Terminal 5 (212) 665-3832 610 W 56th St New York, NY 10019

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Tips

• Know Before You Go
  Terminal 5 shares a box office with Mercury Lounge, so if you want to scoop tickets before the day of the show--which will also cost you less--make the trip to Houston St and Ave A, Monday-Saturday, 12pm-7pm.
• Save Time
  Head upstairs to avoid a mob at the main bar. Beer is the drink of choice, whether draft or bottled, but the bartenders won't begrudge you a more complex cocktail order.
• The Extras
  If you arrive too late to stake out a spot at the front, climb to the top balcony, which juts over the stage, for a bird's eye view.
• Save Money
  Parking garages abound in the area but they don't run cheap. For the best deal, try West End Towers Garage Corp. on 62nd Street and West End Avenue.
• Look Good
  Though the crowd is decidedly casual, with the right "look" you may be able to sweet talk yourself into the ample VIP area.

A mix of blockbuster and boutique extends Bowery Presents' live music hegemony northward, drawing ticket-holders to midtown.
Rebecca Behan
In Short
The trek to Terminal 5 ends in the neon glow of its shiny black marquee, and if the decor seems a touch recycled, the 3,000 show-goers who trudge to 11th Avenue don't seem to mind. Though the space (from the same group behind Mercury Lounge, Bowery Ballroom and other venues) has the capacity of a small arena, its soul remains intimate. Its somewhat squat shape emphasizes a gigantic stage where the usual Bowery mix of upper echelon indie crossover acts shout, shake and shoe-gaze for an adoring crowd.

Hits: With well-planned amenities such as multiple ID checkpoints, restrooms and bars on each level, two balconies and several exits, Terminal 5 avoids most pitfalls of venues its size.

Misses: The audio engineers are still working out the kinks in this soaring space. Sound on the main floor stays muddy, but in the balconies the high notes may pierce sensitive eardrums.

Disgusting Venue

RudyV
Saw NIN on 8/26/09 and even though I'm a huge fan of the band the venue ruined the show for me. There was minimal ventilation which in it of itself is a problem but was made worse when the steam and sweat from the crowd caused enough condensation that actual drops of sweat and other junk started dripping from the ceiling of the balcony above us. It wasn't just one or two drops but you could have probably filled half-a-cup with what dripped on me. The lines of vision are also terrible for this place. Unless you're willing to stand in a hot,sweaty, and uncomfortable pit you're going to have something obstructing your view. For me it was partly the balconies as well as the columns supporting the poles. A testament of how bad the lines of vision are is the fact that venue provides flat-screen televisions on the upper floor. Why would anyone want to look at a tv? Unless NIN plays there again I don't envision myself going to this venue again.

Pros:None
Cons:Lines of vision are horrible. No ventilation.

horrrible sound, terrible venue

jamallen80
I've been to just about every major venue in NYC, and this one is by far the worst out of all of them. Terrible sound quality, poor construction inside (walls look like a bunch of college kids built them in a frat). The upstairs levels are terrible, as you can't see anything - that's why they installed the flatscreen TV's up there. If I want to watch a show on a flatscreen TV, I'll watch palladia at home! Also, the sound is a complete wash - unless you are directly in front of the stage where you can semi hear what the band hears, it's trash. And good luck getting to the front unless you get there 3 hours before the show starts. It's really unfortunate, because for some reason all the promoters are booking the best acts there - they must treat the musicians really well or something back stage, because this venue is terrible for FANS! I hope the musicians wise up and see that the fans write bad reviews of this place, and book more shows at Hammerstein, Bowery Ball Room, Music Hall of Williamsburg, etc. Those are excellent clubs, with great sound. Even Webster Hall is better.

Pros:none
Cons:many

For everyone complaining about the sound....

jforsythe62
It is true the sound here is not great, and something that should be noted is that Bowery Presents in all of its other venue's (webster, ballroom, music hall, mercury lounge) had chosen either EAW or Meyer Sound speaker rigs - basically the Ferrari and Porche of pro loud speakers. For some reason a JBL system was the choice here, which is sort of the Mercedes C-Class of the group..... fine for the layman, but you're not getting your hair tossed back. I was there for the Bloc Party show on 3/24, and all of the criticism voiced on this board is pretty valid - the sight lines are not good (although not terrible), it is far away (but not that far.... whoever said it was a 15-20 minute walk from 53rd clearly is not walking fast enough), the sound is not great (but not offensive), the drinks are expensive (what did you expect?). It was all fine though, and the show was fun - I had a bigger problem with the people at the show than the venue, but that's me. I'll be avoiding it when possible, but if someone you've got to see is playing there..... well, what are you going to do?

Pros:Example: best croissants in town
Cons:What are the drawbacks?

The venue is fine - just get there early

mtochs1
The venue is underrated by previous posters, so I'll slightly overrate it for balance. It's fine. The sound is fine. The venue is your average concert stage. Look at the photo - that's pretty much it. If you can't get there early enough to see the band you want to see, then yes, your sight line will be limited. Beware general admission standing room only! If you don't want to risk it, wait until your artist comes back in the next nine months.

Pros:Plenty of bars, front rows close to stage
Cons:Limited sight lines, smallish space for some bigger bands.

worse than i thought

boldaslove10
last night was my first experience at terminal 5 to see hot chip, and it is safe to say i will never go again. although i showed up late enough to miss the lines around the block, it was no picnic once i got inside. security was a joke, we breezed past the ticket takers (i'm not even entirely sure that our tickets were scanned), and made our way into the venue. the overall vibe was a concert hall having an identity crisis: hipster dance club, overpriced cocktail bar, and stanley kubrick decor all combined. the crowd is the reason why i will never go back. crammed shoulder to shoulder with mobs of upper west side snobs who were coked up and dancing out of their minds is not how i would describe a good time. i did not pay 75 dollars to get body slammed by adults twice my age and getting wailed in the head by wannabe trendsetters who were too coked up to notice or care about what they were doing. to make matters worse, there were so many people packed into such a small space, there was no place to get away and security couldn't have cared less. the average age of the people at terminal 5 was 35-48, and that is no exaggeration. if you're craving an atmosphere similar to that of studio 54 in the 80's this place would be great for you. otherwise, i wouldn't recommend it. there are many obstructions such as columns and posts, and if you're not careful, you will be smashed up against one for the entirety of the show- like my roommate was. hot chip themselves weren't that bad, aside from the fact they started two and a half hours late and only played six songs. i was forced into staying longer than i would have wanted because of the sheer multitude of people. thank god we found a secret door back entrance that led us to the street next to the tour buses. please avoid this place if you want to have a good time. it made me hate people, music, and concert venues as a whole. you will be happier staying in your room and listening to your ipod.







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