State Theatre

You can find it all at the State Theatre whether its movies, live music or stand up comedy. When it closed a few years ago, I was upset because this is my go-​to place for live music. Then there were rumors that it was coming back and I celebrated! I visited shortly after the reopening and it looked great inside! New seats that actually looked comfortable! The decorative filigree around the ceiling looks shiny and wonderful. I’m pretty sure the bathrooms will never change but that’s part of its charm. It just feels like a historical space now with an old-​timey appeal.
The best part is that the variety of shows has only increased since then. It used to be mostly a live music venue but now they have bands, comedians, movies and the occasional live burlesque show. I love the fact that there isn’t a bad seat in the house. You can stand on the floor, sit in the seats or head up to the balcony and you’ll be able to have a great view of the show.
I love seeing live comedy here because you can be close if you want to be picked on by the comedian or you can laugh from afar. Being inside during a sold out concert is an exhilarating experience where you think the cheering will bring down the ceiling. You can clearly tell that bands on the rise appreciate how much Portland loves the fact that they detoured past Boston to visit our fair city.
If I had to find a negative about this theatre, I just wish there was air conditioning. During the summer months, the balcony is unbearable. Sometimes there will be a breeze coming through the doors on the fire escape, but for the most part it’s sweltering.

It pains me to give such a quaint historic venue only 1 star… but seriously, it barely deserves that. Just left Kathy Griffin show early… who we LOVE… but sound system was so terrible we could barely hear anything… seats were so beyond obscenenly cramped… think of the worst coach seat on an airplane you have ever experienced… then cut it in half… and worst of all… NO AIR CONDITIONING… brutally hot and humid… even Kathy commented numerous times how horrible it was… she called it a «garage»…which is exactly what it felt like… SERIOUSLY, if John Lennon, Jimmy Hendrix and Curt Cobain miraculously came back to life and were performing here under these conditions today… eh…I’ll take a pass…
Sorry…if you are going to run a place like this… RUN IT PROPERLY and invest in making it at least tolerable. If you can’t, well… just turn it back into a porn theater again, as it was before. This really really sucked. So glad to be home and out of there… pure sweaty hell… an embarrassment to Portland…

A smaller venue but brings some of the best performers around!!! I love living walking distance from it.

This is a very cool place with multiple levels and sections. The sound is good and it is small enough to get close to the band but big enough that you can stay out of the crowd. My only complaint is that the bartenders don’t cut people off so there are a lot of fall-​down drunks.

Worse place to be at! Security dumb as hell! Need better mângenent! I will never spend a dime again there!

DO NOT ATTEND IN WARM WEATHER. NO AC. We attended the Moth Mainstage on May 30^th 2015. It was 55 – 60 outside and about 80 or more inside. I had to take my shirt off.

I’m sure one can have a vastly different experience here at every show, so this brief review is about something outside of the specific show — for the most part.
The Brandi Carlisle show was proliferated with female fans — the State Theatre is NOT proliferated with more bathroom stalls for women than men. Makes sense given the age of the structure.
The ‘bathroom security’ guards were quite busy chastising women who had the nerve to go in to the men’s room when no men were in there. Seriously? Nothing better to attend to. Trying to extract a woman from a stall while she’s doing her business is such a futile effort. Must have made them feel masculine?
Tough review I know, but really, find something more important to monitor.

Good beer and great atmosphere. We went for the banff film fest and had a great time. The bar service was quick and lots of good snack bite options. Great date night or group outing.

The drinks are strong and the architecture is beautiful, if you’re into either of those two things than you should be set. They get in a decent array of bands and also host various community events. I’ve been to both a Community Chamber awards show here and a GoGo Bordello show. Overall, I’m just happy to have a nice venue of this size in town and I’m a sucker for an old theater.

I’ve been visiting the State Theatre for nearly 15 years now, throughout it’s various ownerships, openings and re-​openings. Even though Portland now has a selection of different venues of varying sizes, this will always be my favorite. It’s the perfect size for on-​the-​rise bands not well-​known enough to fill a Civic Center-​sized venue (but would probably sell out larger venues in Boston). Somehow it’s always been in the same state of rundown-​ness since I’ve been attending shows and events — everything from the shabbiness of the outside box office to the musty grandparent’s-basement smell of the lobby and the bathroom makes me nostalgic for the shows I’ve seen throughout the years. Ray Lamontagne in 2005 remains to this day the best show I’ve ever been to.
And a bonus is that the vendors don’t really try you gouge you with merchandise or beer prices. Beer prices were $ 5 at the event I attended a few days ago.
At the end of the day the venue probably won’t matter if you care enough about the performers, but if I still lived in Boston I would happily drive up to Portland to see a musician that I really love in a smaller, more intimate venue like The State.

My favorite indoor venue in Portland! The place is much larger on the inside. They have a balcony which is usually open.
Drinks are usually a bit pricey (drink elsewhere before going in). They have no readmission, so no smoking.
Bathrooms get messy fast and the men’s room floor is usually soaked by the end of the night.

So-​so music venue. Sound is often inconsistent and muddy. Last night I saw Kurt Vile and the Violators, with Steve Gunn and Jenny Lewis opening.
The Steve Gunn set was marred by a fire alarm and evacuation. Not sure of the cause and we got back in about 20 minutes later.
Balcony closed off, which was a shame.
Overall, decent place to see live shows as long as the sound mix doesn’t alter the experience as has happened for me in the past. Staff are friendly and the place is fairly clean, although I didn’t care for being told we had to exit right after Vile’s set finished up (with no encore). Fire drill and being after midnight might have had something to do with that.
Diverse bookings are a plus.

Last night I saw Anthony Jesselnik at the State Theater. The theater seating in the first few rows had me wondering how long before my ass fell asleep or my legs started cramping. Much to my surprise the seats were pretty comfortable and while there was not a lot of leg room there seemed to be enough elbow room between me and those on either side of me.
The show itself was hilarious but this is about the theater not the act. The staff was pleasant and moved quickly. They had tons of people working the doors and in the aisles to get you were you needed to be. It was so nice to not have to search for help. Instead the help found me.
Very nice venue, well staffed and a great show.

I’ve been to the State Theatre 5+ times for concerts and I ALWAYS love it. Great atmosphere, gorgeous décor. Love it.

The State reopened shortly after I moved to Portland in 2010, much to the delight of seemingly everyone in the area.
The thing I like most about the State Theatre is the variety of shows that they bring in. Shows you want to sit and watch, shows you want to be on the dance floor for, comedians, movies, and even burlesque performances.
Before you go, here are a few things to keep in mind:
— There is an open space in front of the stage, there are also seats on two levels. Every show that I’ve been to has been GA, so no need to worry about assigned seats. Get up front if you want to, sit down when you need a break. I’m not sure that this is how EVERY show is, but you’ll probably be informed when buying tickets if you’re getting an assigned seat.
— Drinks are expensive. But realistically, where is this not the case? If you’re going to a concert, you are probably overpaying to drink there. The State is conveniently located really close to several bars and restaurants, so grab some food and drinks beforehand and save when you’re inside. If you do want to purchase drinks, they often have local offerings (a summer favorite is Maine Mead Works lavender mead /​lemonade combo).
— It gets hot. Again, kind of a given, but dress appropriately. It gets pretty unpleasant on really hot days, and everyone will be crowded and sweaty. Make sure you hydrate. I do wish you could sneak outside for some air on nights like this, but there’s no re-​entry. (This is my number one qualm with this venue, though it’s kind of a non-​issue in cooler months)
— The building is awesome! Make sure you appreciate that you are in a really old, gorgeous theater.
— If you’re desperate to meet your favorite performer, you can hang outside like a creep around the tour buses that are parked on the street. You can probably catch a glimpse of them, if you really want to be that person.
— People line up HOURS before shows start. I know this happens everywhere, but the State is small enough that I’ve always been able to make my way close enough to the stage, without spending the afternoon outside.
— Buy tickets in advance, they’re usually a few bucks cheaper than if you buy them day of.

I’m sometimes intimidated by venues and feel lost or out of place, but I feel right at home at The State.
It’s worn and comfortable but not grungy. A very hard balance to pull off! It simply oozes character. The seats are comfy enough, the sound is great, and they have awesome shows and events ranging from concerts to movie festivals. The bar is great and runs some specials, and the people who work it are fun to chat with.
I just love this place.

Last night was my first night at the State Theater in Portland, ME and I must say I was very surprised at the amount of charm that was here. From the outside, it really does not look like it is all that appealing but once you step in the doors and into the main stage area, you can see why this would be a great place to go to see concerts and in our case movies.
We came here to see the short film collection by Maine filmmakers in a event called Damnation 2013 and we really enjoyed it. The acoustics of the building made the scarier scenes that much more scary and the psychological pieces that much more psychological.
The seats that we were in were very comfortable and it even had an upper deck mezzanine to watch things from a different angle.
Although this was my first time here, I can see myself going to this place to see some future shows. I saw a couple that I may have to partake in near the end of this year in Elvis Costello and BadFish on New Years Eve (tribute to Sublime).
The décor in this place is very much the same as an old time theater like an old opera house with the colors being maroon and gold.
I recommend the State Theater for your future events not only for the local feel of Portland but also for the charm of an old theater house. Hidden Gem.

The State Theatre has been an icon in Portland for years and years. It has a fabulous history (the short and long of it: the State was opened in the late 1920’s as essentially a movie theatre [showing silent films, vaudeville acts, then motion pictures]; from 1940 to 1960 it also started showing live dance and theatre performances; in the 1960’s — after falling on hard times — it started showing X-​rated films; in 1990 it was closed because of how broken down the place was; it was reopened in 1993 after some much needed repair work; closed again in 1996 after some of the ceiling collapsed; opened again after more repair work in 2000; closed again in 2006; and then reopened once again in 2010 after major renovations — hey, our city’s motto is «Resurgam» for a reason!); kudos to the newest owners who have done an exceptional job at renovating it to make it both safe and modern while preserving the period décor (which is one of my favorite visual things in all of Portland). Furthermore, I think the State does an excellent job at being involved in the development of the arts and music community! Bravo, bravo, bravo!
Personally, I have incredibly fond memories of the place: I slept under the awning in 2005 so that my little sister could be first in line to see MSI (the Portland police even stopped by frequently to make sure we were okay, and even offered to bring us sandwiches!), a few years later I saw one of the very last Nickel Creek concerts here, and in the past two years I’ve been able to enjoy some of my favorite indie bands (Miike Snow, Keane, Iron & Wine just to name a few) I never thought I’d get to see.
The acoustics are incredible, the acts are diverse, the drinks are cold, the security is on top of things (sometimes a little too much, but better safe than sorry I guess), and the people watching is fantabulous. I have no complaints regarding the State Theatre so to me — Woohoo! This is as good as it gets!
Is the State «perfect» though? No. And no music venue ever has been or ever will be (CBGB despite it’s posthumous glory was a mega dive). People will ALWAYS find something to be dissatisfied with (it’s our nature). Let’s address some of those things now, yeah?
1) Sometimes it gets really flipping hot inside the State. … OF COURSE IT DOES. What do you think happens when you put x-​amount of people in a space with x-​amount of room (and do this in July when Maine is NOTORIOUS for severe heat and humidity)? Don’t be silly. This isn’t an issue unless you make it an issue — dress appropriately.
2) «There’s no smoking area.» Nope. You’re right. There isn’t. Welcome to Maine — we’re a No Smoking state. Consider this our gift to your health while you’re here.
3) The seats are awful. Maybe this is true; maybe this isn’t true. It’s all perspective, right? I’m 5’2″ so the seats seem just fine to me — then again, I’ve maybe only ever sat in them for a nanosecond since I can’t wrap my brain around sitting at a concert. Get up! Boogie! Enjoy life!
4) The bathrooms aren’t perfectly clean/​the line at the bar can be a little lengthy. I have bad news: the employees can’t be everywhere at once. Do you want your beer right now or do you want an impeccably clean bathroom right now? Pick what means most to you in this moment. Because you can’t have both.
5) «Other concert-​goers here talk too much.» Can’t really fault the State for that one, can you?
What it all boils down to is this: if you are enjoying a show at the State Theatre it’s because you are fortunate enough to have disposable income. Not everyone has that luxury. So, take a deep breath of fresh air (or inhale that last puff of cigarette smoke if that’s your thing) before going in, pee BEFORE the place gets crowded, grab a drink BEFORE the place gets crowded, find a seat/​area to stand in that works best for you, and just enjoy life.

I’ve been in Maine for only about 5 months as of the penning of this review, and already have seen Beck and Jimmy Eat World. I really enjoy the bar area that is in the GA standing area. You can be getting a drink without missing any of the rock and roll.

Caught a show here on Friday night with a long lost friend. I was late, and still managed to end up directly in front of the stage. This is a beautiful theater, and they pull in some really great acts.
Apparently during the opening act I was standing next to the lead singer for the headlining band. No big deal, just chillin in Maine.
The bathroom and bar lines were really fast. Definitely a place I will revisit the next time I am in Portland!