When you go to The Nile Theater, you are going to a place that has more intimacy than other places. The place has so much history and a great sense of what DIY is all about. Being an Engineer at one of the top corporate audio visual companies in the world I can honestly tell you that it isn't that bad of a system. It may be outdated, however, the engineers there know what they are doing. What common show going people don't realize is that most bands bring their own engineers with them. When a house engineer is mixing, 9/10 it'll sound great, but they can't help if the tour engineer didn't shoot/ring the room before hand. Most tour engineers especially for the genres that play there can't even tell you the first thing to do in order to set up an RTA mic and shoot a room. That's on them, not the venue. I've had a chance to see the system and it's ten times better than Joe's Grotto who uses JBL Eons as mains ha which is hilarious. Be grateful. Also, the staff are extremely nice and truly do care about the show-goers. However, if you disrespect them they will put you in your place WHICH IS A GIVEN! Don't stand in the alley where cars, your buses, and vans need to come in and out. That's common sense. All in all, the staff are all tight. If you have the chance, go to a show here and just respect the fact that they are doing this all by themselves. From what I hear it is basically one woman who is keeping this place alive not a whole team of people like other venues. Be grateful that amazing and legendary bands play there regularly. I am. This place changed my life when I first saw a show there and I will be coming back more. read more

Okay so here's the deal. As someone who has been to tons of shows, ran shows, played shows in many different venues, and has a background in audio engineering: this venue in terms of sound is one of the worst places ever. Half the speakers are damaged, the FOH engineer makes bands sound horrible, and the overall acoustics for this venue are some of the worst I have heard across the United States. As an actual venue, it's a neat little place. Depending on the security guard, they can be nice or terrible. The head of security is a total douchebag to men most of the time. Playing shows here is even worse than seeing them. If the owners of The Nile would just invest a little money in some acoustic treatment, and just fix up a few things here and there, it would be an amazing venue to see bands. I like the layout of the venue and the look. But I have yet to hear a band sound good here. Even national touring bands I've seen at other venues sound terrible here. So The Nile should keep the vibe, and fix the sound. I personally would pay a little more for tickets if it meant a better sounding show. I try and avoid shows here as much as possible. read more

I just pulled up Yelp to see if any reviews mention the sound being better than it was in the past... No such luck. My favorite band is playing there in November, but I've seen them at The Nile (once), and I've seen them at Crescent Ballroom (twice), I've even seen them at The Clubhouse (RIP in peace)... The only place they sound bad is The Nile. So now the Nile wants $20 to see them, and I want some kind of guarantee that The Nile won't suck. They JUST played C Ballroom, so I'm probably going to skip this upcoming show. And, that still sucks a lot. You can't put a price on actually being able to hear the music, I think that's what most of us are there for. I was going to give 2 stars (out of the kindness of my heart), then I realized that we're talking about a music venue that is bad enough to convince me to miss my favorite band. 1 star. read more

So full disclosure: I used to give away tickets and advertise shows on a radio show I did a while ago. However, I still believe I'm being as fair as possible. This is hands down the best venue in the state in terms of intimacy. The upstairs room has played host to some of the best shows I've ever seen (Converge, BTBAM, etc). These shows are made better by the lack of a barrier between the stage and the crowd. This idea of being up close is an experience I cannot replicate. The downstairs part (called the Underground) is even better. It gets sweltering hot down there. However, the shows that go on down there are only aided by that - they get fairly intense! There is no alcohol. However, what they do sell (water, snacks, drinks, etc) is actually sold at a fair price in comparison to other venues. The venue owners and staff treat everyone like human beings and they really take care of the bands and people who go there. The prices for the shows booked here are also pretty cheap from either of the booking companies that book here (Mantooth or Kollective). The reason why I am docking a star comes down to two reasons: the first is there isn't an easy way for disabled folks to get to the Underground. The other reason comes down to the stage layout - some shows have had to cut out their production because there wasn't the capability to do so, particularly if they had projection screens and the like. However, I believe that the intimacy that the venue provides is worth some of that production being cut out. Overall, I do believe that this is the best venue in the state. I've been to almost all of them that metal shows play at, and every venue equal to it has shut down or has dropped off in quality (with the exception of the Yucca Tap Room). The shows are great, the people who book for the venue are genuine and kind to everyone, and all of the shows that I've seen there fail to disappoint - the staff goes out of their way to provide a good time. If a band you like plays there, you can rest assured that you'll have a good time and it won't cost you an arm and a leg to have fun. read more

Yes it's a historic building. What once was a movie theater. Is now an interesting night club. With lots of space. Young old everybody is welcome. No matter what your ages read more

Alright, a lot of people are giving this place really bad reviews for the sound of music in this place. I'm gonna go head and say yeah, the sound quality isn't perfect, but I love this place for other reasons. I recently was here for the Born of Osiris/After the Burial Show(and others). I really enjoyed this place because no matter where I was standing, I had a great view of the bands I came for. Another reason I love this place is because it makes meeting the members of these bands very easy unlike places like the Marquee Theater that basically yell at you if you hang around too long. The staff was really friendly, and despite it being a metal show, whoever the DJ was kept playing Backstreet Boys and Nsync between bands Give that DJ a raise. I thought it was hilarious. Downside, they were out of all name brand soft drinks and basically had knock offs, Upside, water was super cheap and beer was a moderate price. Parking here is kind of a pain in the wiener because all I could really find were meters or 3 hour parking spaces. BUT, my little nagging complaints didn't deter from my good time. I really enjoy this venue and would come back for more shows. read more

First time here . Loved it . Old school hot and small basement show . No beverages served but was told I could head out around the corner to a convenience store if I needed to . The entire staff was beyond cool . If you want to see your face band up close this is the place . Sound was fine by me - I had earplugs in so everything was clear . Tickets, cheap. Merch , cheap . I'll absolutely be back ! Thanks Mesa for welcoming me to Arizona ! read more

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Ticket prices aren't too steep, but maybe that's because they realize how awful and douchey their venue is. For a theater the size and feel of Home Depot, they have a badly-directioned, tinny and small sound setup. The attitude of the bouncers depends on the alignment of far-off star systems it seems. Sometimes they openly deride and bully kids and other times they're nice, helpful and don't treat you like a prison inmate like at the Marquee. Also, I guess the high school goth girls they have running the box office/tickets are too cute to clean ANYTHING there or they're too cheap to hire some sort of janitorial service, because holy christ I've never seen more disgusting bathrooms and floors and lobby. I know it's a RAWK venue but they also pride themselves on continuing the tradition of the theater space on their website. But really, as nearly every other review has stated: $2 just to go out and smoke or take your merch to the car or do whatever the hell you'd like to do? That's just ridiculous. It serves absolutely no other purpose than to make money. The Nile IS a predominately teenager-dominated venue and the kids deserve better. They're locked in enough at school by bully enforcement authority figures. They don't need the possible best nights of their young lives ruled by that too. Still, the Nile isn't all bad. They book great acts, many small and up and coming and that's admirable. They just need to respect their CUSTOMERS and the kids whose lives are maybe being changed there every night. read more

Came here for a monthly meeting with local community members and providers. Such a dope vibe and great menu. I had a plain bagel with the mixed berry rosemary jam, and oh em gee! Super dang delicious! And for only $3 read more

Do not go to this venue if you're seeing a band with over 100 attendees, they cannot accommodate a large number of attendees!!! The most recent show i attended there, all the people inside were instantly sweating just after seeing one song, totally drenched from head to toe within 15 min. They didn't even have the fans on the ceiling on! It was completely unsafe and dangerous for all their patrons, who paid a lot of money to see the band. when people were trying to get water or something to drink, the line was 50+ long w/one bartender! again, totally unsafe when people felt like they were going to pass out. noticed on their IG, they were responding to these comments with the excuse that there was 800 people and the a/c set up 75 - then they deleted all the comments and BLOCKED people, what a joke. if they couldn't make a safer, comfortable environment, they shouldn't sell over 100 tickets or book bands who are going to sell over 200 tickets. they need to make some updates to this place! it was terrible! What a let down by the Nile Theater!! read more

My daughter and I went here for a show three years ago, and it was so awful that we still talk about just how terrible it was. It's our benchmark for how horrible a concert experience can be. It was easily 90 degrees inside the venue, and that is a conservative estimate. There were several opening bands, so we thought we'd get some fresh air before the headliner. Nope. After PAYING for a reentry wristband, our choices were to stand in the alley by the front door and smell the dumpster, or move around the corner and smell the cigarette smoke of all the smokers who didn't want to smell the dumpster. We chose the smoke, only because there were benches over there. The combination of the heat and the stench made my daughter sick, so she got to throw up in the filthy bathroom a couple of times. I tried to get her to leave but she had her heart set on seeing the band. Finally, 3+ hours after we got there, we got to see the band we went there to see. They were great, but I just couldn't enjoy it at that point. I was hot and tired, and feeling ill myself. I've never been so happy for a show to be over. Avoid this place like the plague. Like the clap. Like a Kardashian. Stay far, far away. read more

Wasn't really impressed with this place. Went there for a concert and to start, it was a line for pat down, separate line for ticket checks, separate line for stamp to get in, separate line for ID checks, then a separate line for the bar. Felt totally unnecessary and felt like I spent all night waiting in different lines...sound quality of the bands was ok, but we were able to just chat while the bands were playing. I would expect my ears to be ringing after a metal show. read more

I attended the Summer Slaughter show and had a great time. It was a bit warm inside, and certainly no-frills; however, the opportunity to leave and return to the venue at will was awesome. I am in my mid-40's and a long show like this is very hard on the legs. It was great to take a break for a bit during a band that I didn't mind missing to get something cold to drink and rest, as well as get some real food! In general I thought security did an awesome job and the crowd was handled with respect. I have been to far better venues, but I have also been to far worse - I will attend more shows here in the future! read more

Despite its distance I still come here for many shows. It's still a venue with absolutely no alcohol, but they do have a small snack shack. You have to pay once to come in and out (and I was grateful for this when there was a beer festival across the street). Many people bitch about this concept but don't realize there are venues in town that don't let you do that, suck it up..it's $2 not a blowjob. It's huge and One of my favorite things about Underground is that there is no barrier and you can jam right next to your favorite artists. Would like a set times option for the online website. read more

So hot. Here for the Girls Night In tour and there is no a/c and it's standing room only. No chairs for all the parents or aunties like me. Kids are fainting. Ridiculous venue for a kid event. read more

Went to this venue last week to see The Ghost Inside and the Acacia Strain. Incredibly heavy show with a lot of great songs played by all bands. It's a small enough venue that you inevitably bump into old friends who you haven't seen in awhile. Makes for a fun time. read more

No AC in July!? Seriously guys, this shouldn't be legal, jamming hundreds of people into a building in the middle of summer with no AC. Ceiling fans and evaporative cooling isn't even close to enough to cool the place down especially on a humid monsoon night. I'd rather be outdoors. The venue has potential when they get that sorted out, but until then, everyone should understand what they're signing up for when they attend an event here. read more

If John Lennon and George Harrison rose from the dead to play one more Beatles concert at the Nile, I wouldn't go. It was easily 90 degrees inside and they actually have the audacity to charge $2 for a re-entry wristband. read more

I don't think I could have been any more disappointed in my overall experience here in every aspect. I had tickets in hand to see Rittz on 11/16. The doors opened at 7 with the show to start at 7:30. We arrived close to 8:00 to a line halfway around the building. Okay no biggie, usually these lines move pretty fast when the venue knows what they are doing but that was not the case. It didn't matter whether you had tickets or not, one line...and it was over an hour wait before we got in the door. At that point we maybe heard one song from the opening act and then more waiting...finally Rittz comes out and he could not have been on stage more than a half hour. He did a little bit here and there of a few songs, maybe did 4 in their entirety, and then a lot of freestyle but the sound quality was so poor it was comical. Nobody could understand a word he was saying. Could have very well been the reason for such a short show but it was over by 10:30 and the overall experience was a huge disappointment. At $35 a ticket I expect to be able to get in the venue to be able to see the show. They need to take a step back and reevaluate their whole process before bringing in artists of this level. They bit off way more than they could chew with this concert and unfortunately I think it made for a bad night for everyone involved including the performers themselves. I personally won't be back to this venue regardless of who's performing. They should be embarrassed by this concert. Oh and not to mention $8 a beer, and of course a long line for that as well. read more

Went here for a random metal show. Got sucked into the mosh pit and had to punch some guy in the face to get out. Best place to experience a show. Mind you, youre in a basement with a bunch of other people so for people to complain about it being hot are stupid, what do they expect people to not sweat. they are stupid if they think going to rock show they are going to stay cool. I was looking like a mess after we walked out but it was the best hour and thrilling to not be able to hear for 2 hours in car ride home. I wouldnt mind seeing another show here read more

I've been to this venue plenty of times. It's small, but snacks and drinks are cheap and parking is free unlike the Marquee. The only thing I don't like is that they charge for wristbands to leave the venue and come back in. Shouldn't a ticket stub or stamp suffice? read more

Absolutely love The Nile Theater! The staff is nice, the sound is great, and the price is decent. A lot of people have high expectations of venues, but what you expect in comparison to reality is always higher. Having been to many different venues across many different states, I can say with confidence that The Nile Theater is one of the best. Yes, they do not have a bar. Which to many people is an issue. But it's actually quite wonderful becaude kids can still go to a show on their own and their parents won't have to worry about a bar area. And for anyone over 21 there are bars around that you can easily get to. Yes, you do have to get a $2 wristband for Nile theater shows. But it's really nice that a venue will give you the option to move freely and STILL let you come back into the venue. They make sure that us 21+ year olds have a good time while still taking care of the underage kids. It's a wonderful venue and I highly recommend it! read more

Best place to have shows. The turn out is always the best. People always look like they are having a great time. I always enjoy going there too see my favorite bands play! Definitely a place to go if you wanna put in a show!! read more

The sound quality is absolutely terrible. I saw my two favorite bands (Erra & Northlane) and I could barely even tell what songs were being played when these are songs I listen to every day and know damn near every note/lyric to the song! Luckily I could still make out enough to sing along (sometimes the crowd singing is how I would know what part of the song we were at). I've never written a review in my life, but I just had to for this one. I highly advise not coming to this venue to see your favorite band/artist. Hopefully they invest in themselves at some point and upgrade whatever it is that needs to be upgraded. read more

The Nile Theater is the only REAL venue to experience music at. Been going there since I was 13 years old, I wouldn't change a thing!

The staff seems nice but with lack of air conditioning the experience is just awful. We came to see BTBAM but had to leave before the band went on. Wish we would have known about this before we wasted money on this show. Thanks for the heat stroke. read more

The staff is fun and friendly. The sound is great, and the house music that is played between bands is awesome, which makes the usual standing around between bands fun and much more bearable. This is BY FAR my favorite venue in the valley! read more

I'm giving the security 5 stars! This venue is hot as hell, and one of my girls started not feeling so swell. They got her water and brought her outside to get some air and escorted them straight back up front! Thanks Nile Theater for protecting your patrons!!! read more

I sweated my balls off at this joint for two days during The King Of The Monsters fest. Nice staff, good sound and THE BEER WAS COLD!!!

I think my love of The Nile is from my youth spent here catching shows. They have good prices for tickets and I love downtown Mesa.

Great venue, great staff, great shows. If your whining about the heat leave Arizona or don't attend shows in the summer, you probably let your daughter show up half naked anyway so she's not complaining about the heat. Wristbands for reentry? Sorry losing $2 broke your bank. read more

Venue is ok, space is ok, been here a few times. Not my favorite place to see shows, but one of my favorite bands almost always plays here. They have a TINY sign that says "No Stage Diving" and yet, they let people do just that, stage dive. I have no issues with stage diving, but I do have issues once you start kicking the people standing in the front who are just trying to enjoy the show, and not be used as a step stool to jump on the stage. I like that there are no barriers and you can be close to the band, but wish they could do something to stop the aholes from literally using someones shoulders to jump. But I guess that's just one of the things that happen at hardcore shows. Ha. The sound is just absolutely TERRIBLE. Of the 5 bands I saw this past weekend, I was only able to hear/understand 1. It was disappointing because the bands sounded like the would sound good, but couldn't tell due to the terrible sound. But, the sound is not that awful compared to the bathroom... oh my god. Is it really THAT hard to get someone to clean up a little bit? And who uses a shower curtain as a door? I walked in and walked right out and held it in the rest of the night because it was better than using their restroom. Here's to hoping the next time my favorite Brits come back to AZ, they choose a much better venue! read more

I love the Nile! The staff here are always friendly and actually care for the attendees. Any show that i go to I'm always hoping that it's at the Nile! Great venue, great people, always make great unforgettable memories! read more

The staff is friendly and security is extraordinarily helpful. ive seen them do everything from bringing water to dehydrated kids to carrying out people who have passed out. Ticket prices are surprisingly cheap, even for long band lineups and big named acts. I've been going to the Nile for years and it still holds up to this day as my personal favorite music venue in AZ. I highly recommend it to any concert goer. read more

I have been to venues all over the Phoenix area and this has to be the worst one I've been to. Their sound is terrible, the 'bar' is a joke, and most of the staff didn't meet the expectations I got from other reviews. I'm kindly giving this place one star. read more

Went to this venue to see my favorite local band and will never go again. Sound was terrible and it was like 100 degrees. Never, ever, ever will go again. Will go see the band at the Cresent Ballroom, Cooperstown, Hard Rock or anywhere else instead. read more

total drive, no bar, but a cheep place to go see bands play.

Broken sound system, dirty, $2 to get a wrist band for re-entry, dead crowd every time, BUT -- where else can local bands play?

I went there once and will never go back. It's an okay venue to see a show, sound wasn't as bad as I've seen other reviewers complain about and the $2 to buy a wrist band for reentry is a joke. If you dare to go be careful where you park. I made the mistake of parking in the parking lot of the tow company that is next to the Nile. Although it says restricted parking it doesn't state for which business, I didn't even see the tow company was there as it's the back of the building, I thought I was in The Nile's parking lot. After I found out my car was towed one of the security guards said it was announced during the show which car's where being towed, it wasn't just a random announcement about cars in the gravel and my car wasn't. This is a total scam, the tow company towed about ten cars that night. It cost me $300 to get my car back. Since I am disabled and unemployed this has been a tremendous burden on me and my son. Originally the security guards said they would pay to get my car back, but since the owner wouldn't release the car that night they didn't. A terrible experience all around. read more

I was going to pay for a ticket at the door, forgetting they only take cash, so I had to go across the street and pull out money but I didn't have the efficient amount to pull out and I panicked because my friends were already inside of course so I told the security guy that I tried taking money out and I couldn't and I old him my friends were inside and he stopped me and said it's ok just go inside ask for a wrist band and don't worry about it and he let me in for free! Thank you so much cool security guy! read more