| rev:text
| - Meh. I have such a mixed review of Stage AE. I come to a lot of shows here simply because if it's a band I want to see I'm not going to let a venue deter me.
Parking: $12, fine. Necessary evil and it's right at the venue or across the street so at least it's plentiful IF it's not a Pirates game night, then you need to get creative.
Pros:
1. Great mid-sized venue, not massive like First Niagara or Consol and not smaller like Altar Bar or Mr Smalls.
2. Drink prices aren't horrible. Cheaper than Altar but more expensive than a crappy bar. BUT a necessary evil if you want to drink. Right? Weird beer choices too....Coors, Blue Moon or Redds basically.
3. Acoustics are good. I've been to really heavy shows here (Lamb of God, Slayer) and my ears ring a bit afterwards but not as much as other venues.
4. Restrooms and venue in general are clean.
5. Security is very attentive and in some cases too strict....for example, carabiners are forbidden. Why? Because they can be used as brass knuckles. This was told to me by a friend who had hers taken away when she was at a folk music type show. OK....I guess I just never thought about using my keychain as a weapon. Alrighty then.... One security guy is the biggest asshole that I have ever experienced. Ever. Calm down dude, you work security at a concert venue in Pittsburgh. The rest that I've dealt with have all been really nice guys though.
6. I've only been at a few, but the outdoor shows are really nice with a grassy area behind the pit.
Cons:
1. The space, especially inside is really weird, especially if you're short. There's the general pit area in front of the stage, then some stairs and a fence around the raised area. If you don't want to be directly in front of the stage and you get there early enough you can grab a nice patch of fence. Otherwise, you are screwed. Especially at my 5'2" height when a 7 foot tall dude likes to stand directly in front of me. All the time. I did recently discover that you can go upstairs where there is another bar and bleachers for general admission ticket holders. I had much better luck seeing the stage from up there.
2. When the ticket says "doors open at....", Stage AE NEVER opens the doors at that time. There is a line wrapped around the venue and they won't open the doors until at least 30 minutes later, ESPECIALLY when it's freezing outside and you decide to leave your coat in the car because who wants to deal with a coat inside? And when you get close the line splits into two, girls & guys so they can pat you down. Luckily since I generally go to metal shows which are 75% guys I can get in quickly when I get to this point.
I did come down to Stage AE for the summer Beerfest and the venue was amazing for it. Beer tables set up inside and outside and they had the entire stage area open so you could hear the music from anywhere inside or out.
Another note, if you see a show advertised as the "Club at Stage AE", avoid it...unless it's a band you absolutely must see. The "Club" at Stage AE is basically a teeny area raised about 4 inches off the floor where bands normally have their merch table set up. You cannot see a thing. Horrible.
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