As a lover of live music and one that will travel to see my favorite artists, I drove 6 hours to see The Way Down Wanderers perform their hometown holiday show here at The Monarch. The 3 bands that performed were amazing, but I have very mixed feelings on the venue.
The location of Monarch is the worst. I wanted to stay downtown and experience Peoria but this place is in the far northwest part of the city in an industrial park that took my Uber driver forever to get to. It is nothing more than a re-purposed warehouse far away from the cultural aspects of Peoria. The layout is spacious but being a warehouse there are terrible sight lines with everything being one level, not like a theater where you have visibility wherever you are. A lack of seating is also a minus. Some bar-stools along the wall and a few tables for VIP pricing, but be prepared to stand. They do have a side bar with limited stools and a larger walk-up bar in the main space. The merchandise room is situated in it's own area is a plus. I would return for a must see band, but I'd rather be closer to downtown, and better seating options. No complaints for the sound, lighting, restrooms or staffing. Not bad for a warehouse, but it's still a warehouse on the wrong side of town. read more