Terminal 5

Came here last night to see the A$AP Mob, waited in line for well over 2 hours, froze in the sub 20 degree temperatures, and ultimately left without seeing any of the show.
The doors were supposed to open at 7, I arrived shortly before 8 and the line was wrapped way around the block. No problem, they are probably just running a little behind, I’ll wait. Skip to 2 hours later and we are still waiting in a line that has barely moved. Fuck that. As I left I walked back past the front doors and saw why the line was so slow, they had 2 maybe 3 people patting everyone down and checking tickets. When there is a SOLD OUT show with over 3k people coming, you probably need more than 3 people checking tickets.
It’s a shame popular bands/​artists play at T5 often, it’s the most inconvenient venue to get to, and there is not much to do in that area.

I had one of the worst experiences with this venue. Just went to the A$AP Mob show for the memorial of A$AP Yams. Over 12 different acts were on the bill — this show had one of the most stacked line-​ups that has probably existed in modern Hip-​Hop. Over 3,000 people had bought tickets, so the line was very long when I got there. The venue staff did an absolutely horrible job of moving the line along into the venue. I had to wait for nearly 3 hours to get into the venue. I got there at 7:30 and didn’t get into the venue until around 10:30, missing multiple acts that I payed good money to see (around $ 75.00). It was below 20 degrees and I nearly froze to death waiting in a line that moved a few yards every 15 – 20 minutes. A few blokes were going up and down the line asking if people wanted to «skip the line» which either makes the venue immoral for hiring people to let others skip the line or shows that the venue has a lack of control over people that are most likely stealing people’s money. Even though I got to see the headliner, I give Terminal 5 one star for doing such a horrible job with getting a big crowd into the venue. Wish i could give it even less than one star. Never go to this venue if a big name is performing because you probably won’t get to see all of the show, which absolutely sucks if you payed a lot of money to see it. Get your shit together, Terminal 5. The venue also had employees that were rude to myself as well as others, yelling at people if they were standing near the «VIP» section. When I got out of the venue, one of the staff members nearly pushed me to go in a certain direction — extremely unpleasant. I wish I could get a refund for how bad of an experience Terminal 5 venue created for myself. I deserve at least some money back for missing ¾ of the show that I should have seen. How can you make all these people that paid a lot of money to see this performance wait for so long in the freezing cold just to miss most of the show? A$AP Yams would not be proud! Never going to this horrible venue again! Or any of their affiliate venues because their staff probably suck just as much!
*Note: I never normally write reviews for venues, restaurants or anything that’s on Unilocal — The multitudes of toil that this venue and its staff created for myself as well as everyone else waiting online for 3 hours in the FREEZING cold made me NEED to share how bad this venue is. I probably have to go to the doctor to see if I have frost bite on my feet due to how long I had to wait in the horrible weather for. I hope I never have to go through the same bullshit at another show ever again.

I really liked this venue. Came to see Gogol Bordello on New Years Eve, so things would have had to be pretty awful to fuck up a show like that anyway, but I still stand by my statement.
There were plenty of bars and the wait for a drink was never long, bartenders were efficient. The line at the door moved quickly. The longest line I waited on was for the coat check ($ 3) and even that wasn’t outrageous.
They have three floors as well as a really sweet rooftop space for those of us that smoke and it seems to stay open regardless of the temperature– nice!
I saw multiple reviews complaining about the obstructed views but I didn’t really experience an issue myself. I’m 5’6 but was able to see from all three floors, there were also TV’s showing the performance, even on the rooftop. I liked the layout.
Sound system didn’t blow my ears out. The location is just slightly out of the way, and in bad weather the walk to the subway can really blow, but I’d definitely like to see more shows here.

Gogol Bordello for New Year’s Eve. Terminal 5 delivered — it’s one big open space with 2 additional levels of balcony wrapped around it. I stayed in the pit which was best to experience GB, but for the faint of heart I bet balcony viewing is an excellent option. Tons of bars, never waited for more than a few seconds to get a drink. One of the best no frills music venues in town.

Been here a few times for various genres of music, mostly recently EDM (A Trak, Thomas Jack) and rock shows (Sleater Kinney). Terminal 5 is a cavernous 3 floor venue that holds thousands. I like it because it’s size allows for unique experiences and views each time. Each performer brings their own stage setup and chooses their own special effects (streamers, balloons) so it varies but are overall nice.
A huge tip is that there are bars and couches along the walls on each floor so don’t feel stuck by the entrance! There is usually a long line at the bar right by the entrance when the bars on the upper floors are empty. There is also a venue exit from the second floor that ends up closer to the main entrance. Can’t give it 5 stars because it’s location on 12^th Ave is incredibly inconvenient.

Terminus 5 Equals Three Floors of Obstructed View. $ 45 to stare at the back of peoples heads all night long.
The drink prices are as exorbitant as you would expect. However, the bartenders looked efficient and there’s lots of bar space to drown your sorrows in. Security was reasonable, one lady touched my «special purpose» while padding me down on the way in.
Don’t go here unless you have VIP passes or want to stare at a monitor all night long. At one point, we contemplated sitting on the floor and looking through peoples legs to catch a glimpse of the band. This place exhales equine reproductive organ.

Love this venue. Three floors with balconies so plenty of space to find a great view. Bars on every floor as well!
Staff are helpful and there’s a coat check and smoking area. If you are shorter or the show is sold out I suggest trying the third floor as there are always less people up there!
Great spot, typically fun crowd.

I like this venue because of the multiple floors. I tend to like bands with younger fans. so it was nice to have a 21+ floor where we could hang out without being surrounded by the rowdy, underaged crowd. At my age, I relish in the ability to have an alcoholic beverage in solitude — or at least with enough space for my elbows.
It made for a much more pleasant concert experience (oh, minus the really rude, drunk female next to us who wouldn’t stop screaming in our ears and pushing us around), and if you get there early enough you can get a fantastic spot right above stage left. I was so close I could almost touch the artists. I had one too many fan girl moments throughout the night…
The staff was pretty great, and really efficient about getting everyone inside on time, which I really appreciated. They were also constantly on the look out for anyone who was overly rowdy or intoxicated, and open to kicking them out if they were being a huge bother.

If you’re from out of state, be prepared to be belittled and then told your ID, which is real, is fake. They even scanned it and said they didn’t believe it was real. I offered to show my Facebook, show them my North Carolina area code, call my fucking parents cause obviously nothing I say is gonna matter and nothing.
Also, the bouncer at the door said that North Carolina ID’s have holograms at the bottom of them and mine didn’t. Maybe Terminal 5 should hire people with better eye sight as well, cause mine has it.

Why bother writing this review… not like you have any choice when the band you want to see decides to play here.
Been here to see shows a few times already and we have to say that the acoustics here are far superior to most of the medium-​sized venues the city. The bass will rearrange your organs.
But. There’s always a but.
All that goodness is ruined by crap sight lines and near dangerous conditions of cramped exits — when the show ends, there is basically one very narrow exit path and as it runs right by the merchandise counter where folks are still trying to buy shirts, you get massive congestion.

You could die here! There is one way in and one way out. I mean there are many exits but they only allow you to use one.
We came her to see Kendrick Lamar and I thought I was going to die. It took almost an hour to get out and they direct everyone to one exit.
I will NEVER be back here again! Ever!
Security sucks and they’re unprofessional. It seems like no one knows a thing not can they properly direct the crowd.

I attended the Gorgon City concert last night. I am furious as to how my group of friends were treated. My friend’s 21^st birthday is today, November 1 and this concert took place on October 31. She was kicked out of Terminal 5 for drinking a cup of Redbull that she paid for and was given to her by one of your bartenders at this event. The Redbull was in a plastic cup and as she passed a security officer she was accused of drinking alcohol by one of these men. She explained that it was just Redbull, but was immediately told that if she said anything else that she was going to be charged with underaged drinking. As a result she was thrown out of the venue after the first act of the concert. My friends and I pleaded with the security officers and even asked if we could enter the concert again at midnight when my friend was officially 21, but they laughed and rejected this.
On top of all this, at the coat check the security continually called my group of friends bitches as they waited on line. The behavior of the staff is DISGUSTING. This was my first time coming to this venue and I will never be back.
I paid $ 39.15 for absolutely nothing. The staff is incompetent; a bartender should not be serving Redbull in plastic cups that could look like alcohol and the security officers should be trained to know that not all drinks offered are alcoholic. I will never recommend this venue to anyone if this is how people are treated at Terminal 5. DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!

Came here for a Symphony X and Overkill concert. Nice venue, i like the fact they had the big bar in the back and then another station setup near the bathroom hallway selling drinks too. Made for quicker service at both locations. $ 8 for a Budweiser, ehh i mean you gotta expect that.
Sound system sounded awesome, bathrooms were surprisingly clean and the attendant had some good candy in there.
I didnt get to see any of the other floors, they were blocked off to special guests and the whole 3^rd floor was closed, even with a packed house on the first floor though i still had a good time. I’d imagine this place gets a little overly packed though for a more mainstream show.

Terminal 5 is a decent venue. I’ve seen many shows there including Beastie Boys, My Chemical Romance, Panic At The Disco, Neon Trees, Guns & Roses, Fun, The Architects, and more. It’s a small venue and gets pretty hot with a packed house and the crowd going wild, but it’s always a fun time. You can always venture up to the 2^nd or 3^rd tier if you get tired to cool off and and relax on a stool or one of the couches. Lots of space to move around despite the small footprint of the venue.
You should get to this venue a few hours before the show begins, because the line will literally be about two blocks long by the time the doors open. So as a rule of thumb… The shorter you are, the earlier you better get there if you want to be able to see the show. Nothing worse than staring at someone’s sweaty back the entire show.
The bar area is usually crowded, but not so much that you can’t get your order in. The bathrooms are usually clean, but can get nasty towards the end of the night. Despite how focused you are on trying to figure out what exactly is making the bathroom floor so sticky, always remember to give the bathroom attendant a buck or two, especially if you’re going to take some candy or whatnot on your way out. It’s just good etiquette. I mean, really… you think your two minutes in there was hell? That poor dude has to stay in there all night.
There is a parking garage literally right next door, but I usually take the train. Just easier and cheaper that way. It’s only a 3 – 4 block walk from the train station.
Overall, I’ve always had a fun time at Terminal 5. No major complaints really.

I must admit that I have a bit of a love and hate relationship with Terminal 5 which is a space that I have been going for a few years to catch shows that only seem to be playing here when the bands come to the region. Spatially there is enough room for about 3000 patrons and this is thanks to three floors where folks can go to. The upper areas is where they keep their VIP sections so good luck if you secure the means to be in there.
Pricewise is dependent on the artist or event happening in terms of tickets and I think I have paid from about $ 25-​$ 50 for some shows that I was not working as press for. Drink prices are comparable to what you find in other city clubs of this kind and probably are most relative to Irving Plaza as opposed to Stage 48 where they are astronomical. The sound is generally good in the T5 but the part that kills me is the overall heat that gets going in there. Summer shows are often unbearable and send you back out into the streets like some exhausted nomad from the desert into the waiting arms of whatever food vendor has parked his cart outside of the space. For patron health they really need to do something about the ventilation as its going to cause someone some problems especially if they are older fans of something.
The facilities are generally clean and organized which I like and on the other floors you get your own mini bathroom that the attendant monitors for each patron. No one bumping into me while I do my business is always a treat. The last downside for me is the distance from mass transit. T5 is a good 20 minute walk from the nearest train and that is at a good pace. I consider myself in decent enough shape to always hoof it but on the super cold, rainy or heat stroke inducing nights this is a pain in the butt. One thing I do like about my plans that include T5 is that I can drop in to American Retro Bar and Grill which is only a short five block walk away. Its off the beaten path enough and I enjoy the place and don’t get to go there all that much.
That’s all I got.

So much promise, but falls short.
Went to a concert here a while back — it was my first and only time in here, but it’s enough to warrant this review.
First off, the place is a nice space and I’m not sure of it’s history, but it seems to me that this would make an excellent club with it’s 3 floors more than a concert venue. For this show, we ventured to the top left side — kind of uncomfortable in leaning on the rail for 3 hours, but we didn’t get there in enough time to snag one of the chairs or a spot more centered. The location is kind of out of the way and finding decent street parking was a little hassle (I won’t pay for those over priced garages). Then there was a long line getting in, so naturally we weren’t among the first, but still got there ahead of most, since the place filled up and my once adequate spot became more ‘squishy’.
The bathrooms are unique, with one little room per patron, with this cool blue light inside. Not overly clean, but not the worst toilet I’ve ever seen. I never bothered to sample the bar, since it was largely riddled with patrons on all floors, so I can’t comment on the drinks or food, if there was any.
I skimmed some of the other reviews — I’m not one of those who cares to over-​examine the perfect number the acoustics of a place should be– but from my vantage point, the music sounded just fine and was what I expected. It’s a nice size place, but if you’re in the wrong spot, it’s going to not be a fun time viewing an actual show.
My biggest complaint about this place was exiting. Normally, I expect the exit hassle from leaving a large venue, like MSG or something of that size. Being on the 3^rd floor, I had no idea it would take as long as it did leaving the place. People were pushing each other, the crowd was slow moving, and of course, idiots in the crowd who like to cut others off helped delay the exit. I blame it on the place, which basically bottle necks the crowd out of only the main doors, when easily it could make things go faster and more smoothly by using the side exits. By the time I was outside of the place, I was so overjoyed at the torture it took just to get to that point was over. I was angered at the hassle, but happy to finally be outside of that place. They need some exit control and a better plan.
Kind of ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ on whether or not I’ll see a show there again. Granted some artists only perform in that size place, so I’m going to have to wait until that comes up before I make a decision. If I do, I’ll be sure to sample a drink at least and either improve or reduce the rating here.

So how good a show will be here depends on the type of act you’re seeing. The venue is like a giant warehouse pretty much (I’d say that’s part of its charm). It’s located on the west side by 12^th Ave and is a bit of a schlep from the subway lines. Because it’s such a large space, the sound quality is not so great. Unless you are seeing a loud, ruckus rock band, then it’s cool (I saw Death From Above 1979 here and it was amazing).
If you can, get there early so you can go to one of the balcony levels. Standing on the ground level is fine though, too. When I’m on the first floor, I like to stand by the bar area (you get your personal space and can still get a good view of the stage). It’s cash bar, so hit up the ATM before you go to the venue. Drink prices aren’t too bad here either.
So have fun and check out a show at Terminal 5. I’d recommend going at least once to see what it’s about.

Really not sure why all the low reviews for this place. Came here for a Brandon Flowers show and had a great time!
The place is fairly roomy, clean, and has a cool industrial vibe. There’s really no bad location to be in, and despite being a large space, still feels relatively intimate. Sound was pretty good too. There are cash bars on both sides of the room, and beer is a reasonable $ 7 – 8. Ground floor is standing room only, so be sure to get there early if it’s a band you really want to be up close — but then again as mentioned before, there’s really no spot with a bad view of the stage. Entrance/​check-​in is pretty quick, but as expected a bit slow filtering out at the end of the show. Only annoying thing were the occasional rude people who try to shove their way to the front during the middle of the show — but where does this ever NOT occur?
Anyhow, pretty cool venue, and definitely would be back to see some of my favorite bands!

Rock Out, or Shut the Hell Up and GTFO!!! \m/
Really people, it’s Rock and Roll. For all those whining and complaining about Terminal 5 please just admit to yourself that you should really just be sitting at home and watching reruns of NCIS or The Voice in the comfort of your air conditioned apartment and cozy couch. Then be in bed by midnight. Yawn.
So many complaints here about this music venue. I laugh at you all. Where to start?
I was here last night for the Slash w/​Myles Kennedy show. It was effing amazing! Slash was in a zone all night and once again proved he is a guitar god. Myles’ voice is great and he is a super frontman and perfect compliment to play off of Slash’s fret work. The whole band was tight and played with crunching precision. They had the packed house rocking out and screaming for more over the two hours they performed. Hits from Guns and Roses, Slash solo, Velvet Revolver, etc, and even some Jimi Hendrix thrown in. Wow — just Wow!
I have been to a ton of concerts over the years in all types of music halls. Some good, some bad, but all have their pro’s and cons. Terminal 5 is no different, but there’s way too much hate here. Are you all spoiled wussies or something?
Get there early! We made sure to get in line at 6pm and shortly after they started to let people in. The long line moved pretty quickly even with security making us empty our pockets and patting us down. I had no problem with this or the staff. The more security the better. Will-​call window staff was polite and I got my tickets quickly. Yeah, I still like real tickets. We headed right to the rooftop bar for about an hour for some drinks in the perfect Spring evening. Yeah — rooftop bar!
Sure, once the doors open it’s a mad scramble to get your space. Only amateurs head to the GA floor area. Head upstairs to one of the balconies and perch yourself to have a great view of the stage. We got a sweet view standing behind the Front of House engineer area. Less people, full bar, and clean bathrooms close by. The bar even has a water cooler with cups for free. Free water? Very nice perk. Decent beer list in the $ 7-​$ 8 range and cocktails for $ 11-​$ 13 is pretty good for a music venue. Magic Hat, Stella, Newcastle, Brooklyn Lager was fine by me. Cash only so be sure to hit the ATM. Again, not a big deal.
People complain because it’s so far over on the west side. Big whoop. Take a subway to Columbus Circle and walk over. Take a cab. It’s not that big a thing.
It’s basically one giant cube with a main floor and two balconies that wrap around it. Raised stage. Standing room only. They could do a better job for those with disabilities and wheelchairs. Sound can be iffy at moments but the concert sounded terrific overall. My ears are still ringing, but so worth it to hear Night Train, Welcome To The Jungle, and Paradise City as played by Slash!
Can it get hot in here? You bet. It was air conditioned at the start but with that many people packed in, and all our bouncing around we were a hot sweaty mess by the end. That is rock and roll baby! Party hard and get wet!
Tickets to major acts such as this for only $ 40 in a mid-​sized intimate setting? That’s big winning in my book! I would gladly come here again to see a show, even if it is standing room only. Heck, life is short. Suck it up and enjoy!
Don’t hate me because I rock out better than you. Learn to play the game or STFU!!!

I went yesterday 3÷30÷15 to axwell /​\ ingrosso and OMG was it the best time of my life! Me and a guest got to sit in the VIP section so you get a special band and a table with chairs to sit down if you don’t want to stand. We were so close I could practically touch the DJs! There were bouncers everywhere and I felt very safe when we got it. I did not have to wait since I was on a guest list and we walked right in. Z100 gave me these tickets and I cannot thank them enough!
Me and my friend also had a chance to meet them and have signed merchandize from them. So the layout of Terminal 5 is like a 3 level rectangle. There is the ground floor and 2 wrap around balconies. The prices for drinks were perfectly fine. $ 8 for my vodka and cranbury, the restaurants that we went to priced their drinks the same if not more than terminal. So we bought a few drinks from the venue.
The coat check in surprisingly went extremely fast and was only $ 3 for our coats. Or if you have VIP, you can bring your coat into there and sit it at your table and save the $ 3. The bathrooms were easy to find and I totally recommend taking the stairs to get around the place because it was a sold out event and you are never squeezing through the main floor. I’ll post a picture so you can see what I’m talking about.
So as you can see we had such a BLAST!!! I can’t believe how organized everything was! Way to go!