The National

Worst venue ever! Everyone who works there has a god awful attitude.
I was SO disgusted with the way I was treated at The National this past weekend. I had gotten kicked out without even being in the Venue for 5 minutes, because I did not have a wrist band? My boyfriend had my coat, phone, and wallet and I told him I would meet him after I got out of the bathroom. When I got kicked out I nicely asked if I can at least get in contact with my boyfriend who had my phone and keys. However, the general manager at the National pushed me out the door. So i was a female standing outside the door in below freezing weather without a phone, coat or money to at least catch a taxi. I was standing by the door hoping my boyfriend would walk by so I can get his attention. Then a cop (that I assume works for The National) approached me and told me to «get off the premisses» and continued to push me down the street. I was standing in below freezing weather on the corner of the street from The National with no way of contacting my boyfriend or getting home.
I asked the cops if they could at least escort me inside to get in contact with my boyfriend so I can get home and they told me to «walk home, it’s not my problem, you got kicked out go home.» Keep in mind I am a young female in my 20s and there was no way I was walking home in downtown Richmond when it would be a 45 minute walk back to VCU campus.
While standing on the corner of The National not knowing what to do because I had no contact with anyone, I was getting hit on and basically harassed by various drunk guys and I told the cops I did not feel safe to «walk home.» The two cops responded by laughing in my face continuing to say «it is not my problem.»
Luckily, my boyfriend came outside after about an hour when he couldn’t find me anywhere inside. ai told him what happened and he was furious. I really hope this experience does not happen to any other females because if someone were to walk home in the unsafe streets of downtown Richmond, the next person might not be as lucky. It is a disgrace the employees at The National allow this to happen and the cops could care less.

My boyfriend and I went to The National VIP section and Nikki and Jesse, the bartenders, were crazy amazing. They were very accommodating and super friendly. I would definitely pay the extra expense to do this again! I wish they bartended somewhere else so I could hangout and see friendly faces.

Saw one of my favorite artists (Purity Ring) at this venue and it was an amazing experience! Sound and light design were top notch, and there were no technical difficulties despite the concert making use of very precise laser and holographic light shows in perfect sync with the music.
The only problem with this venue is that parking in the area is absurdly expensive; I actually spent more on parking than I did on the price of my ticket.

Awesome architecture and the sound is unbelievable for a venue this size. Parking is just around the corner. Bartenders are very friendly and on point.

Way overpriced tickets both online and in person, and the way it’s set up it’s hard to see anything. Basically I went here twice, now never again. How is a $ 20 ticket $ 34.50 after fees online, and $ 27 in person? No.

Waited an hour in line for a show. People who ate at a local restaurant were able to enter 15 minutes before doors, skipping the entire line. This policy wasn’t mentioned to anyone waiting in line, nor is it listed on the venue website. Really poor policy to have concert-​goers waiting an hour before doors only to enter and not be able to see the show from the front.

Got here early, fifth person in line. And then, I see people straggle up to the door and gain admittance. Then we find out there is some special deal with the restaurant next door to admit people early. As if that’s not bad enough, the doors are supposed to open at 7 but that did not happen. They apparently had to wait for the restauranteers to finish dinner and get a front row seat.
Such BS. Won’t be back.

Went to Jersey for a wedding and decided to stop in Richmond on the way back for the Brandon Flowers show. I’ve seen the Killers multiple times in large venues so it was cool to see his solo gig in a more intimate setting. Smaller venues are always great and as with other similar places there’s not a bad spot in the house. I love that (with General Admission shows) you can be down on the floor rocking out or choose to head upstairs and take a seat. The drinks were outrageously priced, but it’s somewhat expected at places like this.

I have mixed opinions about the venue, honestly. The refreshments are acceptable, but not really worth the effort, the drinks much the same, but the point of the place is neither food nor drink, so that’s not really an issue. The shows I have gone to see there are always exceptional, and the sound is decent, but the view is often not so splendid, despite being a smallish venue, overall. I certainly would not recommend buying a ticket for an actual seat upstairs– the seats are not pleasant and you can’t see, so unless you absolutely can’t stand up for the duration of a concert…
But if someone you like is showing there? Go, most certainly.

My first time visiting the national was for juicy j concert and soon after the mike epps stand up comedy show and I actually got dropped off at the front because it cost to park which I wish it didn’t. It was easy to get in they didn’t do bag checks which kinda concerned me because people are crazy now a days. The drinks there were a pretty reasonable price ranging from $ 5-​$ 12. Unlike some places your actually able to move around during the show they also have a seating area for general admission. The theater did have a foul smell to it I’m not sure why. But I avoided it after a while. Over all I don’t have any complaints with any of the employees there. The bartenders were nice and the drinks were good. Most off all I Enjoyed both mike epps and juicy j !

I’ve seen various people here — Robert Earl Keen, Band of Horses, Ingrid Michaelson, and most recently, Kacey Musgraces. It is the best music venue to see the artists close up. And since I tend to come a little later to concerts, I am happy to report that you can still easily see the band close up! The National is also really close to everything; I’m so glad that Richmond has this intimate venue right downtown!
Because it is in the downtown area, it is pretty easy to catch an Über after the show or walk to your parked car. No huge crowds while exiting! While I believe all shows I went to were sold out, I never felt too crowded. Music quality is great too. Beer is a little pricey, but hello – so are drinks at every music venue. Have a beer before!

Disclaimer– My only problem was with the behaviour of this particular employee, and the failure to maturely or uniformly enforce the «venue policy». Yes you may have simply been doing your job. However this was not handled in a mature fashion. As I state farther down in my review I actually really like the venue and staff. But from the perspective of a customer and female patron it does not promote (my) confidence in the security/​staff This is simply what happened at the show. I would actually like to see other shows at this venue, but hope this issue can be resolved in a mature manner.
I am beyond disgusted by the security staff at this venue. Honestly you should not hire anyone to be a «bouncer» at the front rail that is under the age of 25. They do not have the maturity level to handle it and end up going on «Power Trips». I was topless during the show. As where a few other woman, who where not hassled. And before I continue, you are setting a double standard by allowing men and not woman. These things tend to happen at concerts.
However this «bouncer» demanded I put my shirt on. However when I did not do as he commanded he then proceed to get into my face and within inches of touching me (when I was obviously still topless) lean over and shine his flash-​light down my front. Then to yell at me to put my top on or I would be thrown out. realize that this is a live show and shouting maybe necessary in order to hear what others are saying. But I feel like this went beyond what was needed. As if he wanted to get a good look at my breasts. But still pretend to be in charge. This is borderline sexual harassment, This behaviour is unjustified & extremely immature. Thank you for setting double standards, contributing to rape culture, & of course slut shamming, During the rest of the show, I felt like I was being «Nazied» and could not rock out and properly enjoy myself. For the most part I actually really like the venue (it’s beautiful) and the rest of the staff where quite nice with a small stage. There is short distance between the stage and the barricade. which is always a plus when seeing a favourite performer.

Awesome place in Richmond to watch a show/​concert, whatever you wanna call it. Pretty great artists coming through month by month. Even if you arrive late and the place is packed you can still manage to get a good spot to see even if it’s all the way in the back. Drinks are good, a little pricey but seriously it’s a music venue… if they were any cheaper I’d be concerned. And thank GOD FOR CLEAN MUSIC VENUE BATHROOMS!

Love this place! From Gwar to Clutch to Rob Zombie and most recently Jim Jefferies I’ve never been let down. I’ve never seen a line out front and have never been disappointed with the sound quality or layout. It’s the perfect size and has enough bars so you never wait long for a drink. My only issue is the price of drinks. Richmond is cheap for going out but this place is not, however it’s pretty typical of a club/​music venue. Parking sucks but that’s just Richmond. Looking forward to going back in February!

I love seeing shows at the National! The sound quality is great and you can really get up close to your favorite artists when you have general admission tickets. Also, there are quite a few bars at this venue, which is nice. Sometimes it can take a bit to get a drink, but the cool thing is you can start a tab if you like & they take cards (unlike many big venues). Also a nice perk is that there are tons of structures around to park in. It would be nice if more free parking were available, but nice that there are a few structures. The closest one sometimes jacks up their parking price when there are shows. I would never hesitate to catch a concert at the National, all in!

What a fantastic old venue. Intimate space makes every siteline fantastic. We have something similar in Milwaukee that is a shoddy miserable version of this. While it is not lush or extravagent, it is clean and well managed. The staff was amazing — Michael and Warren the security guards in particular. I was with many fans for the crowdfunded Foo Fighters show and they were friendly, recommended locations in the area to visit while we were in town and made sure we were able to get any questions we had answered. The management of the crowd was extremely well done. The sound was clear and loud. Its a great place to catch a gig. I wish the management group would come to Milwaukee and teach us a few things.

This is an awesome vintage venue. It’s not too big which makes every spot a good spot to see the stage. I’ve only been here twice, but one time they had the balcony open to the public where you could sit down, rest, and still enjoy the show. The other time the balcony was closed. They have a coat check that you can pay for.

Solid venue.
Not much to write about here …
Slanted floor for a better sight-​line; reportedly state-​of-​the-​art digital something or other soundsystem. (It all sounds shitty to me after The Pearl [Las Vegas].)
There is a small, cramped smoking area (alley) outside.
Drinks are expensive (go figure).
There is free street parking nearby.
Possible that there are a higher percentage of douchebags here on account of a) nearby universities; b) high drink prices, so these frat-​douches show up already absurdly inebriated; and, c) no one being wiling to seriously batter this morons so that they receive the negative reinforcement they require to act like decent human beings, at least in public.
Alas, you can always move (unless on the barrier); so, just move.
(I only wish I could have heard The National perform at The National.)

I’ve been to the National about six times now… it’s a great place to see live music. There are four bars so the lines are pretty tolerable, same with the bathrooms!
The sound is great and it certainly gets loud in there!
I don’t care for the smoking section outside… probably a good reason to quit. It’s surrounded by tall buildings and is very small and claustrophobic.
There isn’t much street parking around but there are a few lots. Imagine my surprise that parking was $ 6.00 instead of the $ 25.00 I am use to in DC. Score!

The National was an awesome venue to see EDM djs perform. Last night I went to the Adventure Club show. Let me start by saying it was amazing. The light show, the crowd, and all the artists. It was a great turnout for a Tuesday night.
The national is not that big but it’s big enough to feel that you aren’t that far from the stage. They have the upper balconies and the front and side bars. It’s like an old theater but still a great place.
The only thing that I must warn everyone about is that it gets HOT and sweaty in there. So fill up on water, or alcohol (if that’s what makes you feel better since they have the bars) and just be ready to party!
I can’t wait to attend other shows that come on through!