Auditorium Theatre - Chicago, IL Seating (Porcupine Tree)

[GOS]

HI all - so, tomorrow I'm wanting to buy tickets for Porcupine Tree for Sept 20th, at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, IL. Can someone who has been there comment on the seating? I have printed off charts, but really, they don't tell the whole story.

• The closest seats, called Orchestra Seating. (I'll assume it's the main "floor") Are those all at same level (moveable chairs) or are they typcial stationary seats whereby each row raises a bit in altitude?
• Is the very first balcony, still a very good selection for good viewing?

 

[Sonik Wiz]

Here's some pics that might answer some questions:

https://www.auditoriumtheatre.org/

 

[doity]

Beautiful place. I wonder how they change those hundreds of light bulbs on that curved ceiling?

 

[GOS]

I think I'm good. Sonik's link had good enough pics that I get the general layout. I'm afraid about what they will charge. LOL!

 

[GOS]

What is important to me, is, clear view of the stage, aisle seating. Mostly center or slightly off center. Not nose-bleed seats. I want to see expressions, feel their mood.

 

[GOS]

I'll let you all know what seats I end up with. My alarm is set for 9:30am central...I'll be at work, but I'm ready.

 

[rtbluray]

Just got my seats for Chicago!

 

[fthesoundguy]

Wish I would have seen this yesterday. Sonically, there is not a bad seat in the house. Its perfect acoustics help with that immensely. I always go for first row of the balcony so there's clean sight lines and if I want to sit and enjoy the show, that can be done. There really isn't that bad of a seat though either. Its the people you are around that is usually the problem.

They also did charge about double what I was expecting, but all these bands are trying to make up for the last couple of years. You all will be in for an absolute treat though if you've never been here before. I'm already pumped for it!

• The closest seats, called Orchestra Seating. (I'll assume it's the main "floor") Are those all at same level (moveable chairs) or are they typcial stationary seats whereby each row raises a bit in altitude?
• Is the very first balcony, still a very good selection for good viewing?

The orchestra seating are all stationary with realistic raises as you go along. If you look at the pictures, theres a 3 step bump about halfway through. If you get the first row of that section, its absolutely incredible. (I had those for David Gilmour). The first balcony should be really good too. That's where I'm sitting this show and i'm really looking forward to it. This theatre's seating is stacked pretty close on top of each other, so its closer to the stage than it appears.

 

[GOS]

Ugh, I missed out. I couldn't get the seats I wanted, and on the other hand, "some" I wanted were out of my price range I was willing to spend at this time. Oh well. My wife is super short, so finding a row that is "first in it's tier" is mandatory. I just couldn't get it pulled off. I was in the que pretty early, but damn, it just wasn't going to work out.

 

[audiomaster]

Beautiful place. I wonder how they change those hundreds of light bulbs on that curved ceiling?

Bet somebody could invent a drone to do that?

 

[Lord British]

Ugh, I missed out. I couldn't get the seats I wanted, and on the other hand, "some" I wanted were out of my price range I was willing to spend at this time. Oh well. My wife is super short, so finding a row that is "first in it's tier" is mandatory. I just couldn't get it pulled off. I was in the que pretty early, but damn, it just wasn't going to work out.

I ended up scoring 2 seats in the middle orchestra, but damn it was difficult. For some reason Ticketfu**ster won't let you buy any seats that leave a single seat open, and then every time I went to try and purchase them, it said I wasn't able to do so on my current computer. So I had to log in using another computer, meanwhile seats are disappearing like hotcakes, literally by the second. I can see them disappearing on the seating chart. When I did log back in, there were seats available that were not there the first time around, so I was able to luck out and get what I wanted, although, yes, at a higher price point than I wanted to spend. But I don't go out to too many concerts, and these guys are a must-see for me. STOKED!

 

[fthesoundguy]

Ugh, I missed out. I couldn't get the seats I wanted, and on the other hand, "some" I wanted were out of my price range I was willing to spend at this time. Oh well. My wife is super short, so finding a row that is "first in it's tier" is mandatory. I just couldn't get it pulled off. I was in the que pretty early, but damn, it just wasn't going to work out.

Damn. Hopefully you’ll be able to find something for the general public sale. It didn’t seem like there were very many seats available for this presale.

 

[Sonik Wiz]

Beautiful place. I wonder how they change those hundreds of light bulbs on that curved ceiling?

Well, I suspect there will be some in the audience that will be high enough to do that if need be.

 

[audiomaster]

I ended up scoring 2 seats in the middle orchestra, but damn it was difficult. For some reason Ticketfu**ster won't let you buy any seats that leave a single seat open, and then every time I went to try and purchase them, it said I wasn't able to do so on my current computer. So I had to log in using another computer, meanwhile seats are disappearing like hotcakes, literally by the second. I can see them disappearing on the seating chart. When I did log back in, there were seats available that were not there the first time around, so I was able to luck out and get what I wanted, although, yes, at a higher price point than I wanted to spend. But I don't go out to too many concerts, and these guys are a must-see for me. STOKED!

Ticketmaster in USA is notorius for letting scalpers buy blocks of tickets first and then resell them (on Ticketmaster) for inflated prices. I think this even happens on "presales". They have Bots that do the buying in seconds after sale starts. Very unfair. Had this happen to me on a Trans Siberian Orchestra concert just before Christmas. I even joined the "FAN CLUB" for the "presale" but no joy. 8-(((

 

[Tribby2001]

The acoustics in the Chicago Auditorium Theater are

 

[doity]

OK, I just figured out the “great light bulb mystery.” There is a great video I found on Facebook that goes into the whole history of the theater and there is a 30 minute segment on the lights themselves. Fascinating place.....I wish that we had a theater that nice in my town. Apparently the bulbs are changed from above. There are catwalks above the ceiling and the bulbs just pull out along wit the fixture.

I was stage manager at my high school and we had a big old grand auditorium. It sat close to 2,000 and the school was so big that during assemblies students would have to go in shifts. Me and my fellow stagehands would climb a very tall metal ladder on a near daily basis under the guise of “adjusting the klieg lights.” Once you reached the fly grid you could cross this rickety piece of wood and go through a door to go over the ceiling. There was another wooden catwalk that would cut right through the center and there were the klieg lights. We always seemed to come down from up there feeling a bit differently if you get my drift .

 

[Ranasakawa]

I'm glad I got to see PT in 2008.The bass player they are using now is way too busy for the intimate, progressive style of Porcupine Tree

 

[Tribby2001]

There was another wooden catwalk that would cut right through the center and there were the klieg lights. We always seemed to come down from up there feeling a bit differently if you get my drift .

Ah, yyyeah. We used to do that in shop class while the paint booth was running 🌪

 

[doity]

I'm glad I got to see PT in 2008.The bass player they are using now is way too busy for the intimate, progressive style of Porcupine Tree

I must had heard that bands name mention hundreds of times but never heard their music before. Don’t know why, I must had been living in a tree. A very tall porcupine tree. I finally just checked them out. They seem to be similiar to a cross between Floyd and Genesis, but with indie rock sensibilities. Not sure if I like the lead singers vocals, but the band seems solid.

 

[doity]

Ah, yyyeah. We used to do that in shop class while the paint booth was running 🌪

That’s funny. Did you go to school during the 70’s? I swear, half of the kids in wood shop were using the lathe to make “table lamps” and the teacher never caught on. It was the inmates running the asylum back then I swear. We would tell our teacher “We’re going up to adjust the klieg lights Mr. Carothers” and he would just say “Ok boys.” Sometimes we would just stay up on the fly grid and hope that no one coughed too loud. Those were the days.