Old National Centre

The Old National Centre (ONC) is a jack of all trades. It hosts everything from Broadway shows to private events (i.e. proms/​fraternity events); Ed Sheeran before he became big to bands only the hipsters have heard of. And they host the Food Truck Festival every first Friday, along with other special events throughout the year in their parking lot.
There are three venues within this building — the Murat Theatre (think classier shows/​productions usually); the Egyptian Room (think Ed Sheern before he was big and mostly general admission); and the Deluxe (think the hipsters and mostly general admission too).
The venue is overall a pretty typical venue for concerts and special events. It can be a bit confusing, especially when there are two or three events going on, so just ask an employee and they’ll help you get around.
Why four instead of five? It just doesn’t blow my mind away and each of the venues have their own flaws. Good venue, but not the best.

Old National Centre is pretty cool from the outside, and I hate to disrespect such an iconic old venue. But, it’s pretty bad as large theaters go. But both shows I’ve seen lately in the main theater at ONC were disappointing. For Trevor Noah, they oddly left the lights on which are positioned on the bottom side of the balcony, so when you’re sitting anywhere under the balcony on level 1 (starting around 15 – 20 rows back from the front) your view of the stage is obscured by the unnecessary light.
For Book of Mormon, thankfully the lights were out, but the low balcony cuts out maybe the top 25% of the stage area. The view is just not easy on the eyes. To be honest, this is probably the worst theater I’ve ever been to as far as the sightlines. It’s a pain to get in and out of the long, narrow rows, and of course the line for the bathrooms is legendary. Not somewhere I’d want to be in the event of an emergency. This place needs to be torn out and renovated, preserving the beautiful shell of the building.

So how do you tell the story of a building that houses multiple venues for todays varied performers, performances and audiences, that was originally constructed over 100 years ago?
In my best Elmer Fudd, verwyyyy carefuwyyyy, hahahahahah! So pay attention and I’ll tell you the story you’ve longed to hear.
It was 28 Feb, 1910 when the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine replete with Potentates, Nobles and Ladies, opened the state-​of-​the-​art Murat Theater within the Murat Temple at the corner of E Michigan and N New Jersey streets.
The Indy Shriners named the ornate building, complete with Islamic, Arabic and Egyptian architecture, after Joachim Murat (Mur-​ah), a general serving Napoleon in Italy and Egypt back in the day.
The original theater of those Potentates, Nobles and Ladies, the venue that so many of todays theater goers love to hate, has had the Indianapolis Symphony and Indianapolis Opera Company call its original 1,950 seats home over the years.
But wait say you, todays’ web-​o-​matic says there are 2,600 seats in that space. S’up wit dat?!? So this is where the pissing and moaning starts!
In ’95 the Indy Shriners saw income decreasing and refurbish costs skyrocketing so in an attempt to stop the madness, they struck a deal with Sunshine Promotions, todays Live Nation. A-​HA!
Now I wasn’t there, but i imagine it could have gone something like this…
«Tell yous what… yous guys pony up da dough for da fixes and we’s ‘ill give yous a 99 year lease… AND yous can even jam in anudder 600 or so’s chairs… AND charge des mooks anudder saw-​buck just fur da prillage ta buys a ticket. What say’s yous?!?
Well, maybe not like that but you get the picture. Money was tight and this was a way to save a truly historic theater! Give and take and… get took so to speak.
As Pharaoh said in the days of Yule Brenner… So let it be written, so let it be done!
And all that, brings us today, to reviews with «bad sight lines, big heads in the way, narrow seats, no leg room, no slope, poor acoustics, bad signage, expensive booze, steep stairs to long pee lines, crowded intermissions, chaotic clustersf*@!”(wow that IS harsh) and finally… neanderthal patrons who can’t tell time or understand the words «your, don’t, electronic, turn, talk, off and device» no matter how they are arranged and regardless of punctuation!?!
And now for the the other side. After 2 decades of supporting this venue and its myriad of shows and performances from Widespread Panic to Radio City Music Hall’s Rockettes High Kick’en Christmas Extravaganza with live Camels to Little Feat post Lowell George, to Friday nights’ Book of Mormon and all things in-​between, you too can survive the FUBAR.
1. Always GO EARLY to the Murat box office to buy your tickets. You’d be surprised at how helpful the underpaid ticket person can be.
2. Save your pennies (actually fives or tens would be better) and buy the best tixs you can afford for Broadway Touring shows. From an acoustic and visual standpoint shoot for something in the center section (orchestra) at least 15 rows back and no further back than EE under the balcony or on either side in the first 10 seats off the inside aisles. Believe it or not the seats are in fact offset just a little in each row and yes there is a gentle slope to the stage almost the entire length of the theater on the main floor.
3. The Balcony is also not a bad way to go. In the upper air, look for the first 15 rows with the same rules off to the sides as the main floor.
4. Yes, seats are narrow, check your coat, and loose some weight lard butt.
5. Yes, leg room is airline like. Deal with it and stand up when someone needs to get by… be a human being!
6. Yes your first experience with this theater can be confusing, but if you arrive early, take your time, you should be able to figure it out. There are signs and arrows, kinda like driving a car, not rocket science.
7. Don’t buy the overpriced watered down hootch and you won’t have to piss and moan about pissing and moaning in long lines at intermission thus avoiding chaotic clusterf*@!(wow that IS harsh). Heck, I’m the poster boy for an AA ad and even i can go without for a couple hours.
8. If, like me, you suffer from WMD (think about it, short and slow), all you can do is pray to the higher power of your choice that no NBA player taller than Muggsy Bogues sits in front of you, cause if you get two NFL Jeff Saturdays side by side, you ain’t see’en much. I don’t care what venue you’re in, you can just Listen to the Music.
9. As for the Neanderthals, you know, i hate to say it but, i beleive it has gotten worse over the years. The only thing you can do is call them on their inappropriate behavior from incessant talking to the ubiquitous cell phone fumbling. Call em fast and call em often, just don’t call em on your phone, no pun intended.
10. Finally, when you go to the Murat, go in Steely Dan style, do it with your Fez on!

Ayayay, the Murat Theatre at Old National Centre has to be my least favorite venue in Indy. Every time I go (which isn’t often), it’s a hot mess.
The pros: convenient location on Mass Ave. Variety of acts that come to town. Cool looking exterior.
…
And that’s where the pros stop for me. This place is a chaotic clusterf*@! every time. No clear signage or sense of direction. Bathrooms down a steep flight of stairs that make it inconvenient for anyone who can’t do stairs and needs to take the elevator. Seats so close together you feel like you’re packed in like sardines. Rows organized in a way that you’re guaranteed to have someone’s head block your view of a chunk of the stage. Staff screaming at the top of their lungs where to go. Don’t even get me started on the human traffic jams, especially when going to the bathrooms at intermission.
No matter how crappy the venue is, if there’s a show I really want to see, I’m going to suck it up and go see it. I’ve seen incredible performances like Wicked and the Book of Mormon, but the theatre experience left a bad taste in my mouth. Case in point: they let in large amounts of patrons who missed the start of the show right during a musical number. Boo.

Here for Thursday’s 7:30 Book of Mormon. Worst seating arrangement ever. The orchestra floor is practically level, so you cannot see over/​past the person in front of you. Don’t even get me started about the bathroom situation. A line all the way up the stairs? And I’m not sure if it’s this particular show or Indianapolis, but what a rude crowd. People were still taking their seats 5 – 10 minutes after the show started. Most venues hold patrons back and let them enter at an appropriate time. Overall just a disappointing evening at the theater. The show and actors are wonderful through, so this is purely a review of the Murat/​ONC. Pinot Noir was $ 10/​glass, not bad.
The Cloewes @ Butler is a much nicer/​classier venue for off Broadway shows.

Saw The Book of Mormon last night. Great show. Theatre was packed and the sound system was perfect. Yes drink prices are expensive but any performance venue you go to is the same. Typically a bit of a wait for the restrooms, especially women’s. That line was crazy. Smart move of the event; they had not one but two fully stocked bars in the basement near the lines to the bathroom. Great service! Very friendly.

I went here on Thursday night for a concert. I felt that the staff was very professional and organized. They were also uniformed. The venue was cool. I didn’t realize the seating was so different. They have seats on risers with a table set up. I sat in the very front with 8 other people to a table. It was nice. The only thing that bothered me was the food selection. I just felt that it would’ve been a little more classier than popcorn, pretzels, and nachos… more like loaded baked potato, fried shrimp, chicken wings/​tenders, salad… I’m sure the prices were high as well. Either way, it was a nice venue, I didn’t realize it was as big as it is, with so many levels. This was my first time going. I honestly didn’t feel like it was anything special, nothing glamorous like crystal chandeliers, marble stair case, etc… it just seemed regular to me. It wasn’t dirty, but then again I didn’t see every room in the building either.

The Old National Centre is a really unique venue. There are different rooms inside the venue which house different acts — sometimes even at the same time! I’ve been in multiple rooms for different shows and every room is beautiful and unique.
It is located right downtown and is easy to get to from the highway as well as streets like Meridian Street. Since it is downtown, parking can be a little hard if you aren’t looking to pay at least $ 10-​$ 15. There’s sometimes street parking but most of the time, you will have to pay for parking.
Another plus with the Old National Centre is the pricing of tickets. The rooms are, for the most part, general admission, making ticket prices cheaper than other dates of the same tour. Pricing for drinks are a little expensive, but that is expected at shows! Also, since there are multiple rooms, there are many options for bathrooms! Unlike other venues, you will most likely not have to wait in line to use the restroom.
The Old National Centre is a beautifully decorated, unique, older venue with a lot to offer. The less expensive tickets outweigh the possible parking and drink costs, offering it’s visitors an overall great experience.

Old National Centre is such a cool building. Every time I see a show I end up in a different room. If you haven’t ever attended, there are multiple venues inside. Sometimes two concerts or shows are happening at once.
I’ve been able to see great shows like The Book of Mormon and concerts like Tori Kelly here. With it being centrally located downtown, I have super easy access via the cultural trail. If you’re coming from somewhere else and driving, parking is usually $ 10 but you could also manage to find a neighborhood with free parking a few blocks away.
If you’re interested in seeing something, try to get your tickets at the entrance and not online so you don’t have to pay any extra fees!

Nice venue with decent sound and spacious — never had to deal with huge bar lines or restroom lines. However, $ 10 for a Jack and Coke is ridiculous. The room I visited was The Egyptian Room.

I’ve now seen two kick ass shows here. Slayer, Exodus and Suicidal Tendencies and then In This Moment, Upon a Burning Body and the Nearly Deads. I love the architecture of the place and the sound is very powerful. It’s very roomy and plenty of room for moshing and crowd surfing.
Bathrooms never seem to be an issue. I can’t remember ever standing in a line.
There’s always plenty of drink stands as well so the line doesn’t take you away from the show too long. And there’s at least four in the concert room so you don’t have to miss any of the show.

I saw Damien Rice here last night. The venue itself is very beautiful in the actual concert area. The lobby area is also nice but almost has a casino lobby feel. The thing that I liked about the venue was the immense amount of different drink options instead of your usual 4 beers and two below average wines. They also had very nice liquor/​cocktail options with plenty of booths so there was minimal wait. The acoustics were fantastic and like I said the venue itself was beautiful. The last two stars were lost by the workers who were not friendly at all and the overall rudeness that my girlfriend and I felt. Maybe it was an off night but we both looked at each other at different points in the night and both felt someone there was rude. I would come back if it was someone who was on my bucket list like Damien and it was the only option I had. Other than that, I would probably not make the trek from Cincinnati again.

I love this venue, particularly for the Deluxe and the Egyptian Room. The theater is great for Broadway and comedians but not so much for rock concerts. Once people decide to stand up, you either have no view at all or get stuck standing as well. Balcony seats help with that problem but if you can only afford the cheap seats on the lower level, resolve yourself to standing because it’s going to happen.
Drinks are expensive but I don’t go to get smashed so it’s not a problem for me or my friends. It’s the same with any type of food but again, that’s not what I go for so it’s not a big deal.
Staff is a mixed bag but mostly courteous and pleasant. Their security company has never given me any grief but I’ve seen them get pretty nasty with other patrons.
My only real complaint is when they have EDM shows on the same nights with more mellow artists. The patrons of the EDM shows are usually a drunken, drugged up mess and it’s a nightmare having to deal with them. It is what it is, I guess.

This venue is a tad odd. Saw a standing-​room only show here and it was very clear that the venue is/​was not constructed for a rock concert. From the wall to wall carpet, to the sound board cords snaking over the floor. It just feels out of place and takes away from the concert-​going experience.
The wall murals and stained glass chandeliers are gorgeous, and it’s a pretty building, but not a great vibe for a Trey concert.

So went to see the Cult back in November in the Egyptian room and had a blast, easily best show I’ve seen of them over the yrs. The open area was ok the Murat is still holding up reminds me a lot of the Fox theater in St Louis. Fast forward to this Tues ⁸⁄₁₉ and I get to hit the other side of the venue and see Alice In Chains.
Had row D and man was that close. I know the alphabet but still wasn’t expecting to be right up on the action like that. This side is cramped, stood the whole show, but sat down for the opening act Monster Truck, no elbow room and I’m not a fat guy. Acoustics leave a little to be desired although they got better through out the show. Drinks are outrageous. Premium liquor $ 13/​shot? Draft $ 7, water (in a cup boo!) $ 4 bathrooms are downstairs in a closet. I know this place was built for theater but somebody needs to revamp the seating especially considering how fat people are today.
As others pointed out nobody even knows this place as anything other than the Murat, talk about a waste of money Old National. Had a great time but that was due to copious amounts of booze and AIC rocking it out. I MISS YOU LAYNE!!!

It had been years since I’d found myself inside what used to be known as merely the Murat Theater and is now known as Old National Centre. Smack dab in the middle of downtown Indianapolis, this old Masonic lodge turned entertainment center is built around an Egyptian theme and is an absolutely beautiful theater with solid acoustics throughout. Being an older theater, it does have drawbacks including less than posh seating and architectural barriers for sight lines and for individuals, like myself, who are in a wheelchair.
I attended the recent John Hiatt concert, a concert for which I’d waited many years to finally get a chance to attend and was thrilled to get to attend it in a fine venue. While the theater does offer accessible parking, I was not in my own vehicle and did not have the appropriate tags to access it having ridden with a friend.
On the plus side, the theater staff goes WAY above and beyond to ensure the comfort of its guests. My designated spot for the wheelchair was already prepared when I arrived, and I was offered any needed assistance. I will admit that my wheelchair has horrible brakes and I struggled with the theater’s slanted auditorium. The theater staff got into action and actually came up with door stops that helped keep the wheelchair in place. I really appreciated their creativity and commitment.
On the challenging side, the first experience inside the theater was with an over-​zealous employee who proceeded to tell me about theater challenge’s with restroom access and, according to my companion for the evening, seemed to be talking around me rather than to me. I’ve grown accustomed to disability stereotyping, but I could tell it really bothered my friend. That said, this employee was friendly and she clearly meant well.
Prices for drinks, etc. are a bit high but not out of question for a bar/​entertainment type setting. The t-​shirt area was very wheelchair friendly and I was able to get to my seat with only minimal assistance (though I did have to chuckle that one particular employee had no clue about disability access).
Visibility was fine for the vast majority of the concert. That is, until the encore when everyone stood up and my visibility went out the window. That was a shame, because it was my absolutely favorite song but that’s always one of the hazards of concert attendance in a wheelchair.
Overall, this is a venue that offers an accommodating staff and comfortable environment with great acoustics for live music or comedy. It is a facility that I’d recommend contacting in advance if you do actually have a disability to ensure your needs are met. My gut feeling is that you will be welcomed with open arms, though you might want to look into their VIP experience to ensure you have a better shot at actually seeing the stage throughout the entire show.

I love the décor of older theaters, which were built before the age of TV and movies. The attention to architectural flourishes that they contain is a lost art. Built around the turn of the 20^th century, the theater has an Egyptian theme to it. Though charming, I felt the place could do with a bit of restorative work.
It’s an intimate venue, and having a fourth row seat for Bill Maher’s traveling roadshow made me feel like I could have reached out and touched him. One drawback of being intimate, however was that the seats were a bit on the cozy side but I do a lot of airline travel sitting next to armrest hogs, so I was able to deal with it.
[I think the thing that bothered me about this place the most was upon exit. The wait to get out was interminable. And as I waited, thinking about how jammed up we all were, I noticed that the exits would probably be inadequate in the event of fire. Given the age of the place and perhaps the materials used in construction are not as fire-​resistant as those used today, I could see this place being a potential death trap. Let’s hope the Fire Codes and the enforcement of them are up to par.]
EDIT: The manager of the Theater contacted me and discussed emergency procedures and the issue that particular night – that they were controlling crowds to use certain exits, whereas in an actual emergency all exits would be leading out, so I’ll bump my review up. I appreciate that they take safety very seriously to give me such a quick response.

Stage and seating are fine.
One problem: Restrooms. There are a limited number of restrooms and they are all downstairs. So during intermission, there’s a massive line in front of the stairs and mass chaos. It is entirely possible to not be able to get back to your seat in time, especially if the show is sold out.
That won’t stop anyone from going to see a show they really want to see, but it’s a forehead slapping moment.

Love the history behind this venue, love the way it looks inside. There are several concert venues inside, I have been to The Deluxe and The Egyptian Room… maybe there is a 3^rd somewhere? Or like a theater? The building is also the Murat Shrine and many people still refer to it as such. Everything looks really cool and well lit and is well-​maintained. How Ev Er.
The drinks are insanely overpriced. We got a beer, a Maker’s (gag) & coke, and a cookie and it was almost $ 30. Huh? Pretty crappy selection too, honestly… thus the Maker’s…there just wasn’t anything else.
The last show we were at (down in the basement), the headliner actually apologized to us for the high cost of the tickets. The show the previous weekend the sound was all out of whack and you couldn’t really hear the vocals. Some of this may be due to the odd ceiling… tray ceiling? I also don’t think they do a very good job promoting smaller shows… perhaps more the fault of MOKB or Do317 or whoever… but still… throw a poster on the wall for Pokey LaFarge and J Roddy Walston… don’t just act like the show isn’t happening.
Here’s the big thing… the thing that REALLY makes me mad:
We buy tickets to shows. Maybe this makes us suckers, but we like to support music.
2 – 3 weeks ago, NO ONE COLLECTED TICKETS. We had paid fifteen bucks a pop plus their stupid «handling fees» (to pick up at will-​call), and half of the people at the show just strolled in for free after the Food Truck Fest. No one was at the merch table… we asked security and they said someone from the venue was supposed to be staffing it but he was «somewhere else still.» There were at least 5 blue-​shirted security people wandering around that night, plus several bartenders, and the sound people. No one could get it together to collect tickets or man the merch table.
Lastly.
When you’re paying $ 5 – 15 more to see a show here than at Radio Radio or the Vogue, you would think that would be because the venue is nicer, right? More amenities? Wrong. Your expensive ticket (which you maybe didn’t even need to buy) will let you walk into a huge standing-​room-​only room. If you want to have a table to put your drink on or a place to sit during the opener, you have to pay ADDITIONAL to get into the VIP area. If there is a coat check, I’ve certainly never found it. Oh, and if you are in the VIP area, Andrew Luck might harass you. True story.
The parking situation is stupid too. When is Mass Ave going to build a parking structure like BR did? I don’t mind parking a few blocks away and then walking… but having to HUNT for parking for 20 – 30 minutes is nuts. We were late for a show once because we didn’t want to pay $ 10 – 20 for 2 hours and couldn’t find a meter either.
Come on, Old National, GET IT TOGETHER!!! There should be some tables, there should be some chairs, there should be a coat check, why not go for broke and bring in some risers along the sides so we can SEE the band? If you’re going to charge $ 12 for a bourbon drink it should be a Woodford Manhattan, not a Maker’s mixed with Coke! This old building is SO COOL… make it someplace people want to hang out, a destination, not someplace where they show up having already pre-​gamed and bolt as soon as the show is over because the cost is so outrageous!

I’ve been to a pretty wide variety of shows here at the Murat (no I am not going to call it the «Old National Center»), and it’s been a pretty excellent venue on almost all accounts. Most recently I saw Steve Martin doing his bluegrass thing in the Murat Theatre, which was an excellent, comfortable space. The Egyptian Room, where I caught the Flaming Lips back in May, was definitely more suited to a general admission rock show, although the views from further back in the crowd were pretty poor. Finally, Swans were more suited to Deluxe, the smaller-​sized venue in the basement. Deluxe is by far the most intimate of the spaces, but make sure you bring earplugs with you, because it gets *extremely* loud.
One caveat — do your drinking far, far away from the Murat and its patently absurd beverage prices. It should be expected that a venue charges a premium on booze, but if you want to do some drinkin’ before your show there are a variety of excellent watering holes on Mass Ave you can hit up instead. I’d recommend the Chatham Tap — not impossible to get a table or seat at the bar, and a good rotation of local and otherwise delicious craft beers on tap.