The Pressroom is competing in the market niche of small, standing room venues, much like the Marquee, located in North Tempe.
We arrived early to get a good spot for our general admission tickets. There is no designated parking for this venue, so even if you arrive early you have to fend for yourself with side street parking or find a parking garage. The exterior doors were not marked, and after 45 minutes a security guy came out and abruptly announced, "Hey, the entrance door is over here." There was no attempt to move those who'd been waiting patiently outside of the first door to the new entrance door; instead, with one about face, those concert-goers instantly found themselves at the back of the line. The doors were 20 minutes late in opening, the headliner band was 45 minutes late getting on stage, and there were constant technical problems with sound levels--a task they're supposed to work out well before curtain time.
The venue, when set up for a concert, is designed for mostly standing room only, with a smattering of small tables with chairs scattered at about mid-point in the middle of the large room. Three small single-person staffed bars meant long waits in line for water or drinks - and the wait lines went into the crowd rather than being directed out of the mass of people. The video screens were out of service all night, so why even bother?
I felt sorry for the bands, because The Pressroom did not properly promote the event, and could only manage to fill the venue to 55 percent capacity. With that small crowd, they could easily have provided chairs for the entire audience. The bathrooms are awkward as the sink and mirror area is shared by both genders, and first-timers are confused and cautious not to stumble into the wrong gender's side. They had a bathroom attendant, an unwelcome servant who solicits tips out of my pocket for tasks I can do quite easily myself. I can reach for my own hand towel, thank you.
By the end of the evening, it was quite apparent that The Pressroom management cares not for the comfort of their customers. I attend two-to-three concerts in Phoenix per month, and without a doubt, The Pressroom is hands-down the worst concert venue in the Phoenix Valley. I would only go back if they hosted The Rolling Stones--beyond fat chance. read more