The Paramount Theater of Asbury Park

What a gorgeous venue! I started coming for the fall «free movie Friday’s» and wow was I impressed with this place. During these movies they open up the bar upstairs and serve concessions and also have an after party with food (last time I went it was catered by MOGO: D)… Planning to come back to watch some of the holiday shows they have here like the Nutcracker.

OK my life is complete! Just like the incomparable Bruce Springsteen I’m standing in the center of the legendary Paramount Theater stage in Asbury Park. The venue is amazing. I belt out that famous line– «Meet me tonight in Atlantic City» and watch the crowd react. It doesn’t get much better than this!
Actually the crowd was three lighting technicians who looked up and thought I was really strange but I did it. Who cares what they think!
My company rented the place out on Wednesday for a business event. I snuck in early and did the deed. It was incredible!
This is an old style historic theater. You go here to appreciate the history. If you want all kinds of fancy bells and whistles you are in the wrong place.
The sight lines are great and so are the acoustics. The seats are decent with OK leg room.
The balcony is unbelievable but they often close it off. Don’t let that stop you. Watch for your chance and sneak up there. I did! It’s very cool.
If you like historical venues, go see anything here and just soak it all in.

Terrible sound and this place needs to be renovated. I have been to many theaters around the country and this one does not compare. The staff is what give NJ a bad name. Extremely rude with no concern for the customer. The seats are like an old movie theater, old and very small. There is always a long line at the bathrooms and the drinks are watered down. Be ready to be kicked out for trying to dance to your favorite song. I felt like I was in the movie Flashdance… NO SANDING OR DANCING ALLOWED or risk getting confronted by multiple egotistical assholes who want to throw you out for having a good time. I will never go back to tis place again.

Was here for All Tomorrow’s Parties festival. (Music festival, not film. I’ve messaged Unilocal to adjust the category.) Saw 6 – 8 bands play in here and sat all over the place — balcony, downstairs rear, downstairs front. My good impressions:
— This old theater is really beautiful and pretty well preserved, which makes me happy since a lot of Asbury Park’s beachfront seems to be in need of some repair.
— Nice comfy seats. There are even some rows in the balcony where you can totally stretch your legs out.
— Very good sound, and generally good sightlines, from wherever you sit. I did notice a few bands had some pretty complex light shows that were best enjoyed from the balcony, and that if you sit in the rear under the balcony overhang, you may miss some of the visuals of the show, if it has any visuals besides a band standing there playing.
— There is a big outdoor balcony with some nice views of the Wonder Bar and beach, that was fun to hang out on before and after the shows.
— The ladies’ washroom attendant was really nice, sweet and friendly.
My bad impressions:
— This venue has some staff who are decent and some staff who range from rude to incompetent. It’s like a lot of historic venues — there are people working there who probably aren’t into rock shows and approach them from a standpoint of having to keep a potentially unruly crowd under control, rather than being chill and encouraging everybody to have a good time. It’s probably less of a problem for normal shows where everybody has bought a ticket in advance and has an assigned seat, than for ATP where for most shows you have wristbands and just go in and sit wherever, but there were some hassles about getting people in/​out, making people stand in line, or not letting them go into a particular section of the theater even when you could see visibly empty seats. The staff did not hesitate to start barking orders and yelling at folks, which at times detracted from a generally pleasant vibe.
— During one of the Jeff Mangum acoustic shows (i.e. one guy, who most everyone at ATP fest was very interested in seeing, who was sitting on the stage playing an acoustic guitar and singing with no band accompaniment,) an entire section of us had to put up with two staffers standing in the aisle having a conversation with each other. The noise was clearly audible over Jeff’s guitar and went on for about 1 ½ songs. Totally bogus behavior from staff who should know that you don’t talk during shows and especially not acoustic shows.
— There are bars available at this venue, but they are not that great — clearly set up more for people to have one drink at intermission than drink during the course of a rock show. I am not even sure what their policy on drinking in the auditorium is during a regular show that isn’t ATP.
Overall, it’s worth a visit and a cool place to watch an artsy band perform. (I didn’t think the Swans wall-​of-​noise was such a good fit — kept expecting the old ceiling decors to fall down on me actually.) Hopefully they will get their staff a little better trained so as not to ruin anyone’s buzz.

The Paramount was built in an era when people still cared about things like acoustics and sight lines, not to mention leg room. Whenever I go to the Paramount, I’m always impressed by how well I can see and hear the performance no matter where I’m sitting.
*Sitting* is a key word though, I never go to the Paramount for a show where I’d be tempted to get up and dance. If there is anyone behind you, chances are that you will be harrumphed and chair-​kicked into submission within minutes. That’s not the venue’s fault, it just seems to be the kind of crowd it attracts.
On the second floor they have a concession counter and a bar, but I only partake if I’m feeling particularly desperate. Between the boardwalk and the grand arcade you should be able to find better food and drinks for cheaper before or after the show, or during intermission if your performance has one.
If you do end up at the Paramount, *definitely* check if the second floor balcony is open for a gorgeous view and an excellent photo op. It’s a unique and wonderful feeling to stand in such a beautiful, historic building and look out over the ocean on one side and the city on the other.

I was impressed by this little theater. I am not going to compare it to huge concert venues — because it is small — but that is what makes it great. You are up close for all of the action regardless of where you may be sitting. BTW — I went to a concert here — not a movie.
I sat to the right about mid-​way in the orchestra. The seats were great. Of course if I was closer they would have been better — but I could easily see everything and enjoy the show.
Parking was easy — we got free street parking right up the street from the theater near the lake/​pond. The staff were all very nice and helpful. The theater and bathrooms were clean. What more can you ask for?
Again I would compare it more to a Broadway theater than a concert or sporting arena. But it is better than Broadway — deeper theater too. The seats seem a lot more spacious. They also reclined a bit and you had plenty of room for your legs and knees — believe me — I am tall — and am always squooshed on Broadway. Not here. (And unlike a lot of Broadway theaters there was no musty, moldy, or «old» smell here either.)
Plus it looks like they have done a decent job of fixing stuff up in Asbury Park. It is better than it was just a few years ago — so hopefully people will continue to come back and enjoy this little piece of history.
I didn’t get to enjoy the beach, other attractions, or much else since we just went to go to the concert and by the time it was done it was about midnight — couldn’t even see the water really… but hope to be back to check it out again soon.