I absolutely love coming to events at the Varsity Theater. It's in the perfect location in dinky…read moretown with lots to do before and after a show. I've attended a bunch of concerts here and the atmosphere is chill, fun, and intimate. Bar staff is fast and I like the selection of drinks they offer. Most recently they even had 2 huge jugs of ice water and cups for self service was a huge plus in my opinion. I never have to wait to get into this venue and really have never had a negative experience.

We aren't kids, but had a great night dancing in a crowd of them!…read moreWe had seat tickets in the upstairs balcony just in case we wanted to rest or have a drink. Worth the extra cost. Plus the people up there with us were older. (Not older than us, but older than the kid crowd. ;) Neat venue and area! Would go to another concert here again!

Awesome place to see a show intimate and close up…read more Cutting edge bands from many various cities around the midwest. One of the last great underground locations to see new live music!

He Said: I have attended many concerts at The Armory, and I…read morealways enjoy the experience. The venue is a converted...wait for it...armory. The place is huge and smack in heart of downtown Minneapolis. There are street and parking ramp options. The Armory holds events other than concerts. Take a look at your personal calendar, see if there is a show you like, and buy a ticket. *Hint - if you can, go to their on-site box office to buy your tickets, so you save on the online fees). My friends have been in the suites, and they say they are great. There is, also, and small outside spot to grab some fresh air, so you do not have to exit the venue. Pros: - The place is huge, clean, and easy to get to - The sound system is great - When the crowd is really into it, you can feel the ground shake! Cons: - Some shows can be pretty expensive

Came here for a concert on NYE. Overall things went pretty smoothly through security but it was a…read morevery busy and crowded event. I'm not sure if it's always like this but for this event it was mostly general admission with no seating so you just had to stand the whole time. I heard that they had ear plugs for free at the bar which I think is very nice.

This joint was a block from my Air BnB and a colleague of mine suggested for our last night as our…read moreconference had come to a close. It happened to be a Marvin Gaye Tribute night, which was fine by me as I love me some some Marvin Gaye. If you are from the Bay Area, this place is like Yoshi's. I got there early and got the table my colleague picked was up stairs and a good view. Our server was great. There is a little coaster that is at the table that you can turn over for service or not if you don't want to be disturbed while watching the show. I ordered my food while waiting as I know there were two showing and I kind to eat or have most of my food eaten so I can enjoy the show. I started off with the jalapeno bacon wrapped poppers and the focaccia bread. the popper were not big and bulky and had a great smokey flavor to the bacon, which were probably put the on grill and not pan or oven cooked. I'm not a big bread person, but when I am out I'll usually eat and the foccacio was great and I needed to soak up the wine I was having with my food. For the main course I got the Shrimp and Grits, because it's a jazz club and southern joint. Oh my they were good. Just the right amount of spice to the gravy. The music was also great and the ambiance was really good too. I think I'll be heading to Yoshis a little more as it's been years that I've been to a venue like this. A chill way to end the conference week.

I have been here several times and definitely recommend it…read more Let's start with parking...there are several parking garages close by but you can also valet. I recommend pre booking the valet for $15. Then you check in at the front table and someone takes you to your table. For first times be aware some tables are communal. The food here is just alright. We had the chicken sandwich with fries. It was fine but nothing to write home about. As for the shows we have never had a bad show here. The performer's always are into the show and we have left happy with the performance and sound quality.

First Avenue is dark, downtown and delightful…read more It's intimate (small) inside. But also large and spacious. If the first bar you see has a line or a wait, there is a bar to the right and more bar and beverage service upstairs. The view from upstairs is pretty good, close and as good as anywhere except the front few rows. We saw a SUBURBS show, in 2025, and it was an excellent experience. No onsite parking but a zillion nearby lots and ramps. Or take the light rail. The stars, the ones with the band names painted on the wall are outside (some inside too) and a must see when visiting Minneapolis.

I spent quite some time looking at all the stars on the outside walls of First Avenue. The Reverend…read moreHorton Heat also played a show on a Wednesday night the week I was there.

Loved the welcoming nature of this place! It was awesome that it has a stage in back, we missed the…read morecomedy and showed up at the tail end sadly but we stayed and found out there was karaoke. Everyone was really friendly and kind that we met and such a fun experience in a cozy setting. Fantastic! I think it was a little difficult they only took cash but thank god my date had some on him and we had an absolute ball! Thanks!

Termal bar is badass, find your favorite alcoholic here…read more The crowds here are awesome and homey, the events here are good for anybody trying to have a good time.

this is the best venue in Minneapolis Minnesota. its has a free huge lot where often used as a…read morefestival venue. the vibe on MassiveMonDayAtTheCabooze is the greatest. alot of musician n DJ have showcased themselves. sad for those qho missed it. every Monday is a massive Monday. the theme changes but still remains the same. the fans are all like fam. once u come to this events u will be back or what we say soon. farward. 21+ blaze n booze. reggae dub n dancehall African n more. cant wait to go groovin again. only positive vibes allowed. if u can't handle yourself stay away. on blessed onces come to jammin. #RastaLimo #Rasta #ReggaeMerchandise

this is an awesome event in Northeast Mpls. Best DJ reggae around give it a try. You won't be…read moredisappointed.

I went to a show here with some trepidation after reading the reviews. I was particularly worried…read moreabout the sound quality, especially after reading complaint after complaint. I dunno, maybe I'm deaf (highly possible) but sound wasn't an issue for me. I wondered too if the band we were seeing maybe brought some gear because I really didn't have issues with the sound quality. Moving on... we had a good time really.. Mill City Nights isn't going to be the fanciest, nicest venue you've ever been to for a show. It also isn't going to be all historic like First Avenue. But it is a totally fine place to hang out in the dark and listen to some music. I did really dig the hard wood floor, which was worn in the best possible way. Fun for stomping around as you were dancing. We found the security procedure at the front door to be fine -- Carded us, patted us down not very thoroughly, took a peek into my purse and that was about it. The ticket buying procedure could have been better. Seemed to take a long time. But once we were in the door, no issues. I found the bar staff to be friendly and competent. Security seemed a little intense at times (like, who's going to jump the stage during the set break really?) But whatever. I didn't have to go to the restroom, so can't comment there. Since we were downstairs, I also can't comment on the balcony situation, except to say that whoever spilled a beer on my head sucks. Is it my favorite venue in the Twin Cities? No way. Would I go back if the right band was playing? Sure.

This was not the best venue for a concert…read more 1. It was extremely hot with all the bodies crammed in there. 2. It was difficult to see with the odd long retangular shape of the room, even with the stage being raised. 3. The sound and acoustics are bad. Not sure why but the sound needs improvement. 4. There are large pilars throughout the main floor, so if you are far back towards the bar, good luck trying to see any part of the show. The one good thing was there were multiple, easily accessible bars and clean bathrooms downstairs.

A grand old building with " this is a college campus" parking. They have prepaid parking for the…read moreclosest "church street" lot but don't get into that long slow lane, if you aren't prepaid. We were directed to the Nolte lot which was wasn't far away and a tunnel walk to the Northrup (which was nice as it was cold.) At the theater itself, they had plenty of people to help direct and the seats were comfortable and the view was just fine.

North Auditorium - twin Cities ballet Nutcracker…read more In 1989, I saw my first performance of The Nutcracker at the North Auditorium. Thirty-six years later, I brought my son back -- he's about the same age I was then -- hoping to share the magic of Christmas and the magic of The Nutcracker with him. When I called to purchase tickets, I specifically asked whether this was a classical version of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, and I was told that it was. Because of that assurance, you can imagine my disappointment when it became clear that this was not a classical interpretation at all. The director took extensive liberties with this 133-year-old masterpiece to make it more "Minnesota." There was a wooden flute meant to imitate a loon, complete with a loon dance. There were Viking elements, a bird dance I couldn't make sense of, and a riverboat scene with fish. Were some of these moments cute? Yes. Were they Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker? No. If I had seen the riverboat dance with the little fish at a student dance recital, I would have smiled and thought it was charming. But when you are expecting the timeless classical Nutcracker -- first produced in 1892 and beloved for its enduring magic -- this reimagining is deeply underwhelming. To be fair, there were positives. I appreciated the relaxed sensory-friendly performance, especially as I have an autistic son. It was wonderful to see so many young children there with their families, and the little girls dressed in their ballerina-inspired outfits were absolutely adorable. The student performers did well, and this was clearly a meaningful experience for them. That said, I only counted about four principal dancers who felt at a professional level. The two principal dancers in Act II who performed the solos and duets were very good, and for a brief moment, I was truly captivated by their dancing. The set design, however, was lackluster -- it felt cheaply made and lacked the Christmas magic this piece deserves. Perhaps the production was working within a very limited budget. I did receive discounted tickets, and I'm grateful for that. Had I paid full price, I would have been very upset. This performance was not worth full price. I love theater. I love dance. I always wished I could have been a dancer myself and took classes when I was younger. I have friends who are professional dancers, now retired, so I understand what the arts can be -- the breathtaking, awe-inspiring, make-you-cry-and-you-don't-know-why magic of live performance. That is what I hoped my son would experience. He didn't. I didn't either. When it was over, I asked him what he thought. He shrugged and said, "Good." And that really sums it up. It was good -- but it wasn't great. It wasn't extraordinary. And it wasn't Christmas magic. If you have a friend or family member in the performance, I understand wanting to attend. But if you're expecting the classic Nutcracker and the kind of Christmas magic this piece is known for, you won't find it here

Blarneys is what I think of when I think of a bar at the University of Minnesota. I've stopped here…read morebefore and after countless sports games, concerts and trips to the U. The staff is fun and high energy, and the food is good bar food and drinks come out fast. This is my favorite place to stop before a concert at the nearby Varsity theater. Most recently we tried the nachos and they were surprisingly good on potato chips ... try it to believe it! They also have drink specials and Karaoke on Thursday nights. It gets pretty busy and was fun to stop in after a concert.

I do understand this is a college bar hangout but the floor was so disgusting. We could hear our…read moreshoes sticking to the floor as we walked to our table. The service and food were actually good. Our waitress was very nice and took care of us pretty quickly. The beer was good and cold. My husband had a black bean burger with a side salad. I had a quesadilla with black beans. It was hot and very good. I didn't care for the greens that came with it. It was the right time of day to be served quick early on a Saturday. It worked out perfectly to have a drink and quick bite to eat before a game.