Recher Theatre

Nice small local venue that attracts some good acts. Lighting and audio isn’t up to par with a place like Ram’s Head — but it’s charming. Home of All Time Low — so there’s that :)

I was here with my wife on a couple of occasions recently to see her brothers band play. It’s really sad what this venue has become. The place is filthy. The carpeted floor is nothing but gum stains, the cloth on the walls is stained and falling down, there is a nasty fish tank in the back, just collecting bacteria, the beer selection is poor at best, the bathrooms were flat out NASTY, just to name a few. Besides the fact that they are doing nothing to upkeep this place, the staff is awful. The bartender is a complete jerk unless you are a skinny blond (save your tip money), and the manager is nowhere to be found. Like a previous post said, the sound guy runs this place, and he isn’t good at it. He will cut bands off in the middle of a song if he believes their time has expired (when usually it hasn’t). The other night, people were screaming for an encore from the last band that went that night. Even before the band could thank the crowd for coming out, he had cut their mics, and refused to allow them to play an encore. Here is how stupid this place is. There were about 100 people there, having a great time, buying drinks from the bar. They wanted to hear another song or two, and many probably would have bought another drink. He refused, and the place was completely empty at just after 10:00PM. Really? You have a band that wants to play, a crowd that wants to stay and hear more music, and buy more beer, and you refuse. I honestly can’t see this place staying in business much longer. I will be back to support family if they decide to play here again, but I can tell you this, I won’t buy a single beer, or grab a dinner at the Rec Room. I’ll save my hard earned money for a place that cares about it’s patrons.

I could write an essay on all the horrible things this club has done, but I’ll try to keep it short to a few key points from my most recent trip.
I was booked to play a local music spotlight. From the second we got in there, the sound guy, Keith from Speedoo Sound, made up his mind that he didn’t like us. He spoke to us in a downright condescending manner. He also was making decisions that were completely illogical. It was clear that, no matter what we did, he was going to treat us like the scum of the earth. When doors opened, someone who bought a ticket to see us went over and casually asked him one question. Keith blew up, they got in a verbal altercation, and Keith cut us 5 minutes before our set.
Yes, the sound guy cut us. Because of an altercation that he sparked with someone not even in the band. The sound guy. Not the owner or the manager. The sound guy decided that he had that authority. Turns out he did. The manager, Buddy, was too busy hanging out on the venue’s patio talking to his buddies to even enter the venue and resolve the issue. We didn’t know who he was until someone pointed him out an hour after we were kicked out!
We went home and looked up Keith to file a complaint. Found his Facebook, filled with nasty statuses about our band, and well as dissing so many other local bands. A middle aged man dissing a bunch of kids on Facebook. And he was posting this while we were still in the venue, a.k.a. while he was at work, getting paid. The owner, Scott, was called right away. Apparently, Keith’s side of the story was that we, as a band, threatened to beat him up and were calling him horrible names. A bunch of kids. Two of us are girls. It was explained that we have a score of witnesses who saw otherwise. Scott’s final word? «Well, I’ve known Keith for over 10 years so I’m taking his word over yours.»
I wish I was making this up. I just can’t believe this is a real story. The belittlement, rudeness, apathy, and ignorance were absolutely unbelievable. I can’t believe they’re still in business. Turns out Keith screws over a lot of local bands. The stories I’ve heard are just as ridiculous. But since it’s a corrupt buddy system over there, nothing ever gets resolved. There are so many amazing venues in the area. This one is not worth any local band’s time, especially if Keith is mixing you.
Oh yeah, one more thing — the restrooms. Flies everywhere, sticky floors, stained toilet seats, HUMAN FECES on the floor. Before anyone was even in the venue. Think about that next time you’re looking for live music.

Saw fun. here last night (such an excellent concert!) in a sold-​out show. It’s located right in downtown Towson, and we parked in a city garage a couple of blocks away, which is cheap (free by the time we left, and usually just $ 1 for evenings).
I don’t know if they’re understaffed or what, but we got there half an hour after doors opened to find a line down the street that didn’t seem to be moving. Thankfully, there are lots of businesses nearby with a mall up the street, so we stayed out of the rain by poking around in the Barnes and Noble.
Sound system was fine, though not great. Venue is just one large room, but it’s not so huge that you can’t see from the sides or closer to the back. My biggest complaint is the crowd, really. Apparently the locals (Towson students) like to just buy tickets, since the shows aren’t too pricey, go, and get super wasted and chatter as loudly as possible. Seriously, why are you paying $ 18 to see legit talent and ruin the show for the rest of us? fun. is pretty loud, so it drowned people out (though you can’t avoid the sloppy ones falling all over the place while dancing), but I could hardly appreciate the slow, pretty songs because it sounded like a high school cafeteria in there!
I understand this is the usual ambiance, so I will only be going back to the Recher if it’s someone I really want to see that I can’t get at 9:30/U Street.

This was pretty much my go to spot when I lived in PA. I saw tons of bands here. It’s a small little place that doesn’t have much going on besides the stage and a bar. It gets packed and can get a bit overwhelming due to it’s just one large open room. If you can make it up front, stay there! You can be right in front of the band. It’s a fight to get there so take a few beers with ya and go to the bathroom first!

I’ve been to many shows at the Recher over the years. Each show has been a great experience. This place isn’t an auditorium or anything of that sort, just a decently-​sized club that houses many live bands and stand up comics. The atmosphere is your typical, club atmosphere — standing room only (except for stand up comic shows), and a couple of bars with decently prized booze. The parking is simple if you park in the mall’s parking garage across the street. If not, there are meters along York rd.
I found this place a bit annoying when I was under 21 because the club has a «Under 21, then no re-​entry» policy. I think the policy is bogus and doesn’t make any sense. There were random times where I needed to go back to my car and get something, or grab a friend who left the club prematurely and the bouncers wouldn’t budge on the policy. Also, for some shows, folks under 21 have to pay $ 3 – 5 extra. Is this for the drink they would’ve bought if they were 21?
All shows I’ve seen have been live concerts, except last night, which was a stand up comedian (Bill Burr — excellent show). It was great, but the chairs were so close to one another. Your knees were pressed against your neighbor’s knees. Come on, we had plenty of room to re-​order the chairs to allow for more leg room.
Other than that, I have a soft spot for Recher and I have been to many memorable shows over the past eight years. I will definitely be returning.

Two bars, lots of space, clean bathrooms, and walls covered with pictures of artists who have graced their presence here. Oh, yeah! $ 2 coat-​check! Sweet! Recher gets an «alright» in my book.
Thankfully I didn’t have to fear for my life being in this unknown town. Isn’t that usually how it goes — A cool concert venue located in a sketch part of some town where you go in thinking, «Tonight, is the night. I will be jumped. This is THE night. Hopefully I will get to see one of my all time favorite bands before I die.»
So has been my experience. Anyways, Recher is good. It is located in a lively area with plenty of restaurants and stores with families taking their kids out in their jammies. Yeah, that kind of place.
Parking might be a pain considering it’s one of those downtowny type places. Good luck finding street — I ended up in a paid lot.
Would I drive out of my way (like I did this particular night) just for any show? Hells no! But for an all time favorite band? Yes, yes, yes!

Ten years ago, Dashboard Confessional penned the «Swiss Army Romance», an epic emo album spanning every item of emotional pain from the innocence-​ending finality of death, frustration with artificial limitations on experiencing life, and, of course, hopeless romance. Yes, I’m a dude, and I will admit that I listen to this crappy emo shit. Give me a break, I listen to everything. I’ll further admit that I went all the way to Towson, MD to see them play. I don’t care; this is a talented band. Have a laugh at my expense. If you aren’t, you are missing a great opportunity.
Going to a Dashboard concert after you have entered the workplace is exceptionally awkward. One girl who couldn’t stop staring at my clearly emo-​inappropriate outfit finally leaned over and hissed, «Is that a turtleneck sweater?» I think the question was meant to be rhetorical.
But hey, this is about Recher Theatre, right? Well, yes. From the distance, the Recher Theatre bears a striking resemblance to the double feature theatre in the movie Donnie Darko. Thankfully, no one in our audience got the memo to «burn it to the ground» during the show. They have a $ 2 coat check which has got to be the cheapest coat check I’ve ever experienced. The inside is a rather gloomy hall with frighteningly poor acoustics (as noted by Keejoo L.). Everyone that works there seems to be friendly. The beer selection is domestic heavy with the most exotic offering being Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Hhhmmm…
Sure, scheduling Dashboard now is simply one step below booking the Counting Crows and one step ahead of booking Vanilla Ice. But whatever. Overall, it was a good time in an otherwise suburban section of Towson, MD. And hey, at least I now know where Towson State and Goucher College are located. You never know when these completely random tidbits of information can be useful so maybe I got that out of this experience as well. Now leave me be so that I can slash my wrists in peace.

Interesting little venue for the local and not so local artists. Only came here once for a show that I hardly remember. This place is basically one room that all the people are crammed into and just stand to watch the show.
For a music venue the sound could be so much better. But being in the heart of Towson makes it a great location for people to get together easily and just enjoy the music.

If B’more venues could walk and talk, Rams Head Live would be the slick-​rock-​mag Hot Topic-​model sister, the Ottobar would be the boho hipster art-​school sister, the Sonar/​Talking Head complex would be the tough street-​slut tatted-​and-​pierced sister… and the Recher would be the good-​hearted chubby bleached-​blonde and teased-​hair sister who shops at Wal-​Mart (and maybe even works there). Emphasis on the good heart, as the Recher is a nice homey little joint, but you can see where it’s mostly going to get the leftover shows that its more popular sisters didn’t already snatch up. I don’t get there too often because the bands I like usually play one of the other places (especially since Sonar got going great guns) and/​or because it’s easier to see the DC show of a band than the Recher show, given that I live in the Corridor and work in Georgetown. But if a band I really like happens to get booked at the Recher (or bounced over there by Rams Head when a show doesn’t sell well enough for them), it’s a fairly decent place to see a show.
The Recher is basically a decaying old movie theater, and when I say «old movie theater» I’m talking about the crap 70s kind with the falling-​down acoustical ceiling and cheesy wall coverings, as opposed to the fancy vintage kind full of art deco and rococo cherubim and gorgeous woodwork. The Recher looks like somebody hastily cleared out part of an old department store (leaving the dusty polyester drapes, worn carpeting, metal hanging baskets circa 1971, and a bunch of window dresser’s ladders and scaffolds standing around) and installed a stage with lights and a pretty dern good sound system. There are a couple of bars which look like they were whipped up makeshift out of stained plywood but are long and get the job done. Beer selection is OK, booze selection is fairly extensive, and the place supposedly serves food all during shows (and after at the «Rec Room Bar» next door which has a pretty extensive menu) though I haven’t happened to eat at a show yet — definitely want to check out all that food though.
The bands booked here seem to mostly be strong regionals (lots of «jam bands») and the occasional «bigger act» that’s on its way up or down at the moment. Patrons always seem to be about ¹⁄₃ fans of the particular band, including, as others have noted, lots of underage people (which is to be expected at any all-​ages show venue); ¹⁄₃ Joe State College types guzzling beers in their ball caps, polos, jerseys and khaki shorts (again, expected due to the presence of colleges close by); and ¹⁄₃ rural-​looking old music heads/​barflies wearing stuff like nylon windbreakers, who seem to hail mostly from surrounding areas of Maryland and Southern PA. The last group can be the most annoying as they tend to do things like walk right in front of you and block the view when you’re watching a show, or bump into you while moseying around. It’s not that they mean to annoy people so much as they just don’t go to that many rock shows and don’t get the «etiquette». Once the show gets going, it’s pretty easy to ignore these folks or just move to some other part of the room (there’s usually room to move) to get away. By the way, at 700 capacity this is not a particularly tiny venue. There are much smaller places around (DC9, anyone?). Also, the Recher seems less likely to be oversold or sardine-​packed than its three sister venues in B’more.
The Recher is located in a pretty nice little shopping district with a big mall up the street, a multiplex movie theater a block away, and lots of small shops, bars and restaurants nearby. If you’re coming in from a ways away to attend a show then you’ll have lots of places to kill time before the performance. It’s also a much safer neighborhood than the ‘hoods around any of the other B’more clubs.
Even though the Recher isn’t spectacularly snazzy and doesn’t have the world’s brightest rock fans as patrons, I’d still go back to the Recher without too much fuss the next time they offer a band I like. One comment: Recher does not appear to have an ATM inside. The nearest ATM is a block or so up the street, so be aware if you’re planning to take some food/​drink/​merch money into a show.

Just went to the new outdoor patio at the Recher. It’s a nice outdoor space that has about 30 tables and a long bar. It’s a nice change of pace to be outside in the good weather, and they didn’t skimp on costs (except the bare concrete floor). Outside modern restroom, no TVs but they do play music. You can eat outside with table service. If you arelooking for a place in Towson to be outside (albeit under a roof), check it out. Service was friendly but as the bar became more crowded the service slowed. Plus there is smoking allowed, so be prepared for that if it bothers you.

The Recher’s a nice size and I was able to get really close. The bouncers were pretty rude though, pushing people aside and shit. It’s a good environment for a concert though, and I had fun. The sound wasn’t GREAT, but it was okay, and Escape the Fate rocked pretty damn hard.

I’ve been here a few times over the years and always had a good experience. The drinks are well-​priced, the bouncers aren’t looking to kill people, bathrooms are clean, and the sound system is great. Its a small venue so you can actually see the musicians.
I’ve heard complaints about the bouncers but really, have you actually talked to an average bouncer? They can barely speak, either from multiple blows to the head and/​or because they originate from a very shallow gene pool. They get paid to push little kids around. That’s the extent of their skills. Think about that and then, the next time you see one of these knuckle-​dragging fools, get out of their way and let them do what they do best: Make complete asses of themselves. You should of seen the bouncers at the old Hammerjacks back in the nineties. wwwwWow, those guys were neanderthals.
Overall, I think Recher is better than Rams Head (the other place to see good shows in Baltimore), partially because the staff is more pleasant.

We just came back to the Recher for Lotus’ two-​night stand this weekend. The space is nice and intimate, but big enough that there’s still room to dance. If you’re a big fan of whoever’s playing, it’s not too tough to get up close and personal. Lotus, for example, is amazing band. The crowd freaking LOVED them. And again, there was plenty of room for people to dance in an ecstatic, frenzied way.
The green room/​backstage area is pretty nice but low-​key, too. Big couches and a TV with an old-​school NES system (nice!). There are also two arcade games, a pool table, and tons of portraits of artists who have played at the venue. They had fruit, drinks, coffee, etc., sitting out for the band, which seemed very hospitable.
One thing that seems to surprise me every time is the number of underage kids with black Xs drawn on both hands (no doubt due to the Recher’s location). It doesn’t seem fair to complain that this makes me feel old, but it does. The younger ones also tend to get really drunk or otherwise effed up, and dealing with the drunk dance floor leaners takes some patience.
I can’t tell you too much about the wait at the bar this time, because for these shows I wasn’t about to give up my spot in front to get drinks. I remember from last time being served pretty quickly.
Also, this wasn’t a problem on night 1, but on night 2 getting into the venue was a MESS. There was no line — no way to tell will call from re-​entry, from coat check. Plus, there was only one dude taking tickets/​checking IDs/​putting on wristbands. Plus, they also added one guy to pat people down after that — who asked me if my hat was a purse. That could explain some of the delay…
In my opinion, Lotus could play at a city dump and the place would seem incredible — which is why my first review gave the Recher 4 stars. However, after thinking some more about the space itself and the serious understaffing… well, let’s just say that this place is no 9:30 Club.

Good, local music is always playing at the Recher Theater. Like any live music venue, the Recher has it’s fair share of self-​absorbed hipsters and angst-​ridden high schoolers. The place has a very Towson feel, and the setting is very intimate. They also get a great diversity of music, and tickets are easy to get. I would recommend seeing a show here before any other place in downtown Baltimore.

I have mixed feelings about this joint. It was tiny, which could be bad or good depending upon the night. It was like $ 50 for a beer and the service was slooooow. I think it was about $ 95 for even just a water. The guys at the door were always aholes too as I recall. On the upside, I saw some great bands there and since it’s such a tiny venue, I got to see them up close and personal. The location was awesome as well, conveniently located in the center of Towson. Be prepared to encounter tons of little emo kids.

Yeah I agree, I went to a show here last may and thought it was pretty decent. I bought tickets right before the show at the Bar next door. There was a fee of like 5 per ticketon top of the standard 27 dollars, but it turned out to be alright. The Hip and Wintersleep played all night, it was pretty cool, because we came early and ended up meeting Wintersleep, they were nice enough guys, gave us a hooded sweatshirt and another shirt. The theater itself ended up being packed, it was filled inch to inch. 21+ but we were able to buy tickets that day. Small bar inside and an area where you could sell merchandise.

If there’s one thing I miss about Towson, it has to be the Recher. I saw some fucking awesome shows here while in college — including IGGY POP in all his pubic hair glory. Great small venue for all kinds of bands, big and small, and the ticket prices are usually pretty awesome. It’s 18+ for the barely legal set (and tickets a bit more expensive if you’re not 21+), but be prepared for drunk frat boys of all ages.