The Fox Theater – Pomona

If you’re looking to have a large event or catering Fox Theater is the place. It has tons of areas to party and have all sorts of them events, ceremonies, bands, weddings etcetera… who knew downtown Pomona could have such spectacular views. If you’re a vendor however such as a photo booth company… it’s really hard to get to the top patio area because the elevators only go halfway and there’s tons of stairs.

I went here with a friend on November 14^th, 2015 to see Motionless In White perform. The show started at 7pm and the doors opened at 6pm. We bought tickets at the door, which were $ 25 each for balcony seating. It’s a pretty nice venue with plenty of comfortable balcony seats. The floor looked spacious too (great for moshing I bet). The lighting and sound was very theatrical. I recommend this venue to those who want to watch a live performance and want the option to sit or stand.

GARBAGE. Worst venue. Worst security. Make sure you get early enough for those pit wristbands though because you’ll need them to get in the pit, even if you have a GA ticket. Yet there’s no info of this online, and you are literally LYING TO YOUR CUSTOMERS WHEN YOU DO THIS.
That’s fucking fraud and that’s not cool. You ROBBED ME of the experinece i payed for. Metal has no place here. Pass up any good metal shows you get offered so the fans can have a fun time at the glass house. Respect your customer and either change the way you do business or give the shows to other venues so metal fans can have fun.
Just to be clear, I have been to around 60 extreme music shows, and never felt the need to leave a negative review on a venue. But i had to after my experience tonight, after I saw your tragic excuse for security guards borderline assaulting normal concert goers for trying to get to the seats they paid for… I mean I’m fucking speechless. They’re supposed to break up fights, stop violence from happening, not CAUSE THE VIOLENCE.
For real though, metal fan to business owners… Stop hosting extreme music shows here or you will find yourself on the wrong end of a lawsuit. Or at least take five minutes to edit your website and tell fans who paid good money, who waited months for this show, that they won’t get the seats they pay for if they aren’t the first 500. Is it that hard? Is it that hard to be straightforward with your paying customers?
Or you can sell pit and ga seats separately. There’s another option and I just thought of it! There are so many options that don’t fuck over your customers that you’re not implementing because???
Take a look at yourself. Your guards WILL be sued one day if you don’t change this. Youll lose money what iota of reapect the local metal community still may hold for you. Or you can simply give the metal to glass house.
You know, where they respect their customers.
In all — an unbelievabley, unfathomably terrible experience. Do everyone a favor and close down or get out of metal. There are venues that respect metal fans and judging from your other reviews you are not one of them.
Stay away at all costs. Never doing business with again and telling everyone I know to save their money.

Saw recent Silversun Pickups show here; venue nice, security staff completely clueless on GA balcony seating. Pretty much same experience as other review on here of same show with balcony experience. Bottom line, been going to gigs since the 80’s in Hollywood and won’t be back here…

On Wednesday, April 13, 2016, a single security guard (he looks like a gimped, white trash version of Foggy Nelson from «Daredevil») stood at the entryway to the balcony area and checked our tickets, and let us through. We walked into the balcony area and saw multiple seating areas, all empty. None of the seats were labeled ‘reserved.’ No security staff were present to direct us. The opening act started, then finished. As Underworld started, Foggy and another goon (a short version of ‘Bluto’ from Popeye) started running up and down the aisle, checking everyone’s papers in the balcony area.
They started screaming at me and my wife to leave our seats. Apparently the entire lower section of the balcony was a ‘balcony reserved’ area which wasn’t labeled as such. We — along with every other GA Balcony ticket holder we later spoke with — were not told there was a reserved balcony section. When we purchased our tickets, GA floor or GA balcony were the only two choices. There was no reserved available to buy, and no information on the web site that mentioned reserved seats, so we had no way to know unless told. And we weren’t told. If this was just a failure of communication from Fox Pomona, it would be bad enough. But the security company they use took an already bad situation and made it deplorable.
These two goons took one look at my sobbing, wouldn’t-hurt-a-fly, upset wife, and did what anyone at the Fox Theater Pomona would do — harassed and threatened to kick her out of the building. They screamed in her face, screamed in my face, ejected us from our seats and forced us to stand in the aisle between the seats. Why? Because all the other seats were already taken. The show was already underway. And not once in the hour and a half before the show did a single security guard inform us that those seats were reserved. Not one sign or notice, or person, let anyone know this before hand. The motto at Fox Pomona is, apparently «We won’t tell you in advance, but we’ll kick you out for not knowing!»
The way Fox Theater Pomona treats its patrons is no secret. Their security staff’s zealous tactics are infamous. But, Fox Pomona gets five star reviews because they book some amazing acts. Their recent renovation really turned the interior around. Fox is also the only game in town for Coachella bands that want an easy one-​off near LA. Some incredible acts love to book there (location, location) — and the artists love it, because they don’t have to deal with security.
Artists, know that your fans are treated like criminals when you book at Fox Pomona Theater. Fox under-​communicates and power trips and harasses. They treat patrons like criminals, and pat people down with far more enthusiasm than the TSA. I’ll even forgive the guy who squeezed my ball sack when patting me down for weapons, then lifted my hat and joked about bombs on my head. I’ll excuse the brainless goons who act as though the Fox is a minimum security prison. If there were reserved seats we didn’t know about, fine. But communicate it. If there’s a misunderstanding and we’re not threatening to fight you, then treat us with respect. And if we complain to you — multiple times — don’t promise a response then not deliver. You guys are amateurs.

I have read a lot of these reviews a couple weeks before I went to the venue and I’m not sure as to why it keeps getting bad reviews. I went to go see Of Monsters and Men on 04÷19÷16 and i had a great experience.
The parking was not pricey either. We got there 3 hours before the show and it cost $ 2. But I can see why people get ripped off since there is the chase bank right across the street charging $ 10 no one thinks to go drive down a little more and the parking is cheap.
Another tip is to email the venue instead of calling them if you have questions. I actually had better luck in emailing them. They responded within 30 min-​1 hour.
Yes the show started an hour earlier than what the ticket states but that’s why i emailed the venue. It said on Facebook 7pm but the ticket and venue said 9pm.
Last thing is that yes if you do go to the bar area and are over 21 you get first dibs on where to sit or stand.
I didn’t do it but I still got to be the 3^rd row in floor area. Got pit wristbands too as long as you’re the first 500 people.

I came here to see Underworld two weeks ago.
I like so many things about this venue! First off, it is in a location where you can easily find free parking within a block or two. You can’t park in certain areas past midnight (read the signs), but I found street parking very quickly. I don’t think the actual parking lots cost too much either. Perks of not going to LA…
Secondly, I think this place is so well kept and architecturally very pretty. It has the art deco look, and I couldn’t stop admiring the details on the ceiling and the cool geometrical lamps. The bathrooms were clean, but the little trash can in the stall was wedged in the corner behind the toilet, making it a bit awkward to reach.
The pit area is limited to people who bought floor tickets, and even then it is limited only to people who come early enough for wristbands. One downside is that if you’re short, you will have almost no view of the stage if you’re in the GA Floor area that isn’t the pit. The best way is to just come early and stake out a spot in front.
Acoustics were ON POINT! Underworld has some heavy, fast basslines in their songs, and they all sounded amazing in the Fox Theater. The sound was crisp, loud, and enveloping.
Security was awesome. There was this girl behind us who started acting very aggressively towards my boyfriend and I because he was «blocking her view.» She escalated her threats into some pretty vulgar and threatening stuff, so we called over security at the barrier and asked if he could keep an eye on her. He took us seriously, and when he left he told the next guy to keep watching too. She couldn’t do anything except *accidentally* moshing into us the rest of the night.
I would definitely rank this as one of the better venues I’ve attended a show at. It was a bit of an extra drive from me, but it was worth it for the lack of hassle I experienced with parking and traffic.

One of the best venues we have gone to. High security made me feel like I was a Kardashian and quit honestly, I enjoyed my frisking; it was thorough… We will leave it at that.
Worked our way up to the front after getting our drinks and enjoyed the best Underworld contest
! Thought the floor was going to give but at least I’d die while dancing with drunken strangers, cotton mouth, and a couple of priceless selfies.

Absolutely I’m a fan.
Went to see M83 earlier this week, my first time to the venue. Though we had General Admission Floor tickets, one person in our group had leg surgery over the weekend and needed access to a chair. The staff was exceptionally accommodating and friendly, and helped him get a safe spot to view the show. Very kind.
The venue is lovely. I’m a fan of older theaters and am glad this one has been saved to have a life now, worthy of showcasing the bands that get to play there.
It’s crowded, and if you have a floor ticket, get there very early so that you can get access to the pit. It’s worth it to be in the pit– not oversold, not over-​crowded, and there’s less talking because superfans show up early enough to get the wristbands, and go to hear, listen and experience the bands playing on stage. I’m not grading the crowd, I’m grading the venue, which I will absolutely return to any time an artist I love plays there.
Thank you, Fox Theater and your kind employees for taking such good care of us.

Parking maybe the only real negative about seeing a show at the Fox. I’ve seen a number of shows over the years like AFI, Jimmy Eat World and recently Silver Sun Pickups. The fox never dissapoints as far as view or acoustics. The absolute only thing I wish they would get rid of is the guy handing out towels in the rest room. It makes you feel obligated to give him money.

NOT WORTH TRIP FROM LA
I attended (or at least tried to attend) the Silversun Pickups /​Foals /​Deap Vally show on 4.14.16. According to the tickets, doors were at 8PM and show starts at 9PM. We drove from LA (about an hour) and arrived at 9pm only to find a line completely wrapped around the very building/​complex (which also houses many other establishments). We waited 30 – 45 minutes in line and pretty much completely missed the Foals’ set (who we really wanted to see /​no offense SSPU). Foals actually went on at 9:20 with Deap Vally starting earlier than the posted show start time at 8:30. The real problem is that Fox Theater never posted the set times in advance on the website or their social media channels and when i called, the line just kept ringing. Really poor execution and waste of time/​money/​gas. I’ll be contacting AXS/​Goldenvoice as well. Added some additional Pros/​Cons below:
Pros:
— Acoustics
— Quantity of bars inside /​decent pricing and selection
Cons:
— Long Lines to get in
— Split males and females at security. often tough to enter with your significant other or group. Creates bottleneck for females without purses who just want to go in.
— Security is aggressive and inconsistent on policy of viewing from aisles where there is a pitch
— Viewing platforms are tough to see from because they are flat and fill up quickly
— Only first 300 get Pit wristbands. Rest of GA is completely packed in behind a more open pit. Very tough to see from 2^nd tier GA floor
— Venue doesn’t always post set times or pickup phone
— Distance from LA not worth the trip without proper notice /​communication from Fox Theater
-

Attended an almost great show last night but there were so many issues. Got to the show around 8:45 pm and the line was wrapped around corner. it took around 30 mins to get in. Not too bad.
Here’s the issue I had. As you enter the balcony area you must show your ticket to security. Apparently they don’t actually look at the ticket because we just walked in a sat wherever, not knowing there was actual prearranged seating which would have been nice to know (didn’t specify on ticket either).
The balcony is divided into two areas an upper and lower portion. I got there early enough to choose good seats in either area but chose to sit in the lower areas. Well those owners came by right before the sspu set so we ended up being seatless for a while because by that time the upper area had already filled up. Ended up sitting in sucky seats.
I really wished the security would’ve been clear on the designated seating for specific tickets. Overall security was annoying and rude.

I’ve been to some really great shows here at the Fox (Deftones, Gogol Bordello, etc), before and after the remodel. I’ve always liked the layout and the acoustics. Plenty of spots to grab a drink with a balcony area for smoking and another alleyway outside the Green Room (Beers were also cheapest in the Green Room btw). Parking is great, as long as you get there withing a reasonable time (costs $ 1 in the public lots… can’t beat that).
Staff has always been pretty friendly and security have done their job. One big security guy carried a drunken me out of the pit a few years back and he wasn’t overly aggressive or anything at all. Dropped me off in the section behind the pit and let me continue enjoying the show.
My most recent (and worst) experience is the reason for a low rating.
During a Killswitch Engage show, the pit was only filled a little over half full and they rejected everyone back into the crowded standing areas between the metal handrails. They said this was for safety reasons. I guess pit access is wristband only now. HUGE THUMBS DOWN.
This made the already super rowdy crowd angry and people started throwing stuff. Ended up with the moshers stuck in the small areas and the cell phone crowd with the pit to themselves. Saw some guy get his head busted open on a rail due to the overcrowding. REALLY bad call there and I hope Fox is held responsible somehow. We all paid to see the show (GA). Might as well just stay in the Green room and watch the show on the screen at that rate.
It would take a really killer lineup to get me back at the Fox. In the meantime, i’ll stick to LA venues where you can actually move between the pit, floor, balcony, bars, etc and enjoy the show in whatever way you see fit.

What a great venue to listen to live music! We recently headed all the way out to Pomona for the 10 year anniversary show for She Wants Revenge. Props to the theater for taking security seriously. The sound quality at the Fox Theater is awesome. Just like every other venue on the planet, they need more ladies rooms. I waited for almost 25 minutes before giving up. Drinks are a little pricey but the bartenders work fast to keep the line moving. I would definitely make the trip out to Pomona again to see a band I like.

Great service at the bar. Really friendly and good selections of both beer and liquor.
However, security was real shitty. Got bad Intel several times on smoke areas. I was told smoke area was on the upstairs patio, but security told me patio will not be open til late and even then he wasn’t sure of the time. I was dicked around until I found out there was an outside patio downstairs to smoke.
Get your shit together.
Sincerely,
One of many smoke addicts

Saw JaShanti perform here last month. The venue is pretty nice. The acoustics great and clear. My cousins and I ended up getting bottle service because we couldn’t see anything. BEST DECISION of my life, so far in 2016. The tables were right above the pit. You can’t get past the general seating/​standing area without a wristband. Security is strict about it, so its nice that you won’t have assholes ruining your vibe when you watch your fave performer at The Fox.
Since it is in Downtown Pomona and maybe because it was JaRule, there was heavy police presence. And the police station is like a block over. I felt very safe. There’s a lot of FREE parking lots in the area.

The fox Theater was great concert venue. In past went in VIP with Respect in Cage so I didn’t know what to expect at a concert. I purchased general admission pre Valentine gift for my love to see Ja Rule & Ashanti. We parked in meters for $ 1.00 by Rock N Crab thirty minutes prior to show. No waiting in line plenty of Pomona police and a road block in front of show. No waiting in line we walked straight in no seats just standing. It was great we got there early stood by rail. Great show make sure to go have drinks before show because it gets packed like sardines no seats just standing. Our standing seat were in middle. If you were on stage floor you had a chance to go on stage for a lap dance by Ashanti. Great venue Ja Rule!!!

This is one of my favorite places to watch small venue bands perform. The Deftones top that list. We have also seen 311 here, but that wasn’t my favorite show I’ve seen them at.
First off, I find the venue charming. I like the old theatre and I think it has great sound. It’s a bit like Ventura Theatre, but with more upper level seating. I love that there’s an option to sit. For the last Deftones show, I had gotten GA pit tickets and was not looking forward to getting bumped all night. Or paranoid that I would get sucked into the pit. Luckily, the boyfriend sold those and bought Loge Row A seats. Since we were up against the rail, we had ample legroom and the option to sit the entire show. Yes, this is probably a sign that we’re getting old.
Bathrooms and bars located on both floors. Easy parking in the nearby lots for $ 1.

The Fox Theater is a decent place for a show. Big but not too big. Easy in and out and the place is as clean as it could be.
Venue: 4 ½– overall I really like the location. Downtown Pomona next to plenty of bars and restaurants it’s a fun place to see a show because there is lots to do here before and after. The venue itself is a good size with a downstairs pit and upstairs seating. Nice bathrooms and the bar in the front makes it easy access. Sound here is good and I feel like weather your in the front or dead back you get an ok view.
Other feedback :
Security is meh. People are over all friendly which is cool but at the same time I didn’t feel like hey controlled the crowd or the aggressive boozers the way some security do in shows. Seemed funny to have higher end security in the front patting you down and checking your stuff but once your inside it’s a free for all.
Parking: lots of it but if your smart you’ll park down a ways because 1) it’s free 2) you get to check out the cool shops and bars 3) parking down a ways helps you avoid the cluster F that the area becomes right after a show with everyone trying to leave.

Made the drive out to Pomona to see Bastille a couple of weeks ago and had a great time (minus a few hiccups). The venue itself reminded me a bit of the Wiltern (but a tad smaller).
We arrived a bit late to the show and there were two people sitting in our (reserved seats). At first they refused to move, lying to my face and saying that the security guard told them they could sit anywhere. Uhhhhhh, no. I politely said that I paid for these seats, not seats anywhere, and eventually they left. I bring this up because 1) they were douchebags (and come on, if you get caught doing this, just apologize and leave. Don’t argue with the rightful seat owners about it), and 2) the security in the balcony section was a bit lacking. At one point there were people who had run down from the upper balcony into the lower balcony and using the aisle/​stairs as seats. Kind of crappy for those who paid for the lower section because they obstructed the view of some guests and also I’m thinking it’s a fire hazard.
Overall, though, it was a great show. Drinks are expensive (and that’s too be expected), but at least my bottled water came with a cap so I didn’t have to worry about it spilling and our bartender was very polite.
TIPS:
–If you want good seats, opt for the Lodge (lower balcony). These are leather seats and they are surprisingly comfy. I was in the second row of this section and had a great view of the stage.
–Others have mentioned that security is super intense at the door. When we arrived about 30 minutes after doors opened, the line still wrapped around the building and it was moving sloooow. We went to have dinner nearby and arrived right before Ella Eyre’s set (so we missed The Griswolds) and there was no line. They didn’t pat us down and just asked us what was in our pockets, so I took out my wallet, cell phone, and camera for them to see. I also made sure I didn’t bring a backpack/​messenger bag and left my chapstick at home (see previous reviews saying how security made them toss makeup and etc).
–Parking: Check the Fox Theater website in advance to see where all the lots are. The smaller lots surrounding the theater fill up quickly, but we were able to find parking easily about a block away (and across the street) in a big lot. Cost was only $ 1 for the evening and you can pay via credit card.