The Kent Stage

Todd Rudgren
Having seen Todd several times in past years, I couldn’t wait to see him. I was shocked and disappointed to see him with a DJ with an Apple computer, no band and 2 solid gold dancers. The first hour and a half was electronic/​disco with a light show that would have been great if we were at a Rave and they passed out Ectasy or LSD to the attendee’s. I saw numerous people walking out. I stayed in hopes that he would actually preform some of his hits. He played guitar on only 3 songs the entire night. Worst concert I have ever been too.

This is the second show I have been to and will be the last show I ever come too. Funny how the band is requesting things on their Facebook page and this venue is stating that the band is not allowing certain things. No it is called venue management. If it is the band then one of their managers need to come on out and tell the crowd. I did observe that rules only pertain to certain people and others can get away with everything; even with security witnessing it. Also it is nice to sell more tickets than what you have room for so that people are on top of one. The people next to me are irritated to the max. I hope they do a review as well.

The Kent Stage is an under-​appreciated concert venue. Some big names (and some not so big) appear here regularly.
Most seating is general admission, staff is friendly and the crowd is eclectic. I think at times they could advertise a bit more and sell out. I’ve been to awesome concerts with only 70 – 100 patrons.
Light snacks, beer, wine and cocktails are available.
Chris

I attended a sold-​out Zappa Plays Zappa concert at the Kent Stage in October ’13. This was my first visit ever to this venue and first time visiting Kent in several decades. I had a great time. There’s not a bad seat in the house and there’s even a little bit of room to stand or sit in the back. The sight lines and acoustics were great. The ushers are laid-​back and helpful. The lobby and concession counter/​bar had a good variety of munchies, beer, and wine, all at reasonable prices. The restrooms were a bit undersized for the crowd, but what venue doesn’t have lines during intermission? The Main Street setting made it easy to choose places for dinner and drinks before the show. It was a lot of fun to revisit Kent and experience a great show in such a nice historic downtown event space on a crisp autumn evening.

It’s old and a bit dumpy, but the atmosphere and size are perfect for the type of shows they attract, and those shows tend to be an eclectic mix of really good stuff. Acoustics have always been good when I’ve seen shows there, and there’s not really a bad seat. Bonus points for a solid bar with reasonable prices.

I lived in Kent for a time. I was one of those that went to college there and then took 15 years to escape. When you visit Kent you can spot the ones that weren’t able to break out.
This theater is awesome for shows. Not a bad seat in the house. Much better sound than a lot of theaters of similar size.
The owner manages to book some top flight older acts. Bonus; they serve beer.

While its always nice to support non-​profit venues, the Kent Stage is a bit of a relic that has become a venue more in service for it’s donors than for what could be the vast majority of it’s business, students.
As a current Kent State student, the vast majority of acts booked at the stage are targeted for a much older audience, and very seldom will a more popular act come through. This is exactly the opposite of how you would expect a venue in a college town to operate.
Kent may have an identity as a folk oriented town, with it’s successful folk festival, but it struggles to attract new and younger people to it’s music scene, and the Kent Stage plays a BIG part in that.
The venue itself is your standard theater, red plush seating, old classical moldings, and as you walk in, autographed pictures of dusty folk stars line every inch of the walls to remind you that it used to be great. Which is the key word. USED to be great.
the snack selection is pretty good, but its fairly pricy, and a sub par beer selection compared to most concert venues up in cleveland. theres also the problem (though not specific to the venue) that Kent has only one parking lot to use.
While I understand the financial difficulties of being a non-​profit, theres no excuse for squandring the fact that there is a college of 15,000 students who seldom get to see acts they like (aside from 3 or 4 concerts at the sports arena with varying quality) simply because the only venue the size enough to attract bands that draw a lot of people. And when they do, its often the only quote-​unquote college-​friendly act on the whole year’s schedule.
I really want to like the Kent Stage, but for the past year and a half, the only act I will see/​have seen will be the Punch Brothers in October. There are more acts that have gone through the House of Blues that I’d want to see, which says a lot because I hate the House of Blues.
If the Kent Stage wants to be anything more than a self perpetuating series of performances meant for the sole purpose of upholding an image and appeasing donors, it desperately needs to change.

Headlining Kent, Ohio’s music scene is The Kent Stage. The nonprofit owned and operated entertainment venue hosts a variety of events to serve the eclectic nature of the Kent community. University students, Kent residents and people from afar come to enjoy the iconic theater. I have been enlightened by the spoken word of Henry Rollins, moved by the rhythm of numerous bands and bedazzled by a film on the big screen. The venue also offers a great selection of spirits and refreshments for guests attending events. The staff is dedicated to providing you with a fulfilling experience.
2012 marks the 10^th Anniversary of The Kent Stage under the operation of the Western Reserve Folk Arts Association. A membership program is available for patrons to enjoy a variety of exclusive benefits while supporting The Kent Stage. Donations are vital to sustain, maintain and expand the magnificence of this cultural institution for future generations to enjoy. The upcoming year will be filled with endless harmonious opportunities. I personally recommend attending and supporting The Kent Stage. See you there!!!

Awesome intimate concert venue. Shows tend to be more of the folk music type. It’s great to have such a close seat pretty much throughout the venue.

What a history this place has!
When I found my row, I could feel the past in my seat. Constructed in 1927 as a movie theatre and revamped in 2002 as a live music venue, Kent Stage provides a quality sound and decent seating from every angle.
I especially love the intimacy the theatre brings with it’s smaller size, which was perfect for seeing our favorite band, Over the Rhine, play last night. Karin & Linford warmed us up from the cold outside, and wove their way in to our hearts, as they do. We saw them in concert just over a year ago in Seattle, but to see them in their home state was a real treat. They both raved about this particular venue from the stage, and I was inclined to believe them.
The coffee & wine bar was a nice touch.

Six years removed from KSU, I found myself drawn back in to East Main Street for their annual Folk Festival, but more specifically to see Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zero’s.
The first impression had me marveling the old lit-​up marquee announcing that night’s act. This building had the appearance of an old movie theater. The lobby, small and quaint. The bar was well stocked with a variety of brews. Tall Boy PBR’s for the thrifty college student and an assortment of Great Lakes for the rest of us. Freshly popped popcorn, snack packs and fountain beverages were also available.
The stage area is a decent size. It seats apx. 500+ if I had to guess with a small 2^nd floor balcony. Fold down seats lined in vintage red velour fill the room. The stage and fabric lined walls reminded me of an auditorium in an older school. Acoustically, the space seemed perfectly adequate to handle the tunes that blast from the stage.
All in all, this is a great place to see a show and being located right in the heart of E. Main, it’s a great location and within walking distance from the locally favorite bars and shops.