The Pageant

Not a bad seat in the Pageant. Great place in St. Louis to see a show. I have been going to concerts @ the Pageant for 15 years !!! Love the place and the Food Vendors outside after the show have the best brats mmm

This is a wonderful venue in St. Louis. I have seen many concerts here, and more recently, several comedy shows. If you the show you are attending does not have the option of reserved seating, and you are over 21, aim to sit upstairs. If the venue has reserved seating, and you were not lucky enough to get a seat, and you want to avoid the pit, I recommend standing in the back by the bar, directly behind the people with bar seats. Perfect view, and usually you can use the bar in front of you to set your drinks on, if the people in front of you are nice.
*You can buy tickets at the box office in cash to save on service fees.*

I’ve seen many shows here over the years, and like everyone else is pointing out the security and service have ruined it over time. Most everyone on staff looks like a meth’d-out redneck and acts like it too. Unfortunately for the Pageant this kind of sours the experience, if they ever overcome that i’ll return for shows. Luckily there are other venues in town w/​exceptional service that are gaining more attention such as the Peabody. Not to mention the Fabulous Fox where you’re treated like gold and get world-​class acoustics. Now that the Pageant isn’t the only game in town they’ll need to step up their service to stay as large a player in the STL concert game.

The venue itself was awesome to see the show; however, the staff experience was a different story. The bartender was very unpersonable but that’s ok since the size of the place and number of people.
I was sitting down and about half way into the second act a security guard came up to me and said he needed to move me cause there were 2 ladies that needed to sit down in the handicap accessible area. I saw both of the ladies walk around just fine looking at random places to sit before they talked to the security guard. Then he said that one of them had a broken foot and that’s why she needed the seat. Funny how she is wearing cowboy boots walking around with a «broken foot». Also never even asked if I was sitting there because I needed to sit for a particular reason. Maybe I had a medical condition that i needed to sit there. Im positive this security guard was just trying to get with one of these 2 women’s pants. This security guard lacked all professionalism.

Best venue in St. Louis! Have seen a variety of acts there. Halo Bar before /​after the show is a must. Great staff & clean restrooms!

The Pageant’s is, well, The Pageant. It’s a great venue to see lots of amazing concerts, and there’s really not a bad spot in the house. Drinks are expensive, but duh. Not surprising. The only problem I have is they never let me bring in my good Nikon when I see bands. They’re very strict on that, which I get, but damn. They also say no recording, but that doesn’t stop anyone with a cell phone, so I should be able to bring in a decent camera.

The Pageant is a venue. Its specialty is Rock and Roll acts that are up and coming. The theatre contains a mosh pit where you can bang into each other as much as you want. The pit is lowered so us older people don’t have to stand the whole concert to see the act. The seating is in the shape of a U. Perfect for watching your favorite rock act. The sound system is also perfect. It is not mind numbing loud and it is not distorted just perfect is the correct statement.
I came to see the famous to me Johnny Rivers (
)
We were fortunate enough to score seats from a friendly scalper.
He played most of his famous songs, Mountain of Love, Secret Agent Man, Memphis, Maybelline, Rockin’ Pneumonia and Boogie Woogie Flu, Far Side of Town, Midnight Special among others. For the curious I put his famous songs in my review so you can You Tube him if want to hear a true blues, soul, and rocker. The one song he would not play nor listen to was Happy Birthday. As he turned 72 on the night we saw him he was not really wanting to acknowledge his age nor the crowd trying to sing happy birthday to him.
He is 72 years old and his songs were sung when he was in his early 20’s. Much to his disappointment his voice would sometimes crack. He apologized for sounding like Joe Cocker. To me he was perfect after all he is Johnny Rivers.
So this former up and coming is now came and going but he now can say he played the Pageant and The Whiskey A Go Go. Only they were 50 years apart.

Pro: Great music and comedy venue! I’ve been lucky enough to see Lauryn Hill, Major Lazer, and El Monstero perform there. It’s big enough to host major acts, yet small enough to give a more intimate feel to any given show. I haven’t had the chance to see any comedians perform there yet, but I plan to. (Still mad that I missed Dave Chappelle! Ugh!!!)
Con: A packed house usually means slower service at the bar. Adjust accordingly…
Bottom Line: Whatever your tastes are, it’s likely that an artist you like will step on that stage. Go to The Pageant and enjoy!

Allen Stone opening for O.A.R. They absolutely killed it. No matter who you see at this venue, it’s a great time!

One of the best music venues for touring bands in St. Louis, easy. For bigger acts the Pageant is probably my favorite spot in the city: regardless of where you’re sitting/​standing you’ll have a decent view of the stage, the sound system is always on-​point, and getting back to the bar isn’t too difficult*. And if you’re going to see a band you like, aren’t points 1 and 2 most important?
Most of the Pageant will be standing room only unless you manage to sneak a table near the back (there’s the floor, 1^st level, 2^nd level, and rear — my names, no idea what they call them). For most shows there are only tables in the 2^nd level with seating in the rear near the bar. *The bar is conveniently placed for most shows but can often become packed between sets or require some navigating/​elbowing to wade through the burnouts standing and chatting. Generally the bartenders are attentive though the prices are a little steep albeit not terrible for a venue.
Additionally the Pageant’s connected to Halo bar which has acts in its own right, a patio area on Delmar, and a nice little bar area with lots of TVs. Usually patrons can move throughout the set and Halo bar easily (with stamp or ticket, of course).

I love the Pageant. The best thing about it is that they draw the kind of music I want to see and I don’t have to drive downtown to go to a concert. I went to a concert at Soldier Field this weekend with 70,000 people. I’ve seen the same artists at The Pageant where if I want, I can get as close to the stage as I want. The other nice thing is that they have an underage section, so I have been able to enjoy live music with my teenage son. The one drawback of the pageant is the drink prices, but not a deterrent for me.

It’s tough to write a review on a music venue because I think the music itself is the main thing that affects your time there. I will leave all that out though. Bar prices are on par with any other music venue which is to say they are a little high but not surprising high. It’s still less than Busch stadium at least. Plenty of good spots to hang unless you are in a sold out situation. Then standing room comes at a premium. I wish they wouldn’t do the under 21 section but there was a time I was under 21 and wanted to take in live music so I get it. I’ve been here more time than I can count and don’t have any complaints really. Take from that what you will.

I must say that from my first time ever visit, I was disappointed with the staff, and guidelines for customers, that the staff felt necessary to enforce. While no one was rude, there were limits to where I could sit/​stand due to the fact that I was under twenty-​one.
I will give two stars because it is a nice venue, and I enjoyed the band (Tame Impala).
Viewers should notice though:
–You will be patted down before entering. No weapons of any sort.
–People under twenty-​one are not allowed in the upstairs balcony, nor past the bar.
–Drinks purchased in the upstairs bar are not allowed downstairs (even bottled water), despite the fact that there is a downstairs bar, and that there is still just as much as a chance that a (shock horror) minor could illegally drink.
But also on the upside,
–Clean restrooms
–Clean venue
–OK acoustics and dynamics
–OK staff, maybe it was a good night for them?
Two stars the most…

The reason for only three stars is that sometimes the staff can be really rude. I understand they are doing their job but some of them take their job a little to seriously.
I enjoy going to venues such as El Monstero (a St. Louis MUST) and Celebration Day. Jimmy Griffin is AMAZING to watch playing the guitar with his signature moves.

The Pageant pulls big name artists into an intimate space on one of America’s greatest streets, the Del Mar Loop. I have seen some amazing shows here over the past few years and I always leave with a smile.
There is an overhanging balcony with designated seats, a lower level with multiple tiers for a great view, and the pit (up close and personal with the artist and fellow groupies). The staff keeps the crowd pretty controlled and doesn’t allow it to get TOO crowded down there.
They are very strict with searching your belongings, patting you down, and checking ids. Don’t try to be a hero and sneak something in for the group. Also, don’t try puffing the magic dragon. They will slay you.
Overall, the Pagaemt brings in awesome groups. The crowd is fun, mixed, and behaved. If they were more lenient on certain things and let the party go a bit further they would get a 5 star, but what do you expect?

So I went to the Dave Chappelle show. I do hope Dave Chappelle stays out in public view. Standup looks good on him! My five star rating is for him and past events at the venue. This situation needs to be addressed and would’ve reflected in a lower score but I’ll assume it was just the Pageant following the orders of their guest (Dave) and then poorly training workers.
I’ve been going to the Pageant for years now and this was the first time I had an undesirable time due to the venue itself. It was freezing cold in there because Dave wanted to smoke. The wind blowing felt like a Chicago wind. I had my hood on and earmuffs because cold air makes me sniffly. It didn’t work, I still felt airplane-​type-​of-​sick when I left. It was already freezing outside (I think it was in the high 30s). So to be in cold for two hours then be frozen walking home kinda sucked.
Second, the workers STALKED us the entire time. It was a a very uncomfortable situation. We knew that while Dave was on stage, cell phones needed to be off. That’s understandable. It was in the flyer they made us read upon entering. But during intermissions too? That makes no sense. NOR was it enforced every single night. I asked other friends what they noticed.
It felt like being profiled while shopping the way the workers were staring the guests down. At one point while my phone was OFF, I was nearly attacked by a worker. I asked him if he’d like to hold the phone because seeing as I live walking distance from the Pageant, I did not carry a purse and needed to hold my phone as to not risk dropping it from my coat pocket which was hanging on my chair. I’ve been to plenty shows, and sat in the first few rows several times so this was handled poorly because I’ve never been made to feel like I stole something in a concert before. I was already distracted by the arctic winds. To be distracted by the stalking eyes was too much.
I’ve been to a show before (different venue and artist) who spoke to the audience like humans and asked if they’d keep their phones off because she wanted to interact with people, not their phones. Without stopping people from enjoying the show, she respectfully made her wishes clear and from where I was sitting, phones stayed off.
But at this show if you even touched your phone, security was hopping over chairs (LITERALLY) just to tell you no. So much for checking in on kids during intermission.

Great place to see a mid-​level, has-​been band/​musician in St. Louis! I’ve been here several times; first time was to see the Violent Femmes in ’02, and most recent visit was Bassnectar in October. Several great shows were seen here by me, including 80s acts like the Bangles and Psychedelic Furs, to newer acts like Beirut and Girl Talk. Never a dull moment. Place is usually clean. Bartenders are usually alright, security on other hand… well, they’re security, what can I say. Sometimes they can be dbags, depending on the show. I’m actually wondering about that new ‘open cigarette pack’ rule they got, which I think is super lame. But anyway, location is not so bad; hopefully the Delmar Loop will expand more to the East, but for now, enjoy it while its in its heyday.

I haven’t been to many venues since moving to the area but I really prefer this one to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.
We had no issues parking and found plenty of food options in the immediate area. The line for minors was a bit outrageous (over a block long) but the adults were able to walk right in through the bar.
They have a great sound system that really rocked the place. Also, the temperature was spot-on…not too hot and not too cold. Waitress service for reasonably priced drinks was another plus.
The only downside is that they sold the show as GA and that allowed them to overpopulate the ground floor even though there was plenty of room upstairs. They probably should have divided the place up a bit differently. Also, their website states that nowhere in the place is more than 70 feet from the stage. This may be a stretch for the ground floor and is a pretty clear misrepresentation of the balcony area.

And the hits just keep on missing…
In my prior review of the Pageant, I didn’t speak all too kindly about it. I mentioned how it’s a necessary evil, but even Satan wouldn’t take credit for how bad the venue was last night.
First, let me explain the ticket process for this show. Garbage went on sale on a Friday at 5:00 p.m. Along with this concert, the Pageant had two other concerts going on a sale at the same time, Fall Out Boy and The Deftones. Both shows have sold out. I went back and forth with the Pageant people on Twitter, and their response was that their people were «pros.» Pro enough to make sure people got the tickets they wanted for three separate popular shows at once? Also, they weren’t doing separate lines. I wanted to head down to save money, but since they had no game plan, I ended up paying $ 14 more than I would have going to the box office.
I had been looking forward to Garbage for a few months, but I never look forward to going to the Pageant. Entrance was pretty easy last night, but everything after that was subpar.
First of all, the service is atrocious. I realize how hard it is to work in loud conditions with annoying drunk people, but when people aren’t being drunk and annoying, do you really have to be a jerk? My wife went up to the upstairs bar and order three drinks. The female bartender was rude to her. She then completely screwed up the order, whining and crowing along the way. My wife didn’t want to complain, and this bartender’s mistake ended up costing her more money. If I wasn’t holding down the fort by the stage, I would have probably unleashed great wrath upon this vile beast!
And the frickin’ guards. For whatever reason, the guards kept forcing people to move from the side of the stage. I suppose it was a fire hazard, but the bouncer was being a grade A tool about it. My friend took offense, and the two of them went back and forth during the Garbage set. When Shirley Manson came over to our corner, past the barrier, the bouncer stood in front of my friend and wouldn’t let him get five from the lead singer! He wasn’t doing anything wrong, but the guy felt the need to throw his weight around for no apparent reason.
The sound was at an all-​time low! Garbage is one of the most technologically advanced groups that I’ve ever seen. Hell, their drummer is a famous producer. However, it all sounded like a garbled mess. I’m pretty sure that I could created better sound with a couple of fifteens and ten dollar mic. There’s just no excuse for how terrible the sound was last night.
I’m done defending the Pageant. This place needs a complete overhaul. I won’t patronize it unless I have to.

My big 1−0−0!
I finally got to see my favorite band of all time here: Garbage. We got there early to check out our «seating arrangement.» Well, to be perfectly frank, there isn’t much of one. In my opinion, if you’re super into the band playing, you don’t want to be sitting anyway. After we realized it was going to be easy to stand literally 10 feet from the band, we headed to the bar. My husbands draft beer was more than my gin and tonic. Granted, they used bottom shelf gin, but I was still excited about $ 4.50 for a mixed drink.
If you don’t mind a little pushing and shoving to get a good view and decent pictures, go to the floor area. As I alluded to earlier — this is all part of the experience to me. Once the opening act starts, you don’t want to leave for anything or you’ll be fighting to get your place back (which I witnessed).
Overall, I’ll always choose the more intimate venues over the larger ones. This was my first time at the Pageant, but I know it won’t be my last.