Cool, local indoor music venue. We had purchased tickets for an outdoor concert which needed to change venues because of noise complaints at the original location. This was lucky because the weather ended up being cold and wet. The space isn't huge and it's pretty unique because it looks like it was converted from an old theater. Since it was an outdoor show it seemed like the ticket sales were for a much bigger space. As the night went on the crowd thinned out and it was much more comfortable to not have people on top of you. Overall, I'm pretty impressed with how they configured a small space. There is a big bar in the back which sells drinks and pizza. There are registers reserved for canned drinks and water to help move the line along. There is also a vending machine to sell snacks. There is a slight decline in the floor so it feels like an outdoor show and if you are in the back you can still see. The big drawback is the bathrooms are super tiny. You could be waiting for a long time. Overall, a pretty cool spot, check it out if you are in the area. read more

Haven't even been to the venue, but the customer service I received over the phone tells a lot. I purchased tickets back in March for the Waka Flocka concert with a bank account that no longer exists. Today 5/19/26, I received an email stating that I received a refund for those tickets. (Assuming the concert was cancelled since no other statement from the venue has been released saying so). I contacted the theater via phone to ask how I was going to receive my refund since the account I purchased the tickets with no longer exists. The gentleman told me "I don't know, maybe call your bank. This isn't my problem" then hung up. So I did, I called my bank and they told me the refund is going to bounce back to the seller. So I called back and told him this and he then tells me again that it's not his problem and we don't handle to ticket sales. So I asked who did and he responded with "what's your email say". I then said Open Table, which he then corrected me by telling me it was open date. I asked for their contact info and he told me he didn't have it. Which is a line of bull. A concert venue doesn't have access to the ticket sellers info? Interesting. He then proceeded to tell me "again this isn't my problem and they (open table) is going to tell you the same thing. He then hung up on me. I've since contacted open date and they are helping me get my refund, but I can promise I will never do business with this venue in the future. It may be nice, I'll never know. read more

My grand-daughter and her friends attended an event here recently, here is her email to them, they have not responded and she asked me to submit it here: To Whom it May Concern, I am writing to formally express my disappointment with the Liam Payne/One Direction event on March 1st. My friends and I purchased tickets for $30 each, expecting a well-organized experience with a live DJ, as advertised. However, what we received was far from what was promised. The DJ never showed up, and instead of a live set, the event simply played the "This Is One Direction" Spotify playlist. This is unacceptable. If the DJ had canceled, the appropriate response would have been to reschedule, offer attendees a refund or partial reimbursement, or at the very least, provide some form of compensation such as complimentary drinks. Instead, we were left feeling completely shortchanged. Additionally, the event was supposed to be a full experience, yet it was abruptly cut off at 9:15 PM--barely three hours long. For the price we paid, this fell significantly below reasonable expectations, and it felt like a blatant disregard for the attendees who invested in this experience. Given the lack of the promised DJ, the shortened event time, and the overall mismanagement, I strongly believe that ALL attendees deserve compensation, whether in the form of a partial refund or credit for a future event. Please let me know how you plan to address this issue. I look forward to your prompt response. read more

We bought tickets for Choir! Choir! Choir back in June. Nothing was said about a $30/person upcharge to have a seat. All promotional materials showed a concert/theatre environment, not a stage with standing room only. Very sad to see people with canes and mobility issues confused and the forced to fork over more money! i understand premium seating, but this was misleading! read more

We had tickets to see Led Zeppelin V on Saturday night. We waited for over an hour, called, emailed and texted the theater numerous times. Nobody showed up. No band nobody at the theater. We paid for tickets, no notice, no calls, no refund. I think we were scammed. Will continue to try to contact the theater and will be disputing the charges. read more

Buyer beware! They will bill a show as one thing and then rescind on this. If you buy tickets to see a band you want to see they may tell them they are no longer playing and you are stuck with the tickets you bought! read more

I have only been to this venue once. I came here for a Cashmere Cat show (my 5th time seeing him). I was really pleasantly surprised to see him come to Syracuse. The venue is tiny and intimate. I've been to small venues before (many in Denver), but this probably takes the cake in terms of being small (Wikipedia says it fits 700 people). The front general audience area is pretty close to the stage so you can get pretty close to the artist. There's street parking and no private lot (that I know of). I ended up parking across Recess Coffee by the Korean restaurant. There's a bar in the back of the theater that didn't look to be too crowded. The acoustics weren't bad and the music wasn't played too loudly. The walls backstage looked like they were falling apart. The floorboards were cracked and in pieces. I like the old-school look of the outside of the theater with the light bulbs and black lettering. This place was first constructed in 1919 and was formerly a theater. There is nothing particularly beautiful about the inside of the venue. Some older theaters preserve some of the cool architecture, wall art, ceiling embellishments, curtains, etc. but this place is pretty black/plain. read more

The Westcott Theater: Sticky floors: check Craft beer: check Strange bands I've never heard of sprinkled in with some awesome acts: check Located in cool area of town with good food for before show eats: check Scary bathrooms: check Cheap ticket prices: check The Westcott Theater read more

Great local Venue. I do love the open floor design. The sound is good. The beer and liquor is fantastic. But wow, if it is hot outside. It is brutal inside. Minimal air movement. So hot this mid September evening, many folks, with their shirts soaked and dripping foreheads left. Some tried to seek cooler Or amongst the smoking courtyard, but the concentrated smoke takes a toll, even on the most tolerant. Some fans for the fans would be most welcomed. Support local music! read more

I had the pleasure of visiting this venue to see the Steve Aoki concert. The Westcott Theater is an official hub of live music, one that has invited some of the world's most renown electronic DJ's to take over the venue this month from Steve Aoki, Laidback Luke to Kaskade. I had an amazing time here and the staff, especially, the bartenders were awesome! Only con: the bathrooms are a little on the small side, resulting in super long lines. read more

The Westcott Theater - Steve Aoki: Live at the Westcott Theater - Music Venues Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Security is a little intense here. Nazi security guards who take their job too serious. They're not afraid to get rough and quick to be bullies read more

I'm not really into going to a music venue for the sake of the music venue-I usually only go if the band or music playing is something I like. When I saw the sign for "Minus the Bear" as I passed by the Westcott on one cold fall evening, I knew it was time to check it out. I had a few problems with the website, and ended up buying 5 tickets more than I wanted. Whoops! Luckily, I wrangled a few friends into joining me, and that problem was solved. It's weird, when you walk in the front they want to stamp your hand to mark if you are under or over 21, but I don't think they were checking at the bar. Maybe there were just too many people. Anyways, the concert itself was awesome. The architecture inside the building is very interesting-it reminds me of an old opera house. The theater is not too large, so the show felt very intimate. There were a lot of hipsters though...I guess that's what I get for going to see an indie band. Meh, still good show though! read more

I saw Shpongle here and it was nuts. Security doesn't let you go out to smoke for about an hour at the beginning of the show which is really weird but w/e... I don't think I've ever seen more reckless upstate hippies... read more

This is the best music venue in Syracuse for concerts (which realllly isn't saying much). Some of my favorite shows have been here. That being said, it does have issues. As a spectator, parking is the first issue since you can only park on the street. For popular shows, the word "chaotic" comes to mind driving around the area. It's even worse if you're in an opening act, trying to load-in during that chaos is very difficult. Even arriving early to try to get one of the two spots in front of the door is not a guarantee. It has been 6-7 years since I played there, so maybe they've remedied this issue (loading in from the back/side would help). Like others have said, the relative cleanliness of the venue is lacking to say the least. They've made some renovations (albeit with a re-active approach rather than pro-active). The bathrooms are pretty fucking disgusting, though. I can't stress enough that you need to do whatever you can do avoid having to use them. I like drinking as much as the next guy, but I refuse to here because it means I'll probably need to use the bathroom. I hope someone from the Westcott Theater reads that sentence. Overall, you'll go here when your favorite band is in Syracuse, so make the best of it. The music is loud, and the atmosphere is quite good for national acts. There is plenty of room, and there really isn't a bad spot to watch from. read more

The show was great but the bathroom situation needs improvement, the bathroom line is nearly a half hour long. I was disappointed to miss many songs while waiting. read more

Mom used to watch Rocky Horror here at the midnight showing while waiting to get sober enough to drive home. Over the last five years or so someone decided to save the old movie theater. The floor is sloped and the sound isn't the best, but today it stands as Central New York's most happening live music venue. A former haven for hippies creeping out of the woods to catch some tunes, the college crowd from SU and the eclectic Westcott neighborhood along with locals and travelers gather to normally sell out anyone who's got a decent following. Cheap beers, low prices and locally owned. It's worth checking out. For pictures here's a review we wrote about a show there a few years ago: http://www.question-everything.org/2011/04/dubstep-descends-on-central-new-york/ read more

Hostile staff throughout. Limited beer variety. Typical high prices. Cheap pizza slices. Good acoustics. Typical priced venue tickets. Rude immediately upon entry and overzealous security. read more

Beer is good, nice venue but security here sucks. No metal detectors or any type of pat down when you walk in. Inside crowdsurfing is frowned upon apparently and people do it anyway and security is not at the barricade to protect/catch people read more

I saw Biffy Clyro play here and it was awsome. I enjoyed almost everything about this venue. I love the size of the venue just big enough for you to be close to the artist. I like the slight incline of the floor. The drink cost were very reasonable. My only negative is that the bathrooms are on the 2nd floor. I hope I have another opportunity to see another show here. read more

I prefer smaller venues for live music as you get a more personal experience than a stadium show. Westcott Theater is a converted movie theater with a bar in the back ($5 Arrogant Bastard on tap!) and probably holds about 300-400 people. There is no seating and the floor slopes downward toward the stage, which is great for getting a clear view of the stage. It's a great venue and having Alto Cinco next door for an after show burrito is a BIG plus. read more

This place is awesome, anyone saying otherwise is a buzzkill and probably complains about every concert they go to. Added bonus, booze is actually fairly priced. read more

Took my wife to a concert here, had to leave 10 minutes in because even with cotton in our ears it was too loud. Not just too loud total volume wise, but really unbalanced and distorted, the bass just boomed like a low frequency feedback and drowned everything else out. This is the second concert I've left due to bad sound, it will be the last, done with Westcott Theatre. read more

This is the best place to see live music in Syracuse. The setup is perfect and plenty of room! A lot of big names come through this venue too, which means a lot of good shows at a great place. I've been to a lot of shows that had great openers too, so get here right on time. Parking can get really annoying though, and in the winter it'll be pretty cold waiting for the doors or the line to move along, so dress warm. read more

I worked here as a Coat Check Girl- a lot of great Musicians rock this place! Buy some tickets and bring your friends to a live Show at The Westcott Theatre! read more

Not hate on the venue, infected mushroom was extremely late don't ever go see infected mushroom other people have told me that there has been times they didn't even show up read more

I went to Westcott for the first time and saw Buckethead. The venue is a good size and wasn't overly-crowded. Parking was decent. Good restaurants nearby. read more

I absolutely dig The Westcott Theater. I have seen countless shows at this venue since moving to the area across all genres. The Westcott is an older converted cinema that still has the slopped floors. No matter where you are you have great views of the stage. The comments about security in other reviews could not be more inaccurate. If security messes with you at The Westcott it's absolutely deserved. My squad rages when we go to shows here, we stand out like sore thumbs, and we have NEVER had an issue with security we did not cause ourselves. If they ask you to stop breaking the rails, and you continue to break the rails, you will be escorted out as you should be. These guys will always give you a warning before taking action, it's the same crew that does security for every venue in Syracuse! I have rarely seen them be hard asses for no reason, at Westcott or elsewhere. Parking can be an issue, especially for popular shows. Parking sucks in Westcott period so plan accordingly. Full bar with about half a dozen craft beers on tap and a decent selection of bottles/cans. I happen to like the grungy aesthetic of the theater but appreciate why some think the bathrooms need attention. Venue also has a coat check open for most popular shows. read more

I have lived in Syracuse for 4 years now and have always been a regular at the Westcott Theater. I attend 1-2 shows a month there. It is a cool venue with a bar and they always have great artists/bands/DJs performing there. However the biggest turnoff is the security. I understand that Syracuse is a college town and fake ID's are very common. However, god forbid you are a male, in your 20's, with a valid out-of-state drivers license. The security is very unprofessional. They interrogate you, ask you questions like where you live, your zip code, your area code, state landmarks, waterways in your state (I swear), how long you lived there, why you are here etc etc. And if you do not answer all of their questions promptly they get an attitude and jump down your throat. Meanwhile, girls who look about sixteen hand over their IDs, the security quickly glances at it and off they go into the venue. This happens every single time I go to the Westcott theater. Recently, the same security guard who checks my ID every time I go to a show gave me a hard time again, interrogating me with an attitude, asking me ridiculous questions about a state I haven't lived in for 4 years. I decided to speak up and stand up for myself after being harassed countless times and what does he do? He throws me out and denies me access to the show I paid $30 for. Terrible. Such a great venue and its ruined by security that makes you feel violated. read more

I liked the Westcott except for the smoking. If you like small intimate grungy floor venues then this is the place. The tickets were cheap and the staff was friendly. I saw The Felice Brothers who lets everyone come up on the stage and sing with them. I love small venues. It was standing room only. It was a great time. I got there early so I found parking pretty easily. There was mainly street parking but I parked behind a little shopping center. There's not much on the block to do to kill time. There were a few bars, a kinda interesting used book/occult shop, and then a minimalist book/coffee shop (5 books...maybe?) with some very hip people drinking out of extremely hip mugs. I am very hip so I walked around the shop...paused to look at one of the five books, said something intelligent....and then smoothly departed. (Ok...I stopped at the top of the steps and my two friends ran into my back and then we ran into each other again trying to get back down the steps). Veni, Vidi, Vici.... read more

I came here to see Dannic last November. It's a very small venue, which is a disadvantage if the crowd was very large, but it was perfect in this case. It was a very intimate setting which was a plus and I had a great time. Such a small venue that we saw Dannic walking in and he even stayed afterwards to pose for photos with everyone who wanted one. Yay Dannic! There were a few places to sit, and the sound system was superb. Staff was nice as well. I believe water bottles were decently priced. Only complaint is that the girl's bathroom was a total of two stalls, one of which had no door. They definitely need to improve their bathrooms and add more stalls in. Otherwise, good venue for more lesser known artists. More popular artists should have larger venues to accommodate more fans. read more

The only goods in this venue is that anyone can get a drink including minors. Drugs are plentiful here and everyone is trying to be a hustler or say they are in the music scene. Such as go go dancing (aka strippers), a DJ, producer or even a promoter. Put an X on your hand with a wide black marker and you can get in for free. The security sees so many people during one of their big events. So getting in without paying is very easy. If not, ask a friend to open the side door and sneak in. Happens many times and many are always getting away with it. Can't wait to sneak in again and get served alcohol when I'm only 15 again. read more