The Hawthorne Theatre is a great venue to go for concerts if you like it up close and personal. Ive seen all kinds of bands here, ranging from local too big names like Powerman 5000 and Static-X. Great place to have fun rock out and listen too some jams. Only issues I have is that parking is absolutely horrible around it. Either park at Fred Meyers and risk getting towed, or park in the neighborhood and walk a little. In any case, the venue is killer and tickets are usually less than $30.

This is an awesome venue. We had so much fun at the Young M.A concert. Although, when its packed, its hot as hell! Such a great time. I hope more artists continue to come here.

First time coming here and it was great! Got to see Xavier Omar!! Staff was very polite and professional, drinks were reasonably priced and loved that they served pizza. Will definitely come again when in town.

This review will likely come across as a bit bi-polar, because I have a strong love/hate relationship with the Hawthorne. Its dingy, cramped, the drinks are watered down and overpriced (although nowhere near as bad as the Roseland), the staff are rarely punctual with opening times, the coat checks presence is hit or miss (usually miss), and the sound is often too loud, a poor mix, or both. I could keep going with a myriad of nitpicks and complaints, but that might drive you away from the Hawthorne, and that would be doing you a disservice.All of the above being said, if I had to one choose a venue to see my favorite bands, it will always be the Hawthorne. Why? Because there is often no barrier between the audience and the stage. I have literally stood front row, dead center, close enough to polish the shoes of my favorite artists. The claustrophobic crush of the crowd, the tiny stage and the nearness of the walls, sometimes feeling as if they are close enough to touch, creates an experience that has never been replicated in any other club.90% of my best concert experiences have been at the Hawthorne: a double-edged sword, considering that my favorite bands, who headline festivals in Europe and Latin America, are reduced to playing the dreary warrens of Americas backwater clubs. While I wish them greater popularity in my country (which has terrible taste in music, as a general rule), I wouldnt want my mosh pits any other way: cramped, sweaty and practically overflowing onto the stage.

Hawthorne theatre is awesome. They always have the best staff working their gigs. Very professional and kind. Spacious enough for a small concert. Gets a little warm but they have booze and water for you (Im guessing every time)

It is interesting to be back on psychiatric medications, I am such a different person now then when I was on them in the past. Last time I was on them because I was hiding my true self from the world and this time I am on them because the world wants my most true self hidden. It is comical in a way

Absolutely amazing venue. Staff was friendly and courteous. The only issue is that it get super hot really quick. Mixing that with Portland weather (rain) was not a good smell, but hey! Thats life.

Great place, small comfortable, water station, many bars. Good security. Great music. Smoking section.

I was able to perform on the night Kottonmout Kings came through, 12/16/2018. I love this place so much. The security is some of the best people to know and more than great at their job. The staff as well hands down just awesome people. I cant wait for the next time I get to be there.

Countless great shows over the past 3 years, great staff, drinks, and pizza. The sound is always amazing, the location couldnt be better and the history of the building alone is awe-inspiring. A lot of the bands I have seen here seem refreshed by our crowd energy and good time vibes that music brings us here in the NW. Would have went higher but 5 is that max :)

One of the iconic music venues in Portland. Great variety of artists, fantastic bar staff, courteous and helpful security. New sound system is a big improvement. My favorite place to see a show.

I love going here to watch shows. Its fun. The staff is nice yet blunt, which I like. They leave the passive aggressive out of gtfo of here. Lol. I respect that. The sound is pretty good. Its definitely louder than other venues so bring some ear plugs. Drinks are reasonably priced too.

Loved it. Came here to see Young M.A. I felt like th4 space was intimate , especially for the well known artist. Tickets were reasonably priced and drink prices were your standard over priced situation, surely not crazier that. The max gets you there and back in about the same time as driving!

Very decent small venue for live music. I was there for Spill Canvas and it was a good show. Do NOT take 420 cartridges in, you will not be permitted. Decent drink prices, and really good drinks. Go.for awhile, stay for a great time!!

This theatre is perfect for a nice medium sized audience and provides an atmosphere that lends itself to feel like a somewhat intimate concert. No matter where you sit youll have a great view of the stage. They have specific areas assigned for 21+ people that may want a drink and they check the IDs of everyone entering. The bartenders are fast, very accommodating and friendly. Acoustics are great and the location is good.

This is a good venue. Kinda dirty but in a good way. The sound system is good and good bands play here. I like it.

Really small and crowded. Gets very hot easily. One small bar with one bartender. Its a cool atmosphere though

It was a cool concert, but found that the door bouncers were just jerks. Not good for the club. Would have left if i hadnt known one of the bands.

Cute, quaint little venue with standing room downstairs, and bar upstairs with tables and row seating. I had the honor of seeing Andrew McMahon last month and was so impressed with it being such a warm and intimate venue. I walked around back after the show and met the band, too!

Great venue with great sound. Definitely a favorite venue to see the small local bands and large shows as well.

Decent sound, security is taken VERY seriously. Over all a good time. It just gets hot af, quick..

Great place for concerts, awesome staff, and a great environment to take kids. One of my first venues I ever saw a show at

Great Place! Great Staff, Great Sound.. P.O.D. Rocked the house! Absolutely F@ck#$ Amazing!!

Small venue, but I felt very safe to have teens there. Good security.

I love this smaller venue. One of my favorite places to see a show in Portland! Thanks to The Lawrence Arm, Red City Radio & Sincere Engineer amazing show!

I played here October 3, 2017 with my band TCIW with the Brainiacs and Necromantix to top off the evening on the main stage it was also my birthday. It was the proudest Ive ever been of my music. The soundman is the man. It was sold out the same night Buckethead was in town and the crowd was amazing. I always dreamed of playing here since I got caught sitting on the stage at the black tide show when I was 14. Love you guys.

Cool venue! Sound is incredible no matter where you stand. Bartenders are really nice and so are the people at the front door.

We had a solid experience at this venue. The staff was super profesh and friendly! They were probably the best part, in fact. They demonstrated what to me was an astonishing level of patience with irritating youths trying to bring cigarettes inside. Who knows how many times a month they have to have that conversation. The venue was clean and the sound was great (other than wishing theyd turned up Raveenas mic). Seriously lacking in accessibility, though. The bathrooms were clean but ridiculously tight.

Love this theatre, they have a spot to get water that’s super accessible + their workers are amazing. my car died while i was at a show here & two of the workers helped jump my car and get my wheel unlocked. great customer service 10/10 those men deserve a raise.

Needs more acoustic dampening, IMHO, but overall a nice venue with friendly staff and they dont shaft you on drink prices. Saw Jakob Ogawa...

I was happily surprised that the audio engineers didnt make the music excessively loud; I was actually able to hear and understand the singers for much of the show. I wish things would have been a little quieter, but it was still a step in the right direction.

Good sound, great concert, stage could have been lit better. That didnt stop the venue from being an awesome intimate concert experience.

Small venue . Main bar and upper level was closed during whole concert they had additional space off of control booth gated off which took more space in the middle of floor for people to stand and enjoy concert . Looked relatively clean and staff was friendly

Lovely intimate venue with a great sound system

Very cool place . Great staff and good prices on the drinks. A tad heavy on the ice but other than that it is a great venue !

My favorite venue. Great sound, nice local feel. Love it.

Really cool spot but the sound isnt the greatest. We could hardly even hear the singer. I would definitely recommend ear plugs.

I found the security moved quickly and the staff were friendly during the process. Overall, the venue is good for a small crowd- it did get a bit hot, but it is summer and it was a full house. Beer selection left a lot to be desired, but the music was superb. I will be back.

Ive seen a few shows here. One of them I went to with my friend who struggles with some health issues and the staff did a really good job of taking care of us. Also a generally nice space.

Good venue security was very polite and quick and getting people though while making sure only what was allowed was brought in.

Love the shows here, despite the acoustics.

Loved playing this place with my band Messer. We were here on the Unstoppable Screams Tour with Red, Lacey Sturm and Righteous Vendetta. Sold out show and staff was friendly and amazing! The sound was smokin hot! We will be back!!

Great small venue, but the setup kind of blows for all ages shows.

Hawthorne Theater is definitely not a venue for the faint-hearted. Be prepared for some aggressive Security. Expect to arrive fully one (1) hour prior to allow for long security lines that stretch down the road as people wait to enter. While waiting to enter, youll be camped out next to a VERY busy roadway with very-low street curbs which are less than 50% high due to road resurfacing. Cars going 50+ MPH.Walking in, Security had all the charm of prison guards.The Security intake process into the venue resembled post-9/11 examination rigor. People were dressing down, purses were vigorously searched. pockets rabbit-eared, and many security staff were pierced-with-big-beards-and-attitude. You can tell Security is definitely all into their tough-guy look and act accordingly...sunglasses, short answers to questions, gruff responses, etc.Multiple frenzied, beeping metal detection wands were being waved around to excess...it was nothing short of chaotic.It also appears that Hawthorne Theater has had this aggressive Security issue going on several months now. Either way, were definitely not going to another event at that venue.

Amazing performance by Pineapple Thief tonight. This show will be remembered big time

I have been to the Hawthorne twice, once for music in the small bar, and a love podcast. Its always hot as hell. The concert hall is standing room, but there were chairs set up for the podcast. Dont forget the pizza in the coat room! They are very safe and very anti pot. You will end up throwing away anything you have on you. The staff is always very full of themselves and on a witch hunt. There really isnt a lot to say about this venue.

This venue is the best for Demon Hunter shows!

Theres still good Metal

I like that they have a lot of metal shows that I like and its in a pretty convenient spot at 39th and Hawthorne. Theres an address car with food and to smaller bars in the actual venue itself that serve pretty weak drinks. My main issue is the sound. Its my least favorite in the Portland area other than the Moda Center.

Great venue for music, AWFUL STAFF. Stepped out to take a work call, no warning about re-entry. They told me no re-entry regardless of stamps for the event and my ticket. Terrible service, rude service and would avoid if you have another option.

My granddaughters boyfriend was assaulted by the staff here. He did nothing to deserve this.

Strung Out rocked the Hawthorne Theater as usual. Twenty years boys, twenty years.

Really enjoyed seeing some of my favorite bands here. No matter where you are standing or sitting you will have a great view of the stage.

This show was spiritual and mind altering i felt a new found freedom a proper place to get out much needed energies inside me. I am thankful the staff didnt kick me out after i was head butted in the nose practically an i started moshing...how can you not to The Used first of all!! But this girl snitched on me..like I told everyone i will be on the barracade by shows end... They tried acting tough but no thanks not that girl !! I am The useds princess in love and death and i will stay #heartcore til the day I die ... Ill spill my heart for them... Lmfao they reminded how I was b4

Awesome venue... Great bands and intimate setting

For a city that is pro marijuana, you employees seem pretty judgmental about it. Especially Tim. Speaking of which Tim refused to give me his last name seeing and “he’s the only one Tim here.” I have major anxiety issues with a long night ahead. I was not vaping on my vape pen inside. I was escorted out simply because it was in my bra. When I went through security I asked if it was okay to have they said yes as long as I wasn’t using it. Tim seems to have a power struggle clearly. 0/10 would recommend ever coming here, save your money and wait for your artist to perform at the Roseland.. you’ll have a better experience and time there. And Tim you need to work on well just being a more decent human being.

Alexander23 and Alec Benjamin was amazing

Went to a concert, great staff, atmosphere and experience.

Great small venue for a concert. Parking sucks so dont drive.

Great theater. We were there filming an episode for Headbangers live TV show. The staff was great, very helpful and the sound system was great. The little Mexican place next door was great too.

I just saw Jack Harlow. It was pretty awesome. Have not been here before.

Great venue! Had a great night there.

Awesome place! Got to meet We Came As Romans here and it was just beyond perfect!!

Great little venue for smaller shows!!!

Cool place. No crowd surfing allowed though. Found out the hard way. Almost got thrown out.

A lot of space, fun for concerts & good energy.

Awesome music and a fun crowd.

Ive been to concerts here several times. The most recent concert was just as I was leaving a concert inside, and a guy outside sang for me and my daughter and niece. It was an experience to remember. Two for the price of one.

Great experience. New here and the hawthorne has been the only venue so far we have really liked. Last night was a show in the bar and it was great. Staff is friendly-ish but thats usually the case with dudes too cool for school

Had an amazing time, awesome staff, and cant wait to see more of my favorite bands there.

It was a great venue for what they do here. Sound is decent. Bring ear plugs for ear safety. Mosh pit galore so dont get in the middle unless your ready to rage. People are mostly friendly and will help you out if you get pushed down. How a real mosh pit should be.

Saw ManMan and Rebekah Black and it was a thrilling show. The security guards did an awesome job of keeping the crowd surfers from busting there heads on the concrete, and did thorough bag searching. It was an overall enjoyable experience and I would go to a show here again. Wouldve loved it to be 2 or 3° cooler though.

Small venue made the show even better. Will definitely return for another show!!

Cool venue weird layout with alchohol and smoking section all ages but cant bring your beer to the all ages section

Use to come here only for concerts, good place

Small hall ways suck. Great artist and staff.

The show and staff were amazing! Strong drinks and good pizza! Only complaint is the heat. It gets ridiculously hot inside the venue. They really need to fix that problem before too many people pass out.

Absolutely beautiful theatre, I will absolutely be back for more shows in the future.

Great place. Liked the beer selection. Employees really nice. Bands Cam and Logan did great.

I loved this venue so much! The staff were absolutely exceptional and the space was super cool!!

This place is a love it and hate it place for me. Its always nice seeing bands here because its always up close and personal. Theres a bar right there to easily watch bands play if thats your thing. The main bar away from the stage has a lot of little solo acts for live music throughout the week. The staff is usually great. The worst thing about this about this place, and its a big one for me, is that the sound system sucks. As far as watching bands go, thats pretty important haha.

The big room is surprisingly big. The little room is nice and cozy. Ive yet to get kicked out of here, so thats pretty good.

A really nice theater with a great sound system

Hawthorne theater is a really great venue to see smaller shows, but they over sell tickets for the popular bands and the floor plan does not support the headcount making for a poor experience.

I love coming here! Many of the bands I love seeing come here. A good bar on site and a drinking area in the back of the venue make it so both 21+ friendly and underage admittance is available. Can get a little bit hot and crowded, but thats how concerts are. Be prepared for security (dont bring knives or weed).

Small venue. Seemed a little understaffed, but the staff that was there was wonderful! They made the experience very enjoyable. Sound was pretty good, but a little loud as usual for a venue of this size.

Great venue for bands that want to be one with their fans, great pizza, clean environment and hospitality rocks. Thank you for making my first experience in the theater awesome!

The staff here never hesitate to take good care of me. Ive been here well over 200 times since I was a teenager, and Ive yet to have a bad experience.

I thought the security and entrance staff were nice and approachable. The bartenders upstairs and in the annex room were informative and helpful. The concert space was great for a smaller venue. I Found street parking within 3 blocks. I would absolutely return. My only complaint was that everything closed down when the concert was over near midnight, I would have happily gotten another drink and socialized a bit later. *acknowledged this likely had to do with their permits, not for a lack of wanting to be open later. I hope to visit again.

Terrible place to wait in line (by busy street). Security guards talk and act like prison guards. One of them acted like he was drunk or possibly having a mental breakdown because the audience took more than five minutes to exit at the end of the show. Sound is terrible. Will probably never see a show here again.

The sound guy did a great job! I always wear earplugs to muffle all the highs and to get the tines better.Ive seen Big Boi, Damien Marley, Mellow Mood, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Brother Ali and The Skints twice... at this venue.The staff is great. I dont drink alcohol so the water stain is important to me and is excellent, 2 taps with lots of clean cups.The aesthetic is nothing to write home about but when the lights go down and that bass starts kickin, who cares!Ive never eaten here. Parking can be difficult so come early and walk the area. There are shops and eats and such.RECOMMEND

Drove down from Seattle to see the Bosstones. The sound here is incredible and the venue was definitely worth the trip. One thing that really surprised me was the staff, they were super friendly, absolutely no attitudes. I will definitely be going back.

Security is hardcore because of safety concerns you also have to leave at the end unless buying merch which is kinda strict & the food options unless yr lucky are few mostly variations of pizza but otherwise GREAT and fd FREE WATER thats awesome been there 3 freaking times STIFF LITTLE FINGERS THE AVENGERS +GUESTS THE SUICIDE NOTES OCT 9TH STRUNGOUT THE CASUALTIES + GUESTS CLITERATI HALLOWEEN NIGHT AND NOV 17TH DEATH ANGEL EXMORTUS + GUESTS HELLFIRE GOOD TIMES WILL GO BACK AGAIN!

I saw Set It Off here and while the concert was amazing, it was standing room only which was difficult for such a long concert with three opening bands. The venue is small and intimate which is very nice so you can get close to the bands.

It was so crowded, hard to even get merch. Show was incredible Static X

An intimate venue for concerts. Minor complaint is that the sound could be better as it has a tendency to be too bass heavy. If you value your hearing, use earplugs. (Photo taken from upstairs at back of venue.)

Amazing history great acoustics.. Absolutely abysmal parking situation..

The place was just okay but the Zhavia concert was great!

Ive seen several shows here & this place is great! They are great with security. Some awesome concerts come through this place. Its also a Pokegym on Pokemon GO, so thats just an added bonus.

Ive been here a million times (unfortunately) for most of the concerts Ive been to. Its tiny and hot. The only upside is that its in a great location with lots of things to do while waiting for a show to start.