Congress Theater 2135 North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL 60647

"Part of open house chicago 2017 ! Very historic place. Can't wait till it's renovated"

"The only thing this venue has going for it is that it's centrally located, so everyone can get there easily, which is why all the good acts choose it. The sound is horrible. I've been here for metal, punk, techno, hip hop, and Gogol Bordello, it's tough to sound good there, though it can be done. Your junk will get touched on the way in and if you have dry eyes from your overnight job and carry eye-drops in your pockets, you'll get questioned even more. This is just a place we have to deal with."

"The Congress Theater is one of the worst venues I have ever been to. Its especially frustrating because it really has the potential to be a great place to see a show and they book awesome acts; however, the staff is so incredibly rude and the security guards are so militant that it almost makes you wanna turn around and go home. For this show, they did not allow hats inside the building. They also did not have a way of checking a hat. Multiple times while near the building, security guards essentially verbally harassed me, telling me they would tear my hat up and throw it in the garbage if I brought it through the front door. They also wouldn't let me stand in front of the venue while I waited for somebody to come pick up my hat (since I really like that hat). I have never been treated so poorly by event staff at any venue. I know the phrase "verbal harassment" sounds dramatic, but their tone and language was far more aggressive than necessary. This show of bravado continued throughout the evening, as the Security Guards continually walked through the crowd to push around teenagers and disrupt the enjoyment of all the attendees. After this experience, I will only return to the Congress Theatre if a time machine is built to transport the Beatles from 1967 to the present day to play a show there. Until then, no concert is worth the trouble."

"Security is ridiculously tight even for those who rock it 100% legal. All staff I encountered with one exception was downright rude. Several fixtures in the restrooms were broken. Sound was tolerable at times but really quite bad compared to other venues. The only redeeming quality of the Congress is the artists that they book. Avoid it if you can fellow show goers..."

"While the place is old, it works fairly well for concerts. The slanted main floor makes it easy to see if you aren't in front. The bouncers by the stage were some of the best I've encountered. They safely gathered crowdsurfers and provided plenty of water for those in the front. The sound wasn't great, but didn't ruin the show for me."