Gonna go check out the Doves/Mercury Rev show there in May, and was wondering how the place is.

Do you reckon the May 18th show will sell out?

thanks for any help.

i hate it when its sold out, but since it will be, get there early and stake your claim. its a cool room that way but sucks if your committed to the back.

oh yeh, yes i do think it will sell out

katie, it'd be a good idea to get tix now then eh?

is it a small place?

It is not a bad room. Doesnt have great site lines from what I recall. Basically if you are not in the middle of the room, you risk standing behind poles and stuff.

Id buy tix early... I think the capacity is around 1000.

Webster Hall is two blocks from my house.

right on, thanks for the help. gonna purchase tix tomorrow just to be safe.

maybe i'll see ya there if you end up goin'.

It was great when it was The Ritz. Saw just about everyone there. Never went after they closed and re-opened as Webster. I imagine the floor/stage is still the same, up one flight, with a balcony ring. Bar at the back.

It's average. Capacity I think is 1,250.

The biggest problem is shitty ventilation - It is a total sweatbox after about 1/2 hour, even in the dead of winter. The 'bar' areas are also inconveniently located in prime band-watching real estate, making for some pushing and shobving at times.

Sightlines and sound quality are both OK.

All of us were spoiled to having these cool indie shows at the smaller Bowery Ballroom (550 people) and Irving Plaza (950 people) venues for the last few years, which is why we whine about Webster (which has only been hosting shows regularly for about a year now).

you can't beat Irving Plaza or Bowery Ballroom...the two best smaller venues in NYC, IMO.

it's a pretty big venue like people are saying, but the sound is pretty good. but if you're in the back you'll be pretty far away from stage. i think a lot of shows sell out there. the last time i was there was for the faint/tvor and it was sold out and pretty sweaty. they also made good use of the mega sized screen

it's funny to think of bowery and irving as not big venues though. i think of mercury lounge and the knitting factory as smaller/regular venues. while i consider bowery and irving as big.