Center Stage Theatre

02/14/11

Great place for shows

by aweaver4

I went to Center Stage for one of the nights of Cake last month and I really enjoyed my visit. It's a venue complex so you had the main theater where the concert took place as well as the small room Vinyl open this night as a smoking room. Love this feature since there is no smoking inside Center Stage. It got warm inside with all the people but luckily they had a cheap coat check. Re-entry was no problem switching between the two venues for smoke breaks. Security just checked for a hand stamp and knew you after a couple of in and outs.

Drinks aren't cheap but aren't any more than other venues like Masquerade and probably cheaper than Tabernacle from what I remember. No issues with the staff or security like the last reviewer had, I thought everyone I came in contact with was pleasant.

Inside the venue you've got standing room and sitting. Seats are a nice option especially with general admission since you get your pick of whatever view you want (but I'll get there early from now on with sold out nights like this one!) I'm looking forward to going back this week for the return of Glassjaw!!

03/29/10

Good, small concert hall

by HunterPearson

I don't know why more artists don't come to Center Stage. Back in the day, the only 800 person hall was the Cotton Club, and since the Live Nation monster shut that down, all we have left is the loft (600 capacity) or Center Stage (1000 capacity).

But Center Stage is a GREAT place to see a show. There's a floor, so if you want to stand and try and get as close as you can... that's an option. If you want to lay low in the seats that surround it... there isn't one bad view in the house. If you want to escape for a few minutes.... you can hit the bar which is closed off from the performance area where you can actually hear the person you're trying to talk to.

Only downsides are the drink prices (which is, duh, the same at any big concert) and the parking. There are a few lots around Center Stage, but all of them are small and expensive.

• Pros: Like an indoor, mini version of Lakewood
• Cons: Parking is hard to find, and always expensive.

03/11/10

I was incredibly disappointed

by qazwsxedcrfv

I recently went to a sold-out Travis Porter concert at Center Stage and I was incredibly disappointed with how they handled the crowd at the event. Surprisingly there were plenty of open seats and I know of others that wanted to attend but were told that they were sold out.

I didn't particularly like the layout of the lobby and the parking deck seems as if it could collapse at any moment. Full size pickup trucks will have a time moving around in the parking deck, the signs are misleading and if you are not careful while trying to find a parking space, you could find yourself on the exit path instead of moving up to find an opened space

The event staff and security was very rude in the way they treated the family and friends of the Travis Porter crew. This was the most un-organized event I had ever attended and do not plan to attend another one if it is located at the Center Stage. After the concert they tried to move everyone out and then they brought the family and friends back into the room without any information as to the reason why they were doing that. After waiting for about an hour, they finally formed a line which was to take pictures with Travis Porter. No information about where the pictures would be located for purchases or downloaded. Then later we found out that the Travis Porter team had to pay $800.00 for the band and $500.00 for two $5.00 cords that they said were missing. Travis Porter is a young up and coming, unsigned group, ages 18-20 and is trying to make a living on a limited budget. This hidden cost really hurts their budget, and provided very little profit.

The sound in the place was not that great, perhaps because this is auditorium which is nothing more than a concrete box with theater seating, so the acoustics aren’t really that good, so they could have eliminated the band and I think DJ Tec Nek could have provided the music, which would have sounded somewhat better. There should have been an area marked off for family, friends and guest pass customers. I know, threatening people generally does not produce good results, so this is not meant to be in that manner, but more or less a letter of concern and lesson learned. There should always be proper accountability and justification for actions committed by your staff and crew, generally because organizations of all sorts are geared to providing the best quality service to the consumer/customer. I realize that mistakes happen, and I am not blaming anyone and I am sure it’s a rare problem, but it happened; for whatever reason, now let’s find out how it can best be resolved for future events.

• Pros: None
• Cons: I was incredibly disappointed

08/28/06

A cozy atmosphere for new residents of the Atlanta area

by robijackson

I really enjoyed Earthlink/Centerstage/ The Loft on both occasions. I recently had moved here and was looking to hear some soulful music in an unobtrusive and intimate setting. I went online and discovered the beautiful and talented Goapele would be performing at The Loft and was pressed to go. No long lines, you can actually find parking around the corner for $5, the drinks are served strong...which is always good. Good music...mature people...safe environment. I give it two thumbs up!

On the second visit, I went to see Raheem Devaughn. He took over 3 hours to come onstage, but I didn't get mad because I'd met some really interesting individuals in the audience and was talking my butt off. The vibe is real...something hard to find nowadays.

• Pros: Tickets are reasonably priced

11/26/05

Earthlink Live

by theyjacket

I agree with the other reviews that Earthlink is nice little intimate spot. I respectfully disagree on the sound though. Perhaps it was the particular band we saw perform, but the decibel rating had to be beyond what is required to avoid hearing damage. The sound system was good, but it didn't have to be THAT loud to enjoy the act. Also, even though this is an auditorium, it's really nothing more than a concrete box with theater seating, so the acoustics aren't really that good. To Earthlink Live's credit they do sell ear plugs in the lobby at cost - but all that really does is muffle the artist you paid good money to hear. I would say Earthlink Live is a good spot, but only if you're sure you're not going to get your eardrums blown out.

• Pros: Seating, Reasonable Price
• Cons: Sound too loud, Variety of acts