The hall is mainly student run and does a good job of it. All seats are good in the 1000 seat theater. The hall also uses what's called a 'cloud' system for acoustics - glass panels that can be raised or lowered according to the concert size. Check out the jazz nights and its sister small theater next door 'Regenstein.' read more

Wow - Love going to everything here and also been on the participant end of this venue, which is a pleasure too! I'm sorry, I know this review isn't too helpful in its own, but I'm hoping to add my 2c weight to keep its overall rating high! read more

As a former musician, I have really high standards for a concert hall. First, they're almost always cold. And not a little cold, frigid. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was completely comfortable in the middle of Spring with just my jacket, skirt and tights. Score: 1 for the Hall, 0 for the other guys. Second: Space is usually non-existent. I once had to clutch my purse tightly on my lap while forcing my elbows as far in as possible to avoid the sandwich of very tall men next to me. Pick-Staiger really figured out the proper amount of room and space needed. I had elbow and leg room which was awesome and unexpected. Score: 2 for the Hall, 0 for the other guys. Acoustics: Depending on my location in the past, I'm either blasted or struggling to hear the softer moments. I groaned when my date showed us our seats near the back of the auditorium. But I could hear EVERY THING at Pick-Staiger, even the trumpeter that was just a little bit better than the rest. Score 3 for the Hall, 0 for the other guys. Now for the bad: There was nothing to eat, or drink in nearby area. By the end, I could have killed for some water. Ding! Score: 3 for Pick-Staiger, 1 for the other guys. All and all, a great place for any kind of music! read more

I had my college graduation here. It's surprisingly small but very cozy, with a far-up balcony and a few rows main level. A friend of the family comes here often for concerts, and she's from the far South Side of Chicago. That's saying a lot about the quality of this establishment. read more

Pick-Staiger Concert Hall - a man on stage speaking to a crowd - Music Venues Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Great venue. Classic and clean. Well lit adjacent parking. Sound is amazing! Historical surroundings, nice town. Beautiful views.

I will never go back to this auditorium after tonight. We went for the Winter Music Festival and although the place wasn't sold out, it was pretty full, at least on the main floor. Not sure why they have ushers because they really don't help anyone find their seats or control the unbelievably rude, entitled behavior exhibited by audience members (most of whom we're well above 70). Two old guys behind us talked incessantly, even during the performance. There was constant candy unwrapping, page turning, coughing and then, at intermission, another self-righteous old man decided to scold me into being "careful" after my coat sleeve inadvertently touched him! Total jerk. These are really close quarters and there is no leg room, the ladies' room was a disaster (no hot water and we're in the middle of a flu epidemic!). The acoustics are ok, but the intermission was way too long and there is no refreshment stand- not even bottled water. In short, I couldn't wait to leave and get back to the city. It's too bad, there are some good performers who come here. read more

Jeff Tweedy solo. 5th row center. Perfect acoustics. This was a great concert, but pretty much every one I've ever been to here has been. It's a place that really celebrates the beauty of live music. read more

Great little concert hall with wonderful acoustics. Definitely worth heading up to Evanston for a show here. Programming runs the gamut -- have seen some remarkable avant-garde performances as well as some departmental recitals. Great place. read more

Beautiful building and location - terrible acoustics. There is something very off going on with Pick-Staiger acoustics, and it's been going on for years. I recently attended a Sunday afternoon concert and listened to an amazing piece of music played by the immensely talented Evanston Symphony Orchestra, and the resulting sound was flat and dull, like it was coming out of a hole in the front of the room. The facility has movable acoustic panels and special acoustic drapery, perhaps they were just configured wrong. Live concert performances should fill the room with a resounding joyful noise, but the Evanston Symphony Orchestra performance I attended didn't sound as good as what I get out of an iPod or the FM radio in my Toyota Camry - and there's something definitely wrong with that. read more

No the acoustics aren't great at all! This place looks like a run down movie theater. Northwestern will most likely tear it down once they get the new school of music. As a musician who has performed at pick-staiger more than once I can tell you that it is sub-par for acoustics and many high schools in the area surrounding have better halls. read more

Went to a couple of concerts here, doesn't get any better. Aucostics are pretty good.

Came to Pick-Staiger to watch the Chicago Chamber Musicians. This is an awesome venue... small but awesome acoustics. Wish I had known about concerts here as a student, I would've utilized the discounts. read more

This hall has very good acoustics and is just right for orchestras .There is not a bad seat in the house. I especially like the balcony. Located on campus, the campus itself is easy to find, but you may need specific directions to get to this building. read more

Pick-Staiger is and always will be a special place to me. As an undergrad at NU in the late '70's, I attended many events there. I remember attending an "electronic" music concert in 1977. The performer told us then that electronic music would be the wave of the future. We thought the concert was fun, but "weird". All in all, to the musician who purportedly has played Pick on several occassions; Pick is not and never will be a 'run down theatre'. Perhaps you have Pick confused with your living quarters. read more

Gorgeous place to see a concert. Phenomenal acoustics! Some of the staff are nice. On the production/performance side of things, I have a somewhat different opinion. Some of the staff were completely unhelpful. The guys supposed to be doing stagehand/lighting/sound work were too busy checking facebook and talking (during the show!) to even appear remotely interested in doing their job. I know they're college students working part-time, but there were parts where I almost lost it backstage. The poor girl managing them (also a college student) single-handedly kept the thing afloat by running all over the place and continually reminding them to do something. Regardless, still a good place to put on a show and definitely a good place to SEE a show. read more

I absolutely love the accoustics at Pick-Staiger. My high school orchestra and band still give a concert here yearly, all the way from Buffalo Grove. I still remember how beautiful it sounded! Catch a concert here if you can! (www.pickstaiger.com) read more