The Kessler Theater

Came here for the first time tonight to see Mandolin Orange. Great venue, small but spacious, and the staff was friendly and helpful. The show was folksy and laid back and so was the atmosphere, so I’m not sure how the place would feel during a metal or rock show. Drinks were reasonably priced. Would love to see more shows here if I get the chance.

Our first time to visit The Kessler and we were treated to an incredible performance by Shemekia Copeland and Bobby Patterson. What a show and what a venue. Looking forward to our next visit.

The best venue I’ve been to so far because of its small size and cozy atmosphere! There are varieties of types of seats available inside and they all have their perks in each seating placement. I came here with my boyfriend to watch Kris Allen perform and I felt such connection to his performance not only because he’s great but because of how personable this venue makes everything feel. I’m sure only lesser known artists play here since it’s a small venue but it’s totally worth it. And the PARKING WAS SO EASY TO FIND. I got to the venue an hour before the doors open and I find parking within like three minutes. I parked by the street directly next to the venue.
Another thing I love is their drinks! They are very affordable unlike most drinks at other venues. BUT do not get their food. I ordered a steak quesadilla which was $ 6 and it was a size of a small taco. Although the quality looked good, it was way too small for $ 6 unless you don’t mind getting an expensive snack.

Pros: I love the look of the theater and the idea behind watching good bands perform without the anarchy of freeloading knuckle headed buffoons causing a ruckis when you just want to enjoy a night of music.
Cons: I hate the whole bureaucracy thing where you need a special wrist band to be able to sit at a seat in the balcony. It should be first come, first serve. Its just a small theater, not a sports stadium! My buddy and I had a yellow wrist band, got there at a good early start, and some lady monitoring at the entrance, acting like a High School principal and told us we needed to turn around and go back into the lobby till further notice. When we were finally able to enter, we sat down in one of the balcony chairs. Once the musician got on stage, a self-​entitled patron threw a temper tantrum at us and told us that they paid for seats and we had no business sitting down. This is despite the fact there were plenty of other seats anyhow. I was the bigger person (figuratively) so I got up and just apologized so she could sit. Kessler staff, in my opinion, you should eliminate balcony seats all together and just have all balcony standing so that the oppressed «standers» do not have to hover and look over the «sitters». Especially due to the fact that the «sitters» end up not showing up.

Came here with some friends to see Parachute, and was very impressed.
The real strength here is the venue itself. This is truly one of the best concert halls I’ve been to in Dallas. The acoustics are phenomenal, they don’t mix everything deafeningly loud, they book fun acts (Local, nation, up-​and-​coming), and it’s small enough that there truly isn’t a bad seat in the house. There were two warm-​up acts, and the stage seemed just as comfortable for one guy and his guitar as it was for the five-​piece band with the giant drum kit, light show, and bubble machines.
But they also manage to get all the other stuff right here, too. The drinks were eminently reasonable at $ 5 per, and they were all delicious. Between the five of us we got everything from cherry vodka sours to cosmos to old fashioneds, and didn’t have a single unimpressive drink in the bunch. The bar up front has a fun, slick, modern feel to it, which creates a charming counter-​point to the rustic, bare-​brick faces in other parts of the building.
The menu is quite limited, but interesting, and it supposedly revolves frequently — kudos for the poblano paneer tacos! A great, creative offering for the veg-​heads among us. They also provided complimentary herbed popcorn and house-​made Chex mix for those of us who weren’t up for a whole meal. A friend ordered the quesadilla and was somewhat underwhelmed, because it came out open-​faced, but she still enjoyed it, and all was well.
Major extra bonus points for clean, well-​stocked restrooms, entirely reasonable ticket prices, and no major temperature control issues (it was like Goldilocks — not too hot, not too cold, juuuuuust right).
(Pro tip: If you don’t care about being right up by the stage, go back and stand by the sound booth. The mix is always better by the sound booth because the sound engineers mix for what they can hear where they’re sitting.)
The only drawback is the parking — the site says there’s lots of parking, and there is… if you’re willing to walk a block or two to get to it. Careful with the heels, ladies — you may tear up your shoes and your feet. Or at least think about getting someone to drop you off at the door before parking. Depending on the crowd you may have a bit of a hike in.

We came here to listening to Lucinda Williams. Great little venue! We loved our seats, sound of great and we didn’t even mind with the AC problem.
My advice it is to be a little bit earlier since there are no assigned seats.

This is my favorite music venue in Dallas, hands down. They do a great job getting budding artists with real talent in the door. It’s a low-​key type environment with both sitting room, tables, and standing room. However, since the venue is relatively small there’s no bad spot to stand or sit in the whole theatre. You can trust me on that because I’m only 5 feet tall.
The bartenders are great, too. They remember your name and your order and will happily make recommendations for what to drink and eat. Plus, you’re allowed to bring in food from the surrounding restaurants to chow down on during the show! That’s good business.
The sound is great. The acoustics in that place must be good and the mixing is noticeably on point.
Pro tip: Standing can actually be more comfortable than sitting on the first level floor. That’s because those seats are folding chairs. They’re not unbearable, though.

The coolest, most intimate venue in DFW… crowd was fantastic, polite and just downright fun to be around. The staff is cool and really nice, accommodating folks. Really great bartenders, I cannot wait to do this again!

I’ve been to the Kessler 3 times, seeing Jimmie Vaughn twice and Ray Wiley Hubbard. Love the intimate setting and cool vibe here! The acoustics are second to none. If you buy general admission, arrive when the doors open.
Great staff and service. Looking forward to my next visit!

I have attended many shows at the Kessler. Typically I’m with a group and we reserve one of the boxes. The only place I like as well as the box seats is sitting right up front. That said, I can think of no other venue I like as much for a live performance. Its large enough to have a serious vibe among the patrons, and small enough that everyone has a great seat, and the sound is almost always great.
Has a really good bar too, with excellent selections in beer, wine and booze. They offer a few food selections if you didnt have time to grab something before arriving at the theater. Most of them are quite good.
The only thing lacking is parking. The theater does not offer much (a small hidden lot), and you wont want to try and sneak into a restaurant lot lest you be towed, so your most likely to have to park on the street.

The Kessler is a small venue with a laid-​back but musically-​serious vibe, with absolutely incredible sound. It’s easy to get right up close to your favorite artists in the comfortable environment they have created here. Performers seem to enjoy the venue, as it attracts people who actually care about hearing the music. Prepare to be shunned for talking or filming. Parking is easy in the surrounding neighborhood. Find a show that interests you, and check this wonderful venue out.

Intimate venue with a lot of character, there is no bad seat in the house. Brings in some really great groups.
There’s a little bar in the front area and the groups mingle with the audience (over drinks) after their sets
Ample bike parking!

This is the best place to see a concert in Dallas. I’ve been to both seated shows, and general admission standing shows, and they are both excellent experiences. The sound in this venue is as good as I’ve ever heard. Yes, the size inherently makes it better acoustically, but the sound system puts many larger venues to shame.
Another advantage is that they don’t use ticketmaster so you don’t end up paying 12 dollars in service fees. More venues should follow their lead and get away from this practice. I have stopped going to shows at South Side Ballroom because I’m not going to pay 12 dollars in service fees on a 25 dollar ticket. Ridiculous.

A great venue with such an intimate feel. The acoustics here are simply phenomenal. No matter where you are seated it will be a great seat.
The venue’s small size is really the big selling point as it allows you to feel a bit more engaged with the artist’s performance.

I’ve only been to one show here a few years ago (Dirty Projectors), and I instantly loved this venue. It’s small, so whomever you see here is in the most intimate of settings. The sound is fantastic, and there’s not a bad spot in the house. The bar is fantastic, and drink prices are fair. The venue is one of my favorites in Dallas.
The neighborhood is fine! Not the «hood», as some other former patrons have mentioned on video. Oak Cliff is great, and I’m so glad we have a venue in Oak Cliff, especially one that is this nice!

The Kessler Theater is an fantastic venue and a true Dallas gem! The staff are awesome and strive to maintain an atmosphere where patrons can enjoy entertainment without being distracted by bad apples.

This has got to be one of the best small venues I have ever been to. It has that true neighborhood feel and is so intimate. We arrived after the show had started and were still able to get a good parking spot (free) and a good seat (there are no bad ones). In the foyer, there is a small bar and a little bit of seating, but most everyone stands. This is also where the merch is. There is self serve free water that you can take inside the theatre along with what ever other beverage you purchased.
The theatre itself is so small and quaint. The night we were there, the set up was a bunch of small round tables up close and chairs behind it and on the side. The upstairs, which are premium priced seats have full back comfy looking seats and is a single row, meaning you are in the front row no matter what. The only thing is that the floor is not slanted, but it is so small and the stage is obviously elevated, so it doesn’t matter.

Imagine that you’re going out to see live music, and the goal of the night is not to get wasted. Imagine that you actually like the music, you know every word of the lyrics, and every note.
That’s never happened before? Well expand your horizons and come to the Kessler. I mean… there is a bar here, so you could make drinking the point of the night. But you would be missing out.
This venue is the perfect spot for an intimate performance. The artists they bring in are really talented– some famously known and others you may not have heard of. I’ve never seen a show here that I didn’t like.
Ticketing is different for each event. Sometimes the main floor is a free for all, so I typically like to go upstairs and watch from above. Upstairs the seats are plentiful and the bar never seems to be backed up.

This has to be the best place to see live music. Small enough that there is no bad seat. We’ve been to several shows and you really only have to get there early if it’s going to be a sold out or packed show. Never had a problem with seating. The upstairs gallery is awesome. The seats are the most comfortable. Also, the bartenders are great, both up and downstairs. It’s a great intimate setting that keeps a diverse set of music on the bill.

I have to say that I love the Kessler.
From the hippies with the «oregano» smell that accompanies their smile as they check you in, to the cool little bar with the fun little nibblies, to the intimacy of the theater that doesn’t have a bad seat in it.
Huge comfy chairs on the second floor wrap around the wood main floor, and a great mix of hipsters, hippies, collegians, oldies and newbies who are all so close to the artist (s) and each other that the evening truly feels like a shared experience.