Pabst Theater

I was at the Pabst Theater Saturday June 11^th to see the RuPaul Drag Race Queens. The theater was be beautiful! Our seats were great, third row center. We ordered bottle water at $ 2.50 per bottle, not bad. The bar tender was a cutie pie and very nice. The bathrooms were very clean. Now this is for the management. You had chairs in the hallway that need to be reupholster and the carpeting on the staircase to be replaced. I don’t go to a theater to look at the chairs and carpeting but they were noticeable.

Just saw Purity Ring with my wife and 5 year old daughter. I called to see if I could get special seating to make sure my daughter could see the stage. They reserved seating for us front row balcony. There was someone waiting for us to take us to our seat when we waked in. The seats even had my name on them! We all had a blast and the concert was amazing. The theater is gorgeous and the sound was great. Thanks so much to the Pabst Theater and Purity Ring.

The Pabst is a beautiful theater for Milwaukee!
We saw Kathleen Madigan here and she was hilarious.
Interestingly, they sell beverages, but no snacks or candy at all.

Favorite place in Milwaukee. If you’ve never been, or are just in town for a little while, go see a show at the Pabst. I would literally see ANYONE perform here and have a great time. There’s just something about the feel of this venue that makes everything so much greater of an experience. You’ll get to see very intimate performances in an extremely elegant venue.
If you’re thinking of a place to sit, You could really see from anywhere. Sometimes I even prefer the 2^nd level than the 1^st, but you really couldn’t go wrong either way.

Came to see kathleen madigan but apparently you are not able to pick your own seat any more even though it says general seating on the ticket. Wanted to sit 3 and 3 since there were 6 of us to see the show but the usher (a total bitch) told us we could only file in all 6 and threatened to call security when I objected. Also they dont sell popcorn. And no bud light. No im not still sitting there.

The theater is beautiful and intimate and there is a large variety of shows. The seating isn’t very comfortable.

It is a beautiful place to see lots of concerts, The pabst is beautiful decorate, the prices are reasonable price they keep the place clean, I am seeing three dog night,

I was here for a night of progressive reggae-​infused music with Matisyahu. The Pabst was about ¾ full with all ages. It handled the crowd well, with easy to access bars (drinks were permitted in the auditorium) and a concert that started pretty much on time. The sightlines were good and the sound was terrific, thanks to the performer’s techies, I assume, along with the theater’s good acoustics. I expected to be blasted out of my seat sitting close to the stage, but I wasn’t – the sound was loud enough for people to rock out and get excited but not overpowering. The stage lighting was good except that Matisyahu sometimes performed in the dark – I wonder if this was on purpose or if the spotlight was not being deployed properly? The theater itself is a beautiful venue, and comfortable, at least when it’s not sold out. I would probably want to stay in the orchestra at all times, which seems fairly intimate for a large theater, and not climb to the first or second balconies. Sorry I missed Matisyahu during his Hasidic phase; no doubt it would have been a hoot.

I love old buildings, I love even more old buildings that have been restored to all it’s original grandeur. Pabst is such a place. It’s small, intimate and has great sight lines. The only complaint is the bathrooms. Located in the basement, it can be a jaunt if you are sitting in the balcony. A Milwaukee treasure.

It’s hard not to like a theater /​stage. Who doesn’t like going to an event wether it be an opera or performance or a comedian. This place helps bring an element of culture to downtown Milwaukee. Parking is relatively easy enough, street or valet. It’s location allows access to many local restaurants. Be prepared or get reservations at restaurants if you’re attending a show.

The Pabst is a pretty venue and a good place to see shows and the symphony. Recently we came with friends to see Beethoven’s Fifth and were seated in the highest balcony. The seats are terrifyingly steep and cramped up there, but the view was great — a bird’s eye view of every player!
Two different employees were rude to my friend, which left a sour taste in my mouth and docked a star.

I had been to the Pabst, in my pre-​Yelp days, to see Alton Brown, and I remember how awestruck I was by the architecture and décor of the place. The red velvet everywhere complimented by the gold leaf everywhere else, was just so beautiful to me; VERY Victorian era.
Then I walked down to our seats. In the balcony. OMG… you best be sober if this is where your seats are! I am not afraid of heights and I never get dizzy, but I had just a little touch of vertigo getting down to them. Once I was seated, I was perfectly ok, as I was for the rest of the night, but WOW! the steepness of that balcony… I’m glad I wasn’t wearing heels!
On my most recent visit, I was there to see the symphony and my seat was on the floor, center. Again, the beauty of this theater is a feast for the eyes.
I really don’t think that there is a bad seat here! The acoustics were great both times, as was the lighting, room temperature, bar service… I have absolutely nothing bad to say about the Pabst!
I utilized the underground parking that the Pabst shares with the InterContinental Hotel and only paid $ 8! That was a nice surprise, as I was expecting at least $ 15.
There are many bars and restaurants within a short walking distance of the theater, and the riverwalk is right there too, making a pre-​show dinner and post-​show moonlight stroll along the river the perfect bookends for a romantic evening.
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The Pabst Theater is an intimate, gorgeous setting to experience theater and music! My friends and I came to see the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. We were blown away (only figuratively, of course) by the musicians and the acoustics of the theater.
Street parking or a ramp underneath the theater is available for parking. The theater sells validated parking for $ 7.50 (at least, that was the cost when I was there) or you can pay the hourly rate as well.

There’s nothing like seeing a great band in a beautiful, historic theater.
The beauty of this place really adds to the whole experience. It’s not a tiny theater, but it’s not huge either, so you still get that intimate concert feel. I honestly don’t think there’s a bad seat in the house, but I think my favorite area to sit is the 2^nd floor balcony. At this level you get a great overall view of the theater and stage without being super far away. But don’t get me wrong, the main floor is nice too. I’ve never sat on the 3^rd level, but I have gone up there to use the restroom, and the view is absolutely gorgeous with the crystal chandelier practically staring you in the face. I suggest taking a little trip up to the 3^rd floor just to check out this amazing view.
There’s bars located on the main floor and 2^nd level, so grabbing a drink is always easy. They of course carry PBR, but also support the local breweries Lakefront and MKE Brewing. And the prices are even very reasonable.
Tip: Join the Pabst email list and you’ll get concert announcements along with codes to get presale tickets.

Gorgeous old theater, stunning chandelier and not a bad seat in the house. Definitely an intimate setting but even from the top balconies you have a great view of the stage and the sound quality was fantastic! Be prepared for some stair climbing if your seated in the balconies but rest assured that there is a bathroom at the top, so you don’t have to trek to the main floor to find one. Bars on every level too and the wait was never too long.

Unbelievable… No concessions at a Theatre. To make matters worse, the majority of restaurants in the neighborhood are closed.
I may have had slightly low blood sugar when I wrote this…

It was my first time going to a show at the Pabst and I was generally very pleased. First, I say one of my all-​time favorite bands, tUnE-​yArDs, so I was going to be happy no matter what. But the venue didn’t disappoint either. The drinks were relatively cheap, and I loved drinking a PBR at the Pabst Theatre. There was just a magical feeling that it brought to me.
The seating layout is well set up. There are 2 levels, providing more than enough space. I got there very early and made sure that I was standing front row, but there was still plenty of seating available. I wish it would have been a packed house. I guess that is the only downfall of my time there.

Saw The Naked and Famous here in June. They didn’t get a sell out crowd, which might of made the experience better. From what I could see, the ground level looked to be full/​near full, and the lower of the 2 balconies (which is where I chose to sit) was about half full, while the top balcony was empty.
The venue is extremely beautiful, and you feel so close to the stage no matter where you are. Seating is throughout the entire venue, with an exception to a small pit right in front of the stage. The sound is the best I’ve ever experienced in a live show. Water was in a bottle, not too expensive for a concert, and they actually let you keep the cap on unlike some other venues. I was able to get out without any trouble, but that might of been a result of the lower attendance for the night.
If you ever get a chance to see a show here, make sure you go. The venue alone is worth the trip.

What a beautiful theater!
Saw Lewis black here on a Friday night and we had a great time.
Nice bar in the front, so get your drink and bring it on in — was surprised they didnt sell any snacks though.

I saw Tegan and Sara here last night and it was my first visit to the Pabst Theater. WOW! What an amazing venue! We were in row N on the first floor and the view and sound was terrific. I can’t imagine there being a bad seat in this venue. What a great place to get close to some nationally touring famous acts. It’s all seating so it probably wouldn’t work for moshing or dancing inducing acts.
ONE DRAWBACK: Pretty small seats. I felt like I was flying coach on American Eagle airlines only Tegan and Sara were on the plane too so it made the flight pretty kick ass.
The girl and I ordered a double Old Fashioned and a bottle water and it was under $ 10 — can’t complain about those prices.
I’ve now been to the Riverside, Marcus Center, and Pabst for concerts. It blows my mind how a city the size of Milwaukee can have so many great venues. No reason to sit at home in the winter bitching about the cold.