I've been to venues that hold up to 20,000 people. I've been to venues that hold up to 5,000 people and I've been to venues that hold less than 800 people.
After attending more concerts than the average person, I can say that I prefer venues that hold 5,000 and under.
Don't get me wrong, hearing 20,000 people sing "This Is Gospel," by Panic! At The Disco gives me chills and I'm counting down the days until I can experience that again, but being in a smaller venue is where I truly love seeing a show.
The lower the capacity, the more intimate the show is. Not only is it easier to make your way to the barricade, but you'll have lots more room to move around and dance with your friends if there are under 800 people there.
This may be just me, but I feel like acoustics sound better in smaller venues. You can hear them over the crowd while they sing and they just sound better. In bigger venues, you can hardly hear them, even when they are amped up and sometimes it ruins the songs. Plus, I love acoustic moments during shows. They are my favorite part of the whole show because all you can hear is the guitar, the singer and the crowd singing it right back.
Who could forget about the ability to see wherever you are in the venue? Whether you are in the barricade, in the back of the pit or sitting at one of the seats at the table, there is not a bad place in a smaller venue because there is no tiered seating, so you don't have to worry about a human giraffe standing in front of you.
Out of the smaller venues I've been to, my favorite is a close tie between The Ready Room and Delmar Hall, both of which are in St. Louis.
The Ready Room is my favorite because it, literally just like its name, is just a room that holds no more than 800 people, which means you can watch the show from literally anywhere and still be able to see. Plus, getting to the barricade is awfully easy, because at this venue, it's so long. Although sometimes at this venue, there are circle pits and walls of death during heavier shows. If you don't know what those are, feel free to look them up, and be cautious when you see one forming.
Delmar Hall is in the Delmar Loop, right next to The Pageant, which is also a favorite venue of mine. I really like Delmar Hall because of its general admission floor and small stage. You can literally stand anywhere and still be able to see. Also, it's one of the more cleaner venues that I've been to, but that is beside the point.
No matter where the concert is, I have such a great time, because honestly, I'm focused on the band in front of me and not the venue, but my preference is smaller venues because of how intimate they are.
Next time you go to a show at a bigger venue or a smaller venue, ask yourself which one you prefer!
