Egyptian Room At Old National Centre

A beautiful space. I attended the Pulse/​Orlando vigil and thought it was just so pretty. It’s a small and more intimate venue but easily fits a large crowd. The vigil had 300 or so in attendance and there was still space.
Walking up to the room and near the bathrooms there are great lounges and lots of bar stations.

Call me crazy, but I haven’t had the same trouble as some at the Egyptian Room. I don’t find that people are too close together, even for good-​sized crowds. To me, the best thing about seeing a band here is that you can pretty much get as close as you want to, as long as you’re willing to push a little. I tend to hang back about 20 feet from the stage so I can still see the band well enough and not be next to a speaker. I’ve seen two bands here and felt the sound quality was good, the view was good, and the vibe was laid-​back. Drinks are pricey, just like shows in the main theater of ONC. But, there are bars everywhere! I think I passed about 4 bars by the time I got to me spot in the theater. Unless it’s a huge show, you’re not going to wait long for a drink. I’m just glad to have a mid-​size theater here in Indy that can support the small to mid-​sized indie artists I like to see.

On the positive side the Egyptian room in the Murat is in a great neighborhood for food/​drinks before and after a show. Parking is also not a problem. The concert venue itself is meh. If you want to squeeze up to the stage at a general admission show, then you can. The sound quality is hit or miss. I’ve been to shows with pretty good sound as well as shows that sounded like crap. Beverages are way overpriced. If Only the Egyptian room is hosting an event, then the Murat opens one set of restrooms regardless of the number of people attending and No the bathrooms are not clean. Hopefully you will only have to pee. If you are a smoker, you can go outside to smoke and return to the show. I prefer the theatre at the Murat to see a show, but I could just be old.

I’ve been to the Egyptian Room about 5 times, the 2 most recent times we had VIP seats.
When we *didn’t* have VIP seats, it as kind of meh. I’m short (5’3″), and no matter what I did, I always seemed to have some 6’5″ tall dude standing directly in front of me. Frustrating, but that’s not really a problem specific to the Murat.
With VIP seats, I noticed a few different things.
First off, seats: great. At 31, I’m old as balls at a concert and sitting down is like the greatest thing ever.
Second: Drinks, expensive! $ 30+ for 1 round of drinks for 2 people. Our first round of drinks (some cocktail featured in the VIP lounge), I felt like it didn’t actually have alcohol in it. Took drinking beer and wine to get a buzz.
Third: I had a *really* negative experience with the VIP lounge staff. I went to the lounge to use the restroom. It was empty except for 3 staff, who were just standing around talking. I came in, left them to continue talking and just scanned the room trying to find the bathroom. One of the staff asked me, «Can I help you?» And I said, «Yeah, is there a restroom in here?» And one of the staff yelled at me, «NOT FOR YOU THERE’S NOT.» I was really shocked by this. Fortunately, one of the other two ladies working asked, «Do you have an armband?» and I said, «Of course» and she pointed me to the restroom.
I get it, my armband wasn’t visible. But there’s no reason to respond to that with some sort of weirdly rude attitude. The second employee reacted properly and didn’t *yell* at me for no reason, treating me like a second class citizen the way the first one did.
That made me feel incredibly awkward at the end of the show when I went to get my coat from coat check. This is my second time having a somewhat negative experience with this particular employee, for reasons I do not understand at all… I’m generally the kind of person who is overly polite, even when I feel people are rude to me… I don’t get what the grudge here is.

Out of the three theatres in the Old National Centre, this is my favorite venue for general admission shows. It’s big, but still feels homey once the band and crowds are there. You have the option to buy more expensive /​VIP tickets and sit on the side of the crowd for a better view of the stage.
The sound is good; the venue and lighting is pretty. The only downfall: the bathrooms. The Murat and the Egyptian share the same bathrooms at times when both venues have shows going on, so (especially for women), the bathroom lines get incredibly long and that’s time you could possibly lose of seeing the band playing.
Other than that, it’s a good venue, but definitely nothing amazing. It’s where the bigger acts come (no current Taylor Swift or Justin Bieber. Think Walk the Moon, Imagine Dragons, etc.)

1^st time here and was impressed by the ambiance of the place especially for a concert. Was in town for the Patty Griffin concert. It was small enough to be intimate but large enough for 600 people.

I saw Patty Griffin here. It’s a strange place. It has all this weird Egyptian artwork and symbolism (almost to a creepy point). It was a nice in a way because it was intimate. This also meant that if you are 5’6″ and a 6’4″ man sat directly in front of you, you were not going to be seeing anything that night. The chairs are locked together, although maybe if you are on the edge, you can discretely unlock them. And the chairs are close together. I guess the acoustics were okay. One thing that was kind of annoying is you weren’t allowed to get in until you showed your ticket, and then you weren’t allowed to go out (except for a smoke) after you gave your ticket.

I went here last night to see Social Distortion, it was also my first time attending a concert at The Egyptian Room. Parking was a breeze, and the ballroom is spacious and actually quite nice. The sound was decent but IMO not enough volume. Now for the drawbacks. The alcohol prices are obscene. Pre-​party at The Point right around the corner from the venue and save yourself a fortune. Unless you want to pay $ 8.00 for a 12oz cup of light beer, and light beet is the only thing they have on tap. I freaking hate light beer. And if you want to buy a pint can of real beer it will set you back $ 11.00. That’s like major sport stadium prices which are a rip off too. The venue does get hot towards the stage, but that’s going to happen anyplace you have people packed shoulder to shoulder like cattle. They have good air conditioning there so all you have to do is step back to the rear hallway where the merch stands are set up and cool down for a couple. If you’re a guy the bathroom situation sucks! For a ballroom that size the men’s room only has four urinals and four toilet stalls. Be prepared to wait in line. I can’t really comment on seating because this show was general admission only with no seating aside from the odd table here and there and a small VIP section that’s elevated to the right side of the room. Oh, there is no enforcement of responsible serving practices from the bartenders. They will serve people till they fall over and then throw them out of the venue. Buy the halfway point of Social Distortion’s set people were getting tossed left and right.

My first visit to this place was last week to see Craig Ferguson! I loved Craig’s set, but this venue for a comedy show? It’s a huge room & in this case full of fold out chairs! Yes! Fold out chairs that were shoved so close together that it was a bit absurd. You definitely get to know people on each side of you.
Craig’s act went for around 90 – 100 minutes, but if it was much longer this experience wouldn’t have been ideal. Very uncomfortable. From previous reviews, it looks like the seats are removed & the room is wide open during concerts.
It was strange being at a comedy show where they served popcorn at the venue! You could buy your typical alcoholic beverage. Right next to the drinks was an area for popcorn & movie candy!
With how close the seats were I assumed that it would be really hot in that room by the end of the show, but it stayed a decent temperature throughout.
Craig made mention of this venue’s name & quite honestly he was right. There really isn’t anything Egyptian about this venue. There are a few Egyptian murals on the wall & the general atmosphere is nice, but Egyptian? No way!
The parking situation is nice. For $ 10, you’re right outside the door in a huge parking lot.
The room itself is large & with the chairs removed for a regular concert I can see some people having a miserable time. If you’re the type that likes to fight your way to the front, then this could be an outstanding place to do it. With that being said, I may visit this place sometime for a concert, but for another comedy show… I’m not so sure.

I’ve been to the Egyptian Room around 10 times in the last 8 years or so to see a variety of different concerts and shows. I was recently there at the end of March to see the comedian Bo Burnham. For a concert the place is fairly typical for your indoor venue. People are standing shoulder to shoulder as you get closer to the stage. For most shows, they do have tables set up in the back on a first come first serve basis (during general admission shows). There are plenty of places set up to buy drinks, however, I can’t comment on them as they are expensive and not worth running to the restroom for me. Speaking of the restroom, there is only one nearby for the entire crowd. If it is a sold out show, get ready to wait in a long line (male or female).
On to the shows themselves: I’ve never had an issue with acoustics, whether it be a concert or a comedian. I’ve stood in numerous places through the room and never had a problem hearing the act. For assigned seating, like we had for Bo, they definitely cram as many seats as humanly possible into the room. If you are of the heavier set variety, you might be uncomfortable.
A special note about the most recent show I attended: Every single show prior to this one I have attended, I have entered through the door along New Jersey St. However, during the Bo Burnham show they were letting people in through the door on the opposite side of the building. Well, they failed to inform the 100+ of us who were standing in line outside the wrong door. You would have thought they would have sent someone out to let us know, especially since we didn’t realize our mistake until 20 minutes til the show was supposed to start. It wasn’t a big deal since it wasn’t that cold outside, but still annoying. Actually funny thinking back on it.
I will definitely be going back to the Egyptian Room as long as they still keep bringing in great acts!

I went to see Ru Paul’s Drag Race and was extremely disappointed when I discovered the General Admission tickets didn’t even put us within a decent distance to the stage. We were practically halfway across the room because they had VIP table set up from the stage all the way to about the center of the room.
Not to mention the Murat charges an arm and a leg for drinks. You’re better off pre-​gaming before the show. Very frustrating indeed when you’ve already paid $ 50 for a ticket. :(
I have been to many other shows at the Murat that were set up much much better than this one. Very frustrating to see that the VIP area took up more than 50% of the room.

Attended Dave Chappelle show last night. Overall, the show went smoothly.
But once again, it took us 30 mins waiting in the line, while it was raining!
I’m plus, the seating was so awful! They were so close by, that you were shoulder to shoulder. I felt so restrained that my neck pain flared up.
I’d hope their beverages, and snacks would be reasonable.
Also, what’s up with the security flashing the flashlight if they do suspect that you’re using your cellphone. Screw that! What’s if it was an emergency?! Shall I be seating and not pick up nor answer.
Really disappointed!

I saw Slayer, Suicidal Tendencies and Exodus here last week and it was my first time at this particular venue. I had a great experience. We had purchased parking in advance right there at the Centre so that was a breeze. The inside is beautiful and there was plenty of space for all the moshing rockers. There were plenty of bars selling drinks so I never had to wait in line. Also, the restroom wait was fine for me because I was only one in about 8 women in the entire place. The guys, however, had a line about a mile long so I felt for them.

Not a bad place for a comedy show, but not the greatest. The lighting seemed to make the performer look hazy (I don’t wear glasses). The food/​beverages are real special…$ 8-​$ 10 each for a cup of beer and wine + $ 5 for soft pretzel = overpriced! Pre-​gaming will save you $$$.

The Old National Centre has 3 different concert venues. The Fray was also playing the same night as the Brand New show we attended. A lot of people were in the wrong line. If you’re unsure, just ask a security guard so you don’t waste precious time.
As far as acoustics go, this place had pretty decent sound. I was in the middle of the crowd for most of the show, then back by the sound booth for the end of it and I was really impressed by the clear sound.
Other Pros:
–I thought the bartender and bouncers were all friendly
–Spacious venue
–Indiana sucker punch! I can’t remember what was in it, but it was boozey. (The price sucked though)
–They book awesome bands and don’t sell out as fast as Chicago. If one of my favorite bands sell out in Chicago, this is my default venue.
–Great location. There’s a lot of places to drink and eat prior. We really enjoyed Bru Burger Bar.
Cons:
–Suuuper hot in here. It’s pass out hot in here.
–Drinks are crazy expensive. We pregamed and only ordered 1 each. One round of drinks will set you back about $ 25 – 30.
The cons here are pretty much the same at most other concert venues I’ve been to, so I’ll give them 4 stars. I’m a fan and it’s likely I’ll be back soon!

Great place to see a show (although probably not when you are 7 months pregnant unless you splurge on the VIP seats.)
Otherwise, it’s a beautifully decorated big space.
Sound is OK. It really depends on the sow you are seeing and what type of music is performed.
Staff is friendly.
I can’t really comment on the prices, however, because it differs for each touring act.
Always has plenty of bar and service areas.

I’ve seen Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and just recently Third Eye Blind here. The room is open with VIP risers on the sides. The bathrooms outside the room are always packed and we sneak downstairs where we don’t have to wait. Get there early for a good spot and get drunk before you go. the booze prices are unreasonable!

Nothing is fun about standing in line out in the cold for two hours waiting to see a concert. This venue needs to work on their organizational skills big time. Doors were to open at 9 but didn’t open until 9:20 (we were told). I’m calling bs on that. The line hardly moved and we were freezing. TWO HOURS to get in the door… really?
The concert on the other hand was great. Loved the atmosphere, once I was inside.

Great venue! Only two regrets. Took way way too long to see a show here and that I chose style over comfort in the shoe department. Nice open intimate venue that reminds me of a modern Kalamazoo State Theater without the seating (unless you are a VIP). Sound and acoustics are very good the crowd was awesome the show was awesome already looking for excuses to come back asap!

I went here this week for an Alt-​j concert which was off the hook.
+Parking in their special lot is $ 10 but you’re then parked directly outside the door which is convenient.
+There are a ton of food & drink places to hang out before and after around this venue.
+They closed off a lot of the exits and thus it was mass exodus at the end.
+This room is just beautiful with intricate chandaliers, huge pillars, cool Egyptian wall murals — loved it.
+The outside of the building is also stunning painted like a work of art.
+They need more air in this room! It gets supppper hot.
+They have all ages here and have a couple of bars — no wristbands & allow people to buy more than one drink. I’m surprised with Indiana’s strict drinking laws they aren’t monitoring the underage drinking here more.
–To go along with the above point, they over serve. One guy was escorted out by security covered in vomit (yuck) and there were many more completely wasted people.
+Standing room only in the Egyptian Room, so expect some shuffeling around and some of the usual rude concert goers.
+There is an elevator if you want to bypass the stairs!
Although I didn’t asked backstage by the band to ‘hang out’, I won’t hold that against the Egyptian Room at Old National Centre. It’s a nice venue and if you’re going to a concert here, you can be sure it’s going to be a very intimate affair. I was in the front row so close to the Alt-​j guys.