The venue has a fantastic line up of shows and a great setup and charm. Not as clean as one might hope. The staff are absolutely terrible! They are very rude and try to get in your face. I am a very meek and polite person and I felt harassed and intimated. The bartenders are slow and rude as well. I only ordered a water since I was the DD. I will not be going back. The staff needs a bad over haul. They got in my face for wanting to go down a isle to get to my seat. But they refused to kick out a guy who was yelling and disturbing the show. If you go avoid staff at all costs! read more

This place is in a great location and has plenty of parking around it. I love the unique setup of having the bar far in the back. It's sort of dirty but that's expected at an older venue. The acoustics are great and staff is helpful. My main problem with it is the color scheme. Instead of keeping the old paint up, they made it all blue and purple throwing lights of stars everywhere. I know it sounds like it's really fun. But it makes it feel like a great old venue got a makeover from Chuckie Cheese. read more

What a trashy place. Water damage/mold on ceiling in balcony and in serious need of a remodel. The bathrooms start clean but aren't attended to as the show goes on. The security is rude and aggressive. In the weeks following the Indigo Girls concert, I've heard several stories from different groups of people about rude and aggressive behavior from security; even throwing people out and/or following them out of the venue. The bar staff is fine but the minimum order for credit cards is not posted. It's a minimum of $20, which was illegal, according to the Dodd-Frank. Not sure of the state of this part of the Act. You can't leave the floor space to use the restroom or get a drink because security will let someone else in to take your place. Getting a seat upstairs is useless because they let rows of people stand at the rail. They have chairs stacked there but won't let people use them. Security is very rough when checking bags and very rude. They throw things that aren't allowed in, like 1/2 a bag of pretzels, without even asking the person if they want to finish them before going in the venue. It's all trash and not worth the fees and prices. I'm done with this place and hope Indigo Girls don't return. I know I won't read more

Saw Young the Giant at Madison theater. Decent selection at the bar but my husband ordered a Sierra Nevada and said it tasted funky, expired date on the bottom so they replaced it. Show was General Admission and the place was so packed it was clear that they were way past capacity. AC did not appear to be working because it was so hot that everyone was sweating and the singer even said "it's nice sweating with you". No monitors so that people in the back or on the balcony could see what was going on. Epic fail, such a shame. read more

Great place with fairly priced beers. Many nice places to eat and drink within walking distance. Stand downstairs or sit upstairs for no extra cost. You won't be bothered by staff. Saw Pixies so the crowd was generally mature and well behaved. read more

Absolutely oversold. Irresponsible of the owners/management. Not sure what the capacity of the place is but not even an walking isle in the main venue, and people kept coming in. The band was great, but no interest that that level of overselling. read more

Listen to others who say they oversell. Went to see Gregory Alan Isakov on the 16th. Worst show I've ever seen. Couldn't see him. Got stuck in the bar area with some fratastic people who talked through the entire thing. Many were pissed and so drunk they were crying and complaining most of the night. I get it, but I couldn't even hear him. Complete waste of money. read more

Saw Billy Corgan here last night. After waiting all day in line for front row seats to a rare and intimate experience, what followed was so disappointing. Hecklers were allowed to disrupt the show to the point where it had to stop, and no action was taken until the audience screamed for minutes, begging for them to be removed. You'd have thought you were at a no cover comedy act by some no name random instead of paying good money to see a high profile artist who deserved far better. Bartenders were loud and obnoxious enough to be heard from the front row, laughing and having high volume conversations throughout the evening. The venue was proud to boast on social media that fans had been lining up since early in the AM but didn't create an atmosphere that allowed us to enjoy the show. Many of us drove hours and dropped a lot of money on hotel rooms to see this show, and you really get the vibe that the management doesn't care at all about their customers. They should be ashamed of how they handled this show. One star for the nice security guard who grabbed something I dropped behind the rail. To add insult to injury, the supposedly top shelf double vodka drink I ordered tasted way off/watered down to both myself and my husband. Wouldn't be surprised if this was the type of place to pour Vladdy into a Tito's bottle. read more

I saw a show here earlier this fall, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a great small venue to see a band, and the cheap hipster beers (PBR!) are a definite plus. The staff is nice and having the bar in the back, away from the stage, means that you can avoid a certain percentage of drunken idiocy while listening to your favorite singer. I am eager to go back again and keep checking the schedule to see what show will tempt me across the water next. Great venue, great pricing, great experience. read more

Just left an extremely oversold Dark Star Orchestra concert. The band was great, but the crowd was unruly and overcrowded. They don't seem to keep an eye on how much the patrons are being served - lots of exceedingly alcohol-saturated individuals. I saw the same band at a similar venue elsewhere and that was handled so much better. We won't be going back to the Madison Theater. read more

Went to the Kip Moore concert recently. Drink lines were short, the sound was great, and there was enough space to move around. Really cool venue. read more

I attended a concert at the Madison Theater - Live. It's a small bar/concert venue attached to the Madison Theater. The place is dark and cool, with Edison bulb lighting. Seating is very limited, just a few stools and high tops pushed off to the side. Stage is tiny, the bands were crammed up there. Beer selection was all cans and they had a decent mix of locals (mostly IPAs) along with the domestic standards. If you are a smoker, be prepared to hike 2 flights of stairs to the rooftop patio. There is no re-entry. read more

This place reminded me of Bogart's. I came to see Young the Giant and Ra Ra Riot, so it was packed. I really liked this venue, though multiple levels made it a bit harder to see at times. The women's bathroom is also very small. Other than that, I really enjoyed my time here. There is plenty of parking nearby as well. read more

Pretty good venue. Covington Police, AWFUL!!!!!! They preyed on the people that left the theater. Had about ohh 12 cop cars outside and I'm sure this was the only place they were at that time. Different levels to stand on is pretty nice. Security wasn't too bad till concert was over, then a bunch of dicks on everyone leaving at the same time. I'm sure it had nothing to do with all the cops lined up at the door. Would go back again. read more

Out of the three concert venues I have been to in Kentucky (Mad Hatter and Southgate being the others) this is probably the nicest. The venue is well ventilated and didn't ever get incredibly hot. It was clean and well run the night I was there. Though only inconvenience is that it is a cash only venue. So remember your money and that nothing says classy like a $5.00 40 oz. PBR! read more

I've seen two shows at the Madison now, years apart, and both very pleasant experiences. This place doesn't take credit card if you're buying tickets at the door- so come prepared with plenty of cash. The ATM charges a $3 fee. Once inside, the Madison has everything I would want in a concert venue. There's a coat check for a modest fee; friendly staff; plenty of bathroom stalls that are clean; two large bars on either side and plenty of spaces to sit/stand for the actual concerts. I haven't stood directly in front of the stage here-- mainly because the stage comes up taller than me -- but there are plenty of spots to get a great vantage point. read more

Charming small venue. Well run, fair pricing on beer. Saw Brandi Carlie there a few years ago and would gladly go back.

Of all the venues I have been to, the Madison Theater is definitely at the top. Events are well organized, the staff is nice, and you get the feeling that everyone knows what they are doing. That is not typical for places like this. I like that the area in front of the stage is two-tiered, so if you don't want to be down with the moshers, you can still see the show at a reasonable distance. The bar's distance from the stage is great too, so when you order a water, you don't get a Jack and Coke. I would love to see another show at the Madison. read more

Highly unprofessional security. As a bartender/server I am disgusted. Saw a poor young kid be kicked out for holding a beer he didn't purchase. They laughed at his father as he tried to reason. The child was forced to leave and offered no refund. I saw three young females with "X's" on their hands drinking. Clearly this venue allows attractive underage girls to purchase and drink alcohol, but don't give young men the same luxury. May as well go to a college frat party to watch gross men get young girls drunk. Pathetic. I was so embarrassed for the poor family. read more

I actually liked the space, the sound and the show, but the prick bartender wouldn't let me buy a $2 Coke (which he had already poured) with my credit card. Said credit card purchases had to be over $20. If this policy was posted anywhere, I couldn't find it, not that it matters because if you accept credit cards, you can't impose minimum purchases. I'll let Visa know about that, too. Anyway, the charges incurred on credit card purchases are part of the cost of doing business. The theater would have done better to incur that cost than to lose my business. We spent roughly $150 there last night, but I can find my entertainment at more accommodating venues. read more

Love seeing shows here. Recently went to DSO (2/14) and was in a wheelchair. They were very accommodating. My only complaint is sometimes they over sell shows and it is WAY too crowded. But, I like the venue and the vibe! read more

I hadn't been in there since it had been a movie theater back in the early eighties so I was both surprised and disappointed on my recent visit to see that it looked exactly the same. Nothing had been done to improve the theater for the types of events they have there now. Also, the concept of the bar right as you walk in meant that, in the case of the show I saw, everyone was so blitzed by the time it began that no one notice how terrible it actually was. Just a bunch of drunk people hooting and hollering in a theater that's seen much better days. Not likely to attend another show there. I'd rather keep my good memories. read more

No food. Not even chips or pretzels at the bar. And they don't let you leave to eat and come back. Bar tenders were irritated that we even asked for food. Door person was a jerk when we asked if we could leave to get food and come back. The reason we even asked was because they apparently used to let you order food from neighboring restaurants. But they were jerks when we asked about this. read more

If I could give this venue minus stars,I would. I went to see my favorite band there. I happen to be in a wheelchair,there are stairs to get to the floor. The area where they put people in wheelchairs is in a very bad place and you do not even have a prayer of being able to see the band performing. I pay for my ticket just like everyone else and I do not think it is unreasonable that I expect to be able to see. I will not ever be visiting this venue again. read more

Yikes! Natti area you deserve a better concert venue. The biggest issue here is that they will sell an infinite number of tickets to any show so artists like girl talk will basically create a human sea. The human sea can go from happy to roudy very quickly just do to the fact that people are unable to move without touching 5-10 people. The balcony situation is much better and you can still see the show pretty well. The beers are fairly priced. Parking is cheap and readily available. Shows are also 18+ so the youngins are out in force. But despite the venue's general suck the show was still great. read more

We had the pleasure of attending the Lonnie Mack Tribute concert at the Madison Theater. This was our first trip to this venue. The sound quality was very, very good. We were there early (doors opened one hour before the show), so we had a very good seat on the bottom level, section "tier", at a front table. We were happy to find that this was an "older" crowd, so we were able to remain seated the entire time and still be able to see. The bar was busy and crowded, but they got us through pretty well. My only criticism it that we wished they had opened the doors earlier, so we didn't have to wait outside. They could up their bar intake, if they let people in sooner. read more

had a great time! clean throughout, bars were easily accessible. staff was good natured and helpful.

Went to the Kane Brown concert at the Madison Theater. While the venue seemed cool at first, the disorganization and inability to control crowds will probably deter me from ever going back. We got there early to get in the section closest to the stage and just kind of hung out towards the back if that area. Due to people trying to crowd down there, they put a security guard on the steps that wouldn't let anyone down. If you were already down there, you weren't even allowed to go to the bathroom. I'm sure there are better ways to handle this, maybe have a limited number of special wristbands for the people to get in that area, but it's slightly ridiculous that people weren't allowed to use the restroom and get back to the area they got there at 7pm for. Also, Kane announced before the show even started that he doing a meet and greet after. There was zero organization for this. Security did absolutely nothing to help guide people staying for it and others that were leaving. We ended up just leaving because it wasn't worth dealing with their lack of organization. read more

Recently saw Tab Benoit, Samantha Fish, and Sonny Moorman there and it was an unbelievably incredible show. I have been to many concerts and blues festivals in my life but this one took the cake. All three bands were literally phenomenal as well as the venue and the atmosphere. It is an old building however we literally could not have been more comfortable. After the the show the bartender even gave us the promotional poster which we will be framing as it was a night of incredible music we will never forget. You cannot go wrong with this place, especially if one of the above mentioned artist are performing. We will never pass an opportunity to see Tab again and will be looking for other interesting artists who may be performing here. I've never been impacted/influenced as much as I have by the show we seen here. read more

Mandy is great! We lost our phone at a show there and she was able to help us obtain it again. Phew! Thanks Mandy!

Great Fans, concert goers, many varieties of concerts each month! Best venue for cincinnati and its in covington, KY.

Nothing really wrong with the theater itself. Occasionally they have some great shows. The BIG problem is with the management. My wife and I wanted to see Steve Earle on Nov. 22, 2015.which was a Sunday. That morning I called the number on their website and got 7 different choices. All i wanted was to see if the show was sold out. Hit key 1 for info on today's show. The info was about the show on Nov. 7, 2015, 2 weeks earlier? Next I tried key 4, info on up coming events. To my amazement I got info on shows from LAST May?I hit key seven, general info, and .....you guessed it ,got an answering machine. We live an hour away and did'nt want a 2 hour drive if they were sold out. I tried one last time, at 6pm, thinking that since the doors open at 7pm someone would surely be there, but still no answer. Apparently the box office is only open m-f from 1 to 5. For the wages of 1 employee on Sat. and Sun. when there are shows, they lost the sale of at the very least, two $40 tickets . My guess is they lost much more. Oh yeah, hit key 6 to find out about the apartments they have for rent, I am sure they are wonderful and problems are dealt with promptly. Anyone with management experience who is looking for a job should give them a call!!! read more

My trip to the Madison theater was absolutely horrible, I traveled 80 miles just to see the co-headlining band, which didn't even end up playing, when I walked up to the front to politely ask someone what the reason was they weren't playing, I was rudely greeted by a staff member in my face, repeatedly saying "I don't give a shit why there not here, it doesn't matter, go watch the other band." So I walked back in to the front of the stage, and about 30 minutes into the headlining set, a guy was crowd surfing, and fell and landed on top of me, the next thing I know 4 huge security guards who thought I was the one crowd surfing, assaulted me, got me in a headlock, and carried me out. As I was being kicked out my dad saw me, and asked why I was being kicked out, security than grabbed him and kicked him out all for asking a question. We got no refund, and now I'm pressing charges. I would not support a place like this. read more