Calvin Theatre

What’s the point of buying a $ 40 seat to a concert if everyone is standing up front and blocking your view??? I would have bought cheaper seats in the balcony… disappointed!

A notch above A-​OK in my opinion. Calvin Theatre (operated by Iron Horse Entertainment, which also operates IronHorse Music Hall, Pearl Street, and Mountain Park venues) is a prominent feature in downtown Northampton and within walking distance of countless shops and restaurants.
While they typically book artists I’m personally unfamiliar with, I recently attended a concert by Boz Scaggs there, and have seen promo for everything from Foreigner to comedian Lewis Black to Elvis Costello to Weird Al Yankovic. So yeah, they pretty much run the gamut.
I’d recommend parking in a nearby garage, even if metered parking is free after… 6 (??). It’ll save you the headache of trying to find a spot, especially on a weekend. Park here: the E. John Gare Parking Garage, off Armory St. It costs 75 cents an hour. It’s a short walk to the Calvin Theater.
Once inside, the Gilded Era décor will ooh and ahh you. Granted, they could use a little touch up here and there– the ceiling over the balcony seating is peeling– but overall, its a nice, classy place to catch a show. At the Boz Scaggs show, the house was full and the stadium seating was all in place. Nice, unobstructive views for everyone. It’s quite tight to walk between the aisles. But I hear the seats below (at least some of them) are removable for more… youthful (?) concerts? I will definitely be back to check this out. In-​house bar available, didn’t get to check that out either.
Sound was spot on, no issues with cutting out or volume whatsoever. I wasn’t a tremendous fan of the massive limelight/​spotlight (quite bright for such a small space), but not worth complaining about. Calvin Theater did their due diligence: it was a nice concert experience. I likely won’t be back for another «sit-​down» concert, but will certainly keep an eye on their concert calendar for something more rock n’ roll.

A nice theater but some logistical issues make it an odd concert spot. I wasn’t expecting to see a full set of movie theater seats when I first walked in. Since we had tickets for the pit, I was worried those in the ground level seats wouldn’t be able to see because they’re not really elevated. The bar doesn’t accept credit or debit cards so bring cash! An excellent location for bar hopping or grabbing dinner before a show (or after!).

Kevin O pretty much nailed it. I too was at the Calvin August 28^th to see Kenny Wayne Shepard. I was willing to travel out of NE to see him so knowing he was performing in the Valley was fabulous. Well, he was… not so the venue. Acoustics were atrocious and did such a disservice to the artists. It was impossible to distinguish any of the lyrics unless you knew them. Members of my party moved to the rear of the theater and said it was a bit better.
It will take someone as spectacular as KWS to get me back there again.

It’s an old classic movie theater. (Built in 1924, renovated in 1994) The renovations were done in the ’90’s to turn this space into a performance space. The theater is admittedly getting a bit long in the tooth, but you still get some amazing shows here. I have seen TMBG/​Johnathan Coulton, Weird Al, The Pixies, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Frank Turner, Post Modern Jukebox, Ani, etc… here. Say what you will, this place books the good shows. And you have a very good intimate place to see the show.
That said: The front row is right on the old (filled in) orchestra pit, and is now used for GA and people who want the closest view of the show. Paying for front row is not a great idea, unless you want a convenient spot to put you coat/​water while you dance in the pit. The better sitting there and watching seats are in the front row of the balcony.
The price is pretty typical. I pay about the same for shows anywhere in the northeast. If you book your seats over the Calvin’s site the extra charges are pretty reasonable.
The bar is pretty expensive, for what you get. Midshelf liquor in a plastic cup. But, you can take the drinks to your seats. Sadly, there’s not a lot of places to dispose of ones cups, and they end up on the floor or in seats frequently. (This adds to the run down appearance of the place) The pit can get a bit sticky, kids. Wear solid waterproof shoes. Make sure to get a wristband at the door. You generally must show your ID.
I’ve never had any issue at all with the will call seating. The staff has always been pleasant and helpful. Some shows are a bit more aggressive as far as body and purse checks, but they’re generally polite.
So, go. Enjoy a show. Shake your booty.

Saw Willie Nelson here. It’s a nice venue. You can get to see Wilco, Lindsay Buckingham, Ani Difranco, etc etc. Northampton is probably the best small city music town in America that I’ve been to.

Went to see band of horses yesterday and I found the show quite enjoyable. The line was quick to get in-didn’t have to go through bag check since I had a wristlet. The seats were comfortable though I wish they were easier to find-​either more lights and/​or better signage. I would come back here again and probably spend more time in Northampton since it is such a cute town.

A horrible third-​rate theater with Gestapo-​like security, disgusting stains on the dance floor, and watered-​down beer at Fenway prices. Avoid at ALL COSTS!!!

This place is really pitiful. The owner has done no work to make it a real music hall — basically it’s a dirty movie theater with a stage. We came to some show here, had what we thought were front row seats, but then discovered rows of folding chairs were in front of us. I am very short and could not see a thing. We left. It was hopeless. We’re back tonight to hear the Irish Rovers. It is definitely even filthier than before. Have yet to hear how the acoustics. The seats are very uncomfortable! The owner would do well to look to the wonderful renovation of the Hanover Theater In Worcester, or the Opera house in Boston. I think this place must just be a money machine because he certainly doesn’t care about music.
That said, the music is great but the acoustics are not fantastic.

Great place — always a good show and logistics — whether it was Indigo girls last year or Paula Poundstone. Very respectful audience, but always engaged with the performer and a classic place to showcase talent.
Nicely located in downtown Northampton near many quality restaurants, shops, arts, etc. so you can make a day or evening out of a show.

The Calvin Theatre has that gilded era look to it. Yes, it could use a fresh coat of paint. The seats weren’t squished together like some people have commented, standard seat size just like most places. FYI, I’m not here to check on seat size & paint quality, I am hear to listen to great music at a decent ticket price and that’s what I got. Its a small theatre so you don’t have to squint to see the stage. We sat in Orchestra so we had a clear view. Sound quality was decent. They do have a cash only bar next to the lobby. I would go here again. Note: If you plan on grabbing a bite to eat before a show I would suggest you pick a restaurant and make a reservation ahead of time. Northampton tends to get busy on Thurs, Fri & Sat nights.

First, I have seen incredible concerts here closer than I ever would have anywhere else. BB King, Train, Rickie Lee Jones, Elvis Costello solo… They can book ‘em, however, you would think that being in western Mass with all the non toxic organic gurus, they would use environmental products to clean the place. Ever heard of HYDROGEN PEROXIDE?
I recently saw Hugh Laurie and the Copper Bottom Band here and as I walked in the front door to get my Will Call, it reeked of toxic cleaning agents underdiluted by the cleaning staff. The bleach along with whatever other HORRIBLE instantly asthmatic inducing bathroom overload of chemicals was more than my lungs and central nervous system could handle. So thanks for the asthma attack with my second row seat Calvin! I was sick for days after, not to mention having to take another pulmonary med on the way home! I had to sit through the entire expensive brilliant performances with a blazing cleaning agents headache.
The other issue I now have with the Calvin theatre is their republic sell out agreement to be trendy and emulate the TSA to prison train the patrons and create a dangerous GUN FREE ZONE in a state that allows licensed concealed carry in a room full of beer farting drunks taking medication. E.g. Gaelic Storm
I also now have to put myself at additional risk of medical harm being an immune compromised person by allowing someone to contaminate my purse and everything in it with their contaminated hands after touching everyones things before mine (ever hear of MRSA? or candida parapsilosis? or parainfluenza?), then if you want something from the bar, even non alcoholic, you have to be openly identified with their signature «drinker» wristband.
They are instructed they are not allowed to touch any of my things. I show them what is in my bag, I refuse to be wristband ID’d as a person who drinks non alcoholic beverages. I no longer bring a purse in and they are not allowed to touch me aka molest me and contaminate my clothing.
Welcome to the Calvin gulag.

We discovered The Calvin Theatre about eight years ago and ever since we scan their concert calendar and make the trip to Northampton a couple times a year. It’s a favorite theater of ours and Northampton is a great little town for our date nights. The Calvin motivates us to make it happen! We’ve seen some great shows there and have discovered some great restaurants within a few blocks of the theater, so it’s ideal for getting us to mark our calendars for special times.
It’s a charming old theater/​intimate concert venue with decent acoustics/​sound and comfortable seating. There is a full bar off the theater lobby, so that’s great when we’re in the mood for a few cocktails –And they allow you to take drinks to your seat too. Live music has been an important part of my life all of my life and I’m grateful to have this venue in the area!

Saw Guster here last week. The show was great. The sound and lighting were good. The physical layout of the theater is great. They have a nice bar, the seats are pretty comfy and it’s a cute little theater. However, the staff needs some work.
I walked in with a bag and tried to get someone to search it but everyone was too busy talking to each other and not paying attention so I just walked in. I was past them when they yelled hey come back we need to check your bag… yah, I know, I tried to get your attention when I walked by you the first time.
Then, we were at the bar during the opener and went to find our seats a little too late and the lights were down. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem because an usher would be able to help you… nope, not at the Calvin. We couldn’t find an usher anywhere and struggled to find our seats. I will admit we should have gone to our seats sooner but even someone at the top of the aisle pointing us in the right direction would have been really helpful. There were a lot of people in the same situation as us and I’m sure it was distracting to others. We eventually saw one man who was ushering people and was doing a great job but there was only one of his and a lot of people trying to find seats.
If they can get the staffing situation fixed here, I think this could be a great venue.

I think this theater is in need of some remodeling. The seats are cramped and need to be reupholstered. After the show, we were informed of a Meet and Greet with the artist in the lobby. Naturally I thought this was somewhere out near the front of the theater, but the lobby was actually located upstairs in a cramped area.
Acoustics were fine, there were no sound issues.

Not sure why the reviews are so lackluster…
I attended a Fiona Apple show that was relocated from Mountain Park in Holyoke. I was pretty apprehensive about the move considering I had 3^rd row seats to the Mountain Park show and because of the move I was going to be re-​assigned a seat «in the front half of the theater» according to the notification voicemail. I was pleasantly surprised upon arriving to find that I was assigned a seat in the 5^th row dead center… probably even closer than my 3^rd row seat would have been at Mountain Park.
As for the theater itself I have absolutely no complaints. The staff were very nice and helpful; the sound where I was seated was great; and they had a better-​than-​expected selection of beer. Visually it’s not the most over-​the-​top beautiful theater in the world, but it has a certain charm of its own. I had no problem finding street parking, but there definitely seemed to be a lot of people circling the surrounding blocks.
Overall, this Brooklyner does not regret the 7 hour round-​trip drive for a show here.

Paid highest price for orchestra tickets and sat in row bb # 6&8. I could only see half the stage. There were no other seats available. I complained that they had a nerve selling those seats at any price never mind at the highest price, $ 45 each,
The box office manager was unsympathetic and pompous. He said take it to the owner if you want. I emailed the owner and never got a response. Is this how much they really care about their patrons?

Saw Gillian Welch here the other night and was pretty happy with the theater. I didn’t see any bathrooms downstairs though, aside from the handicapped only marked ones, and the upstairs ones had a LONG line. Ticket taking process went smoothly. Merchandise i saw for sale was upstairs back in the corner, which made it kind of hard to find. otherwise, it’s a beautiful theater, somewhat old fashioned and charming, and there are bars both up and downstairs. I found the sound to be perfect, not overdone, same with the lights. I don’t like venues that are too loud and bright.

Saw Third Eye Blind here and was a surprising good show with a few drawbacks,
The Calvin itself is nice and the building is in good shape and well taken care of. However… the bar is cash only and drinks $ 6 plus where i could easily go anywhere else but toasted owl and pay $ 4 or less for.
I also could not make out the lyrics most of the time during the show.
The lights for the show were actually really good and the performance was pretty well done, too bad its all supported by iheg…
overall i’d go back and skip on the opening acts and bide my time down the street for awhile.

Kind of reminds me of the wooden roller coaster rides at large, awesome amusement parks: you have to try them because they epitomize the history of the place, but in no way do they come close to satisfying you the way the bigger, newer, thrilling rides do. And they look rundown and crotchety.
The Calvin Theatre itself is a bit cramped, and since it’s the place where larger acts play when in Northampton, you can be sure that attending a show there means you will be crowded, sweaty, and hot. The sound isn’t awful but it isn’t great by any means — however, it’s the best you can have considering the venue. There’s a little bar which will suit your needs, but expect lines and a wait, of course.
If a band you like is coming to town and playing at the Calvin, it will likely be worth your while to attend a show there. Expect few frills, and you’ll be just fine.