Mojoes

I experienced two really great shows at Mojoes, so I suppose I should write my own review as a sort of ‘goodbye’ to the place…
Although it’s a small venue (and some people admittedly don’t belong in small venues), the shows are always that much more intimate — and so long as that level of closeness is maintained with the music (and not with people oblivious to their surroundings) it’s something I’ll always be fond of.
The sound, yeah, I guess it’s not the best in the world, but as long as you’re not standing right up front, or next to one of the amps, it’s not horrible, either. But if you’re familiar with the lyrics, why not? Grab yourself a cotton ball, rip it in half, drown out some of the unnecessarily harsher noise, and scream your lungs out up there!
It does get hot, though (and I mean everywhere). And the security guys always seemed a little off to me — as in, during the We Love You (Now Die) Tour {October 9, 2014}, this kid ran toward the barricade [the one they set up on the side] and sort of rammed into it, I think, because he started having a seizure, and they literally did nothing for what felt like forever. The crowd had to help him up, and band was like, «Should we stop?»
But overall??? Despite the fact that parking was confusing as hell sometimes (once), it was fun while it lasted.

Was here for the Aaron Lewis show last night and I loved the intimate setting of the venue, the sound was great and though the line for a drink at the bar was long, they had a side area selling canned beer which helped a bit. But it was super crowded and not properly set up to have as many people as they did. There are only 3 women’s stalls in the bathroom (I hate missing the show standing in line) and the paper towel holders were empty when the doors opened at 7 — and never replaced. So people weren’t drying their hands at all and the floors were soaking wet and very slippery in the bathroom and down the hall (not good for everyone in their high heels). It was extremely hot and stuffy, everyone crammed in like sardines. But if they have a good act again I would probably go back.

Terrible venue. Awful staff. Bad location. Too small, sweltering hot, and quite dangerous (someone got shot out front last night 05÷16÷15)
Avoid at ALL COSTS.

Been going to shows for 25 years and NEVER had a prepaid ticket and not been able to get in. Testament show was vastly oversold due to Mojoes greed. I will never step foot inside this venue again as long as I live and will tell others of this absolutely horrible experience.

Worst venue EVER, do not waste your time and money here. I hope they shut this place down. There are plenty of other venues that are probably more organized than this sad excuse of a venue.
We had our tickets for Exodus and Testament, drove from Chicago and stood in line and didn’t get in for the show, they were «letting one person in as on person came out of the building» people who
Already had wrist bands weren’t even allowed back in but they weren’t telling anyone that, talk about shady as hell, make an announcement! After we waited in line we decided to hit up a little bar across the way from the parking garage, their tune box sounds better than this shitty venues sound. Also we were told during exodus their set sounded like crap because the sound guy didn’t know what he was doing.
Im definitely expecting a refund for
Our tickets. Never ever giving this place my money again.

I’ve been to Mojoes about 5 times because they manage to book some good acts. I’m never happy to make the 1 hour drive from Chicago to get hassled by their suburban meathead bro security guards, but I’ll tolerate it for my favorite bands. However every time, I say «this is my last time here!» because of how bad the experience is.
I’m glad to say, it finally has been my LAST TIME there.
Any promoter or person booking bands on a US tour, (especially Metal bands) please do not book this venue. They’ve burned the Metal crowd 1 too many times, and we are outta here.
I, too, was at the Testament/​Exodus show on ⁴⁄₁₁. I bought tickets 2 months in advance, and arrived to the concert on time, only to see a crowd of 100+ people standing out side. Supposedly they oversold the show. Even if you had tickets, you weren’t getting in. Very unprofessional, I don’t even know what type of ‘error’ it would be to allow something like that to happen.
Regarding refunds, a Mojoes employee claimed there was the opportunity for a refund if you never made it into the venue, but mostly to calm the crowd I think.
I wrote an email to Ticket Rumba, and disputed the charge with my credit card company. I will follow up this review, with if and how this was resolved.
But the biggest refund win, will by my never spending another cent here. I’ve already skipped my favorite band Kreator’s headlining show here.
Wouldn’t go back to Mojoes if Iron Maiden headlined a show for $ 10.

Fuck this place! Went to see Testament & Exodus on ⁰⁴⁄₁₂ and the show was oversold, so we didn’t get in. On top of that, no refunds were given.

I had the displeasure of wasting my time to drive to Joliet for a concert that I never got to see. Why? Because this place oversold tickets by 500!!! It was for the Testament show on Saturday, April 11^th. I got there right when the show started and there was already a line. It wasn’t moving for twenty minutes and then a guy told us that they sold too many tickets.
The owner came out and claimed the fire marshall cut the show’s venue by 50%. LIAR! LIAR! During the opening band, people left to smoke and were denied admission back in with no warning. They said the place was packed. The truth is they oversold tickets.
People were leaving before Testament started and they wouldn’t let those who were waiting inside. What a great establishment this is!!! The way security handled it was lousy on top of the owner being a liar.
This is my first and last time ever going to this dump. I can’t trust these clowns. This is a very shady place. They also don’t provide tickets but have you print an e-​mail with no scan code.
****update****
Got my refund ten days later. They originally offered a voucher for a free ticket (which I wouldn’t take their offer anyway) but heard they have not honored it when people have requested certain shows. This is a shady place. BEWARE when ordering tickets.

Women’s bathroom is inexcusable. Only 1 stall locks, 1 closes no lock and one does not close. 1 soap unreachable by 2 of 3 sinks. Out of toilet paper at any given time in 1 or 2 of 3 stalls. Coat check advertised but not open despite temps 20 °F outside. Whole place seemed dirty.
On the positive side, sound was excellent.

Just went there is weekend on 02÷13÷15 for the valentine’s day masacre paint party and it was awesome. Small complaint would be the women’s bathroom door didnt lock and toilet paper was limited. Another complaint is that they didnt have enough power or equipment to keep the music playing. there were alot of times that music cut off and that was kind of a killer. Music came back pretty fast but still that shortage kinda sucked. Drinks were a pretty good price. The paint was killer awesome. porn and chicken killed it. Crowd was awesome.

Nice inexpensive night out. We saw 3 cover bands. They had tall boy beers 2 for $ 9.00. Everyone was friendly. They could have used a couple more bar tenders, but service was still pretty good. The STP cover was really good along with Blackend. The place is real loud, it gets fairly crowded, bathrooms are easy to access and there may be a slight wait outside prior to entering. Tickets were 12 $ online. Parking is abundant on the street. Overall a cool night out.

We went to see Bret Michaels last night & we were extremely disappointed with this venue. We paid more than the regular ticket price for «VIP» seating — which was supposed to be 4 seats, a table & a designated waitress — but ended up with 2 bar stools along the balcony, no table, no clear view of the stage & a waitress that was less than useful. The best seats on the balcony (in the front of the balcony) were roped off & reserved for a Harrah ’ s Casino party. We asked to speak with a manager 4 times regarding the seating arrangements but ended up with no visit from the manager & nothing but excuses from our waitress. They also did not have beer stocked that was on their list & said that the beer buckets were for the private party only. We will not return to this venue anytime soon.

Worst example of show 101 I have ever seen. Sound, lame, compressed and no dynamics. Lighting, the worst, performers on stage but you can’t see because there’s no light on the act. Nothing but mindless flash and trash. No self respect, lighting or sound.
Worst management ever.

I have to start off by saying this place is bizarre.
It’s beyond small. Okay, I can deal. But the layout and the way they run things makes it suck.
I went to the Bayside show on 10÷10÷14.
+ cheap tickets
+ close, inexpensive parking
+/​-​all ages show
— all ages show means they only serve alcohol upstairs
— you can’t frigging see upstairs because there’s like no standing room around the balcony!
— the place was pretty congested… TURN ON THE DAMN AIR
So needless to say, I won’t be running back anytime soon. But I wouldn’t pass up seeing a decent band and low ticket prices.

My best friend & I visited Mojoes this past weekend for the first time to see our favorite band & had a great time! Parking was easy & cheap [despite the fact we forgot which parking garage we parked in. but that’s on us] the sound was a little crackly towards the end but still decent. We got to chill will a few of the band members upstairs at the bar which was great. Drinks were affordable but the bar tender had a bad attitude. I like that the venue is small, but not super cramped. Will be attending another show next month!

I’ve only been here once and it was for VIP seating. I wasn’t really in the normal area much, so keep that in mind.
The bartender wasn’t very good, but man did she make drinks strong. It usually takes two or three drinks for me to get tipsy, but it only took one of her long island ice teas (which tasted nothing like a long island). She was very into the show so she spent most of her time at the balcony watching the performance. There weren’t too terribly many people up there so it wasn’t the worst, but it was kind of annoying. She was incredibly nice otherwise.
The sound was good, but a little loud. There’s no waiting area to go during openers so not having the ability to talk is kind of annoying. There was also was an issue with feedback that night. Not sure if that’s a normal thing or just a fluke.
The place was relatively clean, but you could tell the couches along the walls would look dirty if the lights were on. The bathroom in the VIP area was very clean and perfectly empty the entire night. Not having to really wait much for drinks and never having to wait in a crowded bathroom was well worth the extra money. Getting a seat in the center of the balcony was fantastic. It feels close enough to not be disappointed by the fact that you’re not right there by the stage.
The staff kind of sucked. The guy at the ticket area didn’t see that my boyfriend and I had gotten VIP so we had to deal with that confusion. The bouncers were very uninterested in dealing with anything, including answering questions about where the VIP was. For some reason when I went to the bottom of the stairs at the end of the show to try and get a drum stick, the guard put himself in front of me like I was going to try and jump up on stage or something despite not even being that close. He then glared around making sure never to make actual eye contact with me.
Overall this place is a lot better than most venues I’ve been too, but they could gain a lot from a little steam cleaning and a better staff.

I’m giving Mojoes a 3 star because of the gross bathrooms! I’ve been here probably 10 times. It’s not a bad venue, the sound is pretty good until the end. Then my ears are killing me. Maybe it’s because I’m old. It’s a nice small venue (I think sell out is 1100) to see your favorite bands.
First, the bathrooms. I can’t speak for the men’s, but the women’s is nasty. Three stalls, once the middle stall had a broken lock and the toilet seat was not hinged on. BRING YOUR OWN TOILET PAPER, PAPER TOWELS, KLEENEX, ETC. Unless you like drip drying. There’s never any in any of the stalls or paper towels. I’ve gone in there like 10 minutes after they opened and still nothing. It gets super crowded and it’s tiny. But if you bring your own or hold it, it’s not so bad. It is a music venue after all.
Next, the sound. I think it’s pretty good. I’m always on the top level because like I said, I’m usually older than the crowd. I like to stay away from the sweaty moshing and I’m short so I can’t see the stage from the bottom anyways. Usually by the time my band comes on, the sound is starting to get crackly and hurt my ears. I bring ear plugs just in case. It stays pretty cool upstairs, and there’s a bar. Never checked to see if the only bathrooms are downstairs, but that’s the one I always use.
I can’t comment on the waiting in line issue everyone else seems to have. I get there after it’s started and I get right in. And the vomit smell some others have talked about? Never had that problem either. Maybe my concerts are more tame then others. Every once in a while a whiff of bad body odor comes up from downstairs, but that’s it.

I didn’t have nearly the bad experience as a lot of these reviews that I’ve read. But, I learned a lot reading them before going.
1. There will be a stupid wait at the front — Ok, this is goofy because they have two doors to get into the place, but then it cycles into 1 guy that you either buy your tickets from or show him that you’ve bought tickets. This is also Will Call. And they charge you more if you buy at the door, but the more that they charge you is the amount of surcharge you get if you buy the tickets online. They NEED a better system. I waited for an hour cause two lines merge into one… And this was not even close to being a sold out show. I had bought my tickets in advance too. Tickets were way over priced too, in my opinion.
2. The horrible bathrooms… I stayed away! Every review tells you how bad they are. I went to the bathroom before coming and held it in towards the end. Never even stepped foot in there.
3. Sticky floors — Wasn’t sticky on my night, so I didn’t get to see that.
4. Hotter than Hades — Now on the day I went it was beautiful outside. And, when I say beautiful I mean in the 60’s with a nice breeze that makes you smile when it hits you. There was no way to avoid this, like the bathrooms and sticky floors. It was a muggy sticky hot in there that makes you almost feel sick… No wonder they have such a vomit problem. I felt like it, and I wasn’t even drinking… oh yeah, that brings me to my next point…
Something that most of the reviews don’t mention… I don’t drink much, and would never think of getting a drink in here. But, I got soda’s … $ 2.50 for a shotglass full of soda served up in a plastic cup that is filled to the brim with ice. Would have loved a little more soda, but that ice was damn good.

I came here to see Owl City in the summer. The venue is small and cozy. The air wasn’t on very high so it was warm and we were packed in there.
I appreciated that the venue is no moshing. There were a lot of little kids at the show, which I think is more reflective of Owl City than the venue.
There was an upper level but it was unfortunately, closed off during the event. There is a bar in the back. The bathroom stall door was broken and the toilet seat was oddly very high.
There’s street parking in the surrounding areas. I was able to find parking at a meter, which was free because it was nighttime.

I know one of the guys who opened for Pauly Shore, which is why I found myself at Mojoes. I thought that this was a decent spot for a comedy show. i didn’t encounter a lot of the same issues that others have posted about, however it wasn’t the best comedy show I’ve been to either. Big pro was that the tickets were only $ 20 and there was no drink minimum. Woohoo!
We found great street parking a few blocks from Mojoes and meter hours were only until 5, so we got to park for free. Sweet! The two guys working the door weren’t friendly or welcoming. Since they were pretty much the only ones we dealt with (besides the waitress), I wouldn’t give them a good score for people skills.
There were a bunch of folding chairs set up and also a few high-​top bar tables. We were able to snag one of the tables but we found ourselves super distracted by the three girls sitting in the second row of the folding chairs who decided they had to keep getting up over and over again. Not Mojoes fault at all, of course, but still annoying and distracted us from the comics.
Pauly Shore is still living off his fame from the 90s and really isn’t that funny. He spent the better part of the evening trying to sleep with the girls in the front row. The other two comics were better, I’d say.
Bathrooms need some severe help. I’m not a bathroom snob by any means, but dang I just felt dirty after peeing in there.
I’m giving 3 stars, but it’s more like a 3.5. I’d definitely consider coming back for a comedy show if the star act is actually funny.