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    The Vanguard

    3.1 (40 reviews)
    ModerateMusic Venues

    The Vanguard Photos

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    Lot 54 (outdoor stage)
    Sara S.

    This review is for Lot 54, which is the parking lot they converted to a mini festival ground with an outdoor stage, a VIP section, several bars, a Chinese food truck, and some pleasant surprises including running water albeit at port a potties (at least in VIP) and staff walking around picking up trash keeping the place tidy. Parking is available on the street or at a nearby garage for $10. There were enforcers actively ticketing cars, so I'd advise against taking any risks. The VIP ticket perks were a speedy entrance, some fun sponsor swag and photo booth, designated viewing area left of the stage, and our own bars, but the lines were shorter in GA at times. There were three lines with two bartenders at each counter except for one with only a single bartender making the wait even longer, so check the staff count before you get in line. The most annoying part of the evening was the blinding lights. The light techs need to take the spot light off the crowd left of stage during the show. We can handle a few flashes here and there, but they'd beam the brightest blinding white light at the crowd for entire songs. I couldn't see, but hopefully no lasers were used that would do permanent damage to our eyes. I've been to countless EDM shows and this was the first time I've experienced lighting like that. Overall, a nice vibe from the crowd and nice to be outdoors. I also appreciate they have to shut down at 11 PM and the kids can go to the after party indoors till 3 AM.

    Joseph H.

    Attended a highly anticipated EDM event to watch Rabbit in the Moon and The Crystal Method. The Venue was small and personal and there was no bad location to stand and enjoy the music. The bars were very efficient and the security did a phenomenal job at guiding the lines to enter. If you get the opportunity to go to a concert or event, at the vanguard, you won't be disappointed.

    End of the Sullivan King Show on the Outside of the Vanguard

    I've been to the Vanguard about 10 times in the last 2 years and its been for a variety of shows (EDM, Reggaeton/Reggae, clubbing, etc) and every time i go, its such an amazing time. The staff is absolutely lovely and sweet. The drinks were very tasty and delicious. Overall, a 15/10 experience! I recently saw the Sullivan King show and it was absolutely breathtaking! I met so many sweet people and made some friends and head-banged the night away. Thank you to The Vanguard for such an amazing experience

    Lawrence U.

    No food ordered. Felt safe and good parking. Tip os park off the street- it's free. Cheap drinks and fast service. Place will get packed at around 11pm. Really packed especially if there is a good guest.

    Reed B.

    I've been going to The Vanguard since it was The Club at Firestone and while it has its issues it is a much better run venue with its association with Insomniac. Acoustically it's great and as long as you have VIP you will have an OK amount of space, drink service and bathroom access. Downstairs is a sweaty mess free for all so try to get VIP if possible. Tons of parking all around but safer and quicker to park in their lot even if it costs a little more. Don't expect friendly service - it's a club - but you will generally have a great time and hear some great music!

    Good times with friends :)
    Rachel Macie H.

    Nights at the Club are always a good time and when you find one that's mellow like this you so know it's totally what's good! So coming here was kinda trip in a way as I used to go to a club called Vanguard in Hollywood all the time then it became Academy which is still one of my favorites I've ever been to so coming here was cool for me because it kinda reminded me of those days. The sound here was awesome and it was cool inside like it didn't get hot even with all the other humans dancing and having fun it still didn't get hot like you could go outside and feel the difference from the inside which was awesome because no one likes it when it gets too hot inside the club! Parking was easy as I found a place on the street about a block away so that was awesome as free parking in the city is as good as gold! It was unusual for me coming to a club where they don't enforce dress code as that's what I'm used to with most of the EDM clubs back home but either way it was still a good time and I'll prolly keep it the way it's been for me for years. Overall awesome club cool lights it's cool and has good sound so I'm sure I'll make it back here again at some point.

    Mike D.

    The Vanguard was nice and easy to get into. We had to pass security checkpoints but they're a pretty nice about getting us into the club. The outside of the club doesn't really stand out very clean and modern looking fits right into the downtown decor. Walking into the club it seems a little confined until you go out to the main area. You'll find very large Open spaces two very large bars downstairs and another one upstairs plus a VIP bar. It's very cool I was divided in the upper and lower floors. This location used to be called Firestone back in the day. It's gone through a few owners since then and a few remodels. This location easily has one of the most expensive light shows in towel that I've seen in a very long time. The laser beams and the amount of lights that they have are really awesome and the lighting guys did a really great great job I control them to the show that night. The lighting guys told me that they're actually control them live to the mix but the DJs are doing that night. Such a seamless and flawless light show between sets. All around was a very impressive setup. I'm not sure what the alcohol prices are like here but I'm willing to bet they're pretty damn expensive because the bottle of water was $5. The audio system sounds really great. You only hear distortion when you're upstairs close to one of the stacks of speakers. At that point I still am not hearing the app clipping it's just a bit loud there upstairs center stage was visually and audibly the best place to be downstairs center stage has a much larger dance floor as well as much more bass comes through. If you're downstairs facing the stage and you hang out for the left side by the bathrooms you get a lot more of the subwoofers. It sounds a lot more like a car stereo with the amount of Base you can get from the system. They did a great job the night I was there keeping it clean. Almost every time I turned around there was an employee with a dustpan and a broom. The bathrooms seemed a little beat up but I'm sure that happens pretty quick at a venue like this. Many more shows coming to this location keep an eye on their calendar and sign up for the mail list.

    Lindsey G.

    Have been here to see Deadmau5 and Sasha. It's a decent venue but gets incredibly busy with limited room to dance unless you stand in the back, which means not being able to see very well when you are short like me. They have great light sets and standing in the back gives a different viewpoint for the laser lights. There is an upstairs with some VIP tables and couches and well as a VIP standing area. They also have two outside patios to get some fresh air. Bigger shows like Deadmau5 meant not being able to get a drink or go to the bathroom without people pushing into your spot. Would be nice if the occupancy was lower so people had some room.

    Crankdat
    Alisha B.

    Went to this place for Wooli last year and was completely oversold and sold out and was completely miserable. Crankdat was coming into town with alley cvt on March 10th. I left a review for Wooli and they promised me the next show I go to I could get it upgraded to V.I.P all I had to do was email them. I buy the tickets and a month out from the concert I contacted them through email asking about the upgrade. Never heard anything back from them, I emailed them again the day before the show. I still got nothing, I tried to call the number they have listed never rang. I dm them on instagram and they still haven't even read it. They do not care about their patrons and give out false promises that they can't seem to back up. The only good part was it was sold out but there was not nearly as many people as Wooli so it wasn't as miserable.

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    5 years ago

    Was expecting a great venue but was given disrespectful employees. Overall bad experience

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    Ask the Community - The Vanguard

    Review Highlights - The Vanguard

    I have seen artists such as charlotte de witte, Sullivan king, Zeds dead, Wooli, Alok, and more.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    The Abbey

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    0.9 miSouth Eola, Thornton Park
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    I'm always looking for an awesome show at an amazing venue and right here is exactly what that was…read morefrom start to finish! The given night I came here Driveways was playing and I must say it was a super fun show it sounded good the venue was awesome for music and the staff was very nice at the door! My gps did put me in the wrong spot so keep in mind that it's around the corner so if you don't see it right away keep venturing and you'll find it! Overall super cool venue with awesome sound hope to come back here again at some point for another show! Until then see you in the circle pit!

    This place is great! We went for a live jazz performance. There is no food, just a bar…read more We were in section B and honestly it was great! I wouldn't recommend section C - they had those tall metal chairs that look uncomfortable in that section. I honestly wish I'd got section A, but those shows sell out so quickly that it seems harder to snag those. The sound was amazing & the band was really talented. The look/vibe is really great too! The doors don't open till right before showtime, but there's covered tables & chairs to sit & wait. Parking was a bit tight. The doormen were very fast & efficient. Everyone was friendly too! Overall I really like The Abbey & am going back again in a few weeks, Oh - pro tip - there's an absolutely OUTSTANDING sushi restaurant around the corner & they were very accommodating when we said we were in a hurry to get to the show on time. Check them out!

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    The Plaza Live

    The Plaza Live

    3.8(194 reviews)
    1.7 miColonialtown Center
    $$

    First time at The Plaza Live on Bumby Road and honestly... such a great experience from start to…read morefinish! The venue itself is surprisingly spacious. The ground floor has plenty of room to move around and enjoy the show without feeling cramped, which I really appreciated. They also have upstairs seating options if you're looking for a more elevated (and probably pricier) experience--but it's nice to have that flexibility depending on your vibe. Whether you want to stay for hours or just pop in and enjoy the performance, it caters to both. Staff were friendly and efficient all around. The bar setup was a huge plus--there were multiple bartenders working, so drinks came out quickly. Perfect for grabbing something before the show or doing a quick pregame without missing the fun. I came specifically to see Calum Scott, and WOW--he did not disappoint. His voice is even more incredible live, and you can tell he genuinely connects with the audience. Super kind energy, amazing stage presence, and just an all-around beautiful performance. The production was also top tier. The lighting and laser effects were phenomenal and really elevated the entire experience--it felt immersive without being overwhelming. One moment that really stood out was how the staff handled an emergency situation in the audience. Security and the team responded quickly and professionally, making sure the individual got the help they needed. That level of care and organization says a lot about the venue. Overall, such a solid first impression. Great layout, fast service, amazing performances, and a team that clearly knows what they're doing. I'll definitely be back--especially if they bring in more DJs or artists in the future!

    I've been to the plaza during another event that was in their parking lot plus inside. At that…read moreevent it was market based so vendors were selling inside. I recall feeling like it was too crowded and too dark to see the vendors at the time. I wished it had felt more controlled but there was rain outside and so everyone was seeking refuge inside and it maybe just got out of hand. This time I came for a comedy show. We had seats upstairs which is a standard seated balcony. These seats are fixed, unlike the ground floor which can be seated or standing. I'm glad we had these seats because the ground floor seats looked like those ones you would find at a conference dinner table and are too small for your bum plus not comfortable at all. The balcony seats are spacious and have cup holders plus the venue is small enough that you aren't too far away. Honestly it's worth it up there. Now...I love the idea of local venues staying open but this space just feels like no updates have happened since 1980 and I know that's not true. It feels dingy and unkempt. I'm not sure if this means anything to anyone but it made me itchy. Anyhow, parking is easy, tickets don't tend to be expensive and it's local so I'm still glad it's here.

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    The Plaza Live - Blackie Lawless from W.A.S.P. behind his custom mic stand (or walker)

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    The Plaza Live - Main entrance

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    Kia Center - Laufey 9.15.25

    Kia Center

    4.0(482 reviews)
    0.8 miParramore
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    Overall, a great venue to watch a Magic game…read more I'm glad my husband knew it would be busy trying to get in, so we allocated 15 minutes to get through security and 15 minutes to get to our seats which was pretty much spot on. There are very long lines to get through security, but they move relatively quickly. Make sure you know the bag policy, I watched the woman in front of me have to go put her bag either in a locker or back in her car because the width was too big even though the length and height was fine. They actually have a rectangle on the table for them to put the purse against to make sure if fits the dimensions. Our seats were in section 117 and it was a great view of the game. I felt like the stadium was on the smaller side so we were able to see everything. I walked around a bit to see if there was any food or drink that I wanted, I have to admit that I don't think this is a great place to grab food or drinks so I would recommend getting them before coming to the stadium. There are some interesting options like homemade ice cream, but nothing else really stood out to me. They do have quite a bit of food and drinks, but I would recommend going during the game if you're not an avid fan because at halftime, the lines got along again. I was impressed that the line for the women's restroom was never super long. I love how this arena is downtown so it's easy to eat at a restaurant and then walk to the arena. This does mean that traffic it's really bad after a game, but since we were staying at a hotel close by, we just walked back to our hotel. I would definitely come back for another game or a performance.

    First off, the arena is spacious and the seats are pretty good (even in the cheap seat section!) I…read morewent to the Magic-Pacers game to meet friends from Indiana. I selected a $37.50 seat through Ticketmaster, who charged $10+ as a service charge!! (Now I know why the majority of the country hates this monopoly!!) It was easy getting in, but getting out from the 200 level requires patience as there is a HUGE bottleneck to get onto the escalators. I only had one drink (no food) and that cocktail cost me $18 (not including tip!) for a shot of alcohol I could not taste in a cup filled to the top with ice. Overall, nice venue, but I doubt I'd visit again.

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    The Vanguard - musicvenues - Updated May 2026

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