State Theatre of Ithaca

Beautiful theatre. Great sound. Decent wine & beer options (range of $ 5 – 8). Affordable shows ($ 40 – 60 bucks for decent seats). Nearby parking on the street. It wasn’t too tough to find a spot a block or two away. They have seated shows so most people actually stay sitting the whole time as it’s a legit theatre space. I’m always down to make a trip out to Ithaca for a show here. Make a weekend of it!

I have been a patron of the State Theatre for several years. I love the space, acoustics, and bands they book.
Why the two stars? The audience is consistently rude, disrespectful, and disruptive to the concert experience — to the point where musicians have asked them to chill out. I understand that a high energy band often transmits that energy to the audience. However, most of the shows at the State are more mellow bands — City and Colour, John Prine, Gillian Welch — you know, singer-​songwriter types. When they play a slow, sad song, I don’t want to have to listen to the two drunk girls behind me shouting to each other about their plans for after the show. (Sometimes those drunk girls are 22, sometimes they are 55).
I understand that it is a concert where people want to have a good time, but concert venues are very different. This is not Bonnaroo, and it isn’t a scummy bar either. It’s a beautiful theatre. Yet unlike the Palace (Albany) or Radio City (NYC), the audience doesn’t respect the musicians. They feel like it’s okay to shout over the music and be rude to others who ask them to quiet down. I haven’t ever seen this problem addressed by staff.
Although Dan Smalls Presents books some of my favorite bands there, and the musicians put on a great show, I will probably take my business elsewhere.

Beautiful Theater! Friendly, helpful staff. Fantastic acoustics. Clean bathrooms. Awesome sauce.

Gorgeous old building with lots of history. The acoustics were surprisingly good, if a tad echo-​y. It is a huge cavernous space with a beautiful stage and a nice venue for live music. The marquis outside is vintage old theater. I love that places like this are still around.

I have had two delightful concert experiences at the State Theatre of Ithaca in the last two years. Caught Guster/​Eli ‘Paperboy’ Reed and the True Loves, as well as the Josh Ritter Trio with the Dunwells, and both shows were great. The Theatre itself is standard, and the level of hospitality is top notch. The concession workers and ushers were all very friendly and inviting. I’ll certainly be returning if another show catches my eye.