McMenamins Crystal Ballroom

10/23/09

poor sound and forget bringing a bag

by sww8

1. Despite the sizable ticket price, the sound was atrocious. couldn't clearly pick out a tune even in familiar songs. to be fair, the music was loud and raucous (the jesus lizard), but it still should be tuneful.

2. No bags allowed and they do not provide a bag check option. myself and others had to return to the car (and we were lucky, at least we had a car to go to) to drop our bags and missed the first band in the process.

3.We got frisked before entering (that's always a great way to start the night) and there were lots of signs listing out what not to do. again, fun.

4.Like a number of pdx venues, the drinkers and non-drinkers are separated by an aisle for security. Here however, the security folks were constanly run up and down throughout the show, looking for ne'er-do-wells. Very distracting.

• Pros: admittedly, lovely architecture
• Cons: no bags/bagcheck, crappy sound, not fun

01/05/09

Overpriced and understaffed. NYN on NYE was the biggest ripoff!

by klarenaugen

NYN....not worth it. We spent $150 each...YES EACH for a ticket. Thinking sure....free food and drinks all night. NO. All we did was wait in line. 2 bartenders for everyone. The drinks were the weakest drinks i have ever tasted. The champagne toast was the biggest rip off ever. They didn't even have enough to go around! Instead, they served redbull! It wasn't even champagne! You'd wait in line for 40 min to get a painfully weak drink, then you'd turn around and go directly to the back of the line. Despite the fact we spent $150 to get into the venue, once we were there, we couldn't leave. IF we left, we couldn't get back in. Couldn't have a cig, couldn't go to the car, couldn't get fresh air. We were locked in like cattle.

This was not the only event that i have been to that sucked at the crystal ballroom. Halloween, same thing. cost $40 to get in. Drinks were overpriced, waited 30 min to get a drink. Wtf? If you left, you couldn't get back in.

Come on management... It's mcminnemans, you guys aren't going under... the economy is terrible and there are SO many people that are willing to have a job...HIRE MORE STAFF!

I TOTALLY VETO the Crystal Ballroom.

• Pros: the venue is beautiful.
• Cons: overpriced, understaffed, poor management

01/02/09

New years nation event TERRIBLE!

by sjmcoregon

This review is for the New Years Nation event hosted at the Crystal ballroom on 12/31/2008. I don't advise this event if you expect to get a drink. We got mid level tickets for $150 expecting open bar and food all night . The food was good but when there is two bartenders for 300 people getting a drink took about and hour and then they would only give you one. People in general addmission had it even worse! No one was even dancing they were standing in line! Also, once you got in and handed your tickets over they informed you that you could not leave the building or you wouldn't get back in. We stood in line from 11:10 to 12:05 for our last drink and left to go somewhere else! WHAT A RIPOFF! When something seems to good to be true, it is!