Bass Concert Hall

This is a wonderful venue, and it does a great job is bringing in world class acts! The interior is spacious and clean, the staff are uniformly polite and attentive, the seats are comfy and spaced appropriately for orchestra level patrons to see what’s going on, and the actual performances are top notch. It’s a treat to come here!
I’ve lived on and off in Austin for years, and this is by far my favorite venue. It doesn’t hurt that that shows and events that come to Bass are world-​class acts, of course, but I think it’s the friendliness of the venue that makes this such a delight to experience. Bass features multiple elevators, big grand staircases that allow an easy flow of four astride in each direction, alternatives for the entrances and exits beyond the main doors, and bars on each floor. It would be hard not to love this place, but then there are the expansive ladies rooms that were thoughtfully designed and engineered — and the sum of all those parts really make this place a winner for me. I went to a show at the Long Center last month and the experience getting both into and out of that venue was crippling, and the staircases felt like cramped stairwells. In contrast, getting into and out of Bass, even in a car, is like being handed an ice cream cone and a friendly pat on the bum.
The summer of 2014 I lived in NYC and was fortunate enough to see several major shows — Book of Mormon, Kinky Boots, The Cripple of Inishmaan, This is Our Youth, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch (once featuring Neil Patrick Harris and once Andrew Rannells). I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and got to actually see Daniel Radcliffe in person. I also love kinky boots. And cripples. All of these should have been amazing experiences, and they were. But somehow the first things I remember about the shows were the flawed venue specifics: subterranean ladies rooms, closed off staircases, creaky chairs, and $ 28 champagne served in a sippy cup. Y’all, I’m going to go out on a limb and write that the many events I’ve been able to take in while in Austin (Anything Goes, Amy Schumer’s Back Door Your, Aziz Ansari, Beauty and the Beast, Cabaret, and Once) were simply superior shows because of the venue. The ladies room probably has a lot to do with it, or again, the parking. And it didn’t hurt that confetti rained down on Delicious and I during Beauty and the Beast.
Or maybe it’s just like that getting to go to the show at Bass Concert Hall feels like Austin is giving you a big hug. Come visit the friendliest venue in Texas. Ice cream cones and bum pats are optional.