Ramona Mainstage

Outstanding small venue. I don’t know if the sound this evening is indicative of the particular band (King’s X) or of the house sound man, but it’s a pleasant surprise to not have my ears destroyed by unnecessary high frequencies and/​or excessive volume. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is the absolute worst opening band ever (the second of three) which may not be the venue’s fault, but hey, I gotta blame someone!

One of the best Venues in San Diego North County to see a show, theater like setting very large … lots of seating and standing room. A+ sound … nice bar and excellent food. Very well ran establishement awesome place for music lovers to enjoy… live music.
Local, National and World Class artist perform here, I have sang here half a dozen times, they treat bands well and you sound great on the system, all pro team.

This is an intimate venue with great sound. The place is a converted movie house. They’ve kept the same layout for a nice nostalgic feel. You buy your drinks at the concession stand. $ 13 for an enormous 32 oz. Craft beer which I thought was more than reasonable during a music performance. The concert goers were an older crowd so definitely a mellow vibe in the place.
I saw John Anderson here last night. At one point he wasn’t happy with the sound and walked off the stage waiting for it to be fixed which it was apparently a few minutes later so he came back on stage. I honestly couldn’t detect what he was upset about and it appeared to me to be more of a diva moment that I’m not holding the venue accountable for. The rest of the concert was great and J.A. didn’t complain again.

Went to buy tickets for the David Allen Coe show online at Ramona
when I clicked to purchase tickets it simply wouldn’t open the page. I tried multiple times. We drove two hours to Ramona and arrived to fid out the show has been sold out for 3 days! I spoke to the person out front who I can ily assume is the owner by the way he was talking and told him about the website issue. He said it did that because the show was sold out. NO WHERE DID IT SAY ON THE WEBSITE THAT THE SHOW HAD BEEN SOLD OUT DAYS BEFORE HAND. NO WHERE. He said «yeah, I never post it when a show is sold out». Excuse me Mr. Owner but don’t you think that would be useful information for for multiple reasons??? If you’re wondering if I called yes I did and all I got was a recording with minimal information. Thanks alot

Very charming place with a nice layout and great acoustics for concerts. Staff was attentive and did everything to my expectations. This was my first time here but i also am visiting from Seattle so unfortunately I won’t be able to come here much. Others have told me about this place and I was not disappointed at the experience. I will make it a point to come here again when I am in town next.

I called ahead to try to get an idea of what bands were going on when. It was cover band night, apparently. I just wanted to see the Iron Maidens, but my buddy wanted to catch the AC/​DC cover band that was opening for them. There were two other bands performing that night. Unfortunately, I couldn’t wrangle any answers out of the indecorous fellow who answered the phone. He could have just told me that the performance schedule wasn’t definitive until a few hours before. Instead, he told me to come see all of them because they were all good, and then he decided the conversation was over and hung up.
1.) He lied. They were not all good. In fact, given the variety of music played that night, it was silly of him to think that the average person would enjoy all of the bands performing that night. I can dig a high voice like Bruce Dickinson’s, but count me out of Brian Johnson’s fan club.
2.) Not everyone has an infinite amount of time, energy or patience. In my opinion, knowing when each band is going to perform is basic information for anyone constrained by any of the three aforementioned factors. Case in point, my friend actually had to leave in the middle of the Maidens set because he had gotten tired from standing for so long. He has a few medical conditions that he picked up during his time in the Army.
The venue itself is alright. There’s enough standing room and some seating areas for large parties. The lobby where the beer is sold is too small, unfortunately. The lines often curl around the small space haphazardly as eager drunkards wait their turn for libations that they’ll go on to clumsily spill on other people. I suppose there isn’t too much to be done about that. Ramona is in the boonies but still considered North County. I’m going again in December to see Machine Head. Seriously, I’m glad there’s a venue at all. I’d rather have it than not have it… let’s see if this place can wow me in 3 months.
EDIT: Machine Head was maybe the best show I’ve ever seen. And it wasn’t happening without Ramona Mainstage, so, +1 star to this venue; I hope they keep getting quality acts.

Ramona MainStage is a cute venue. It is small — which means there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. If you do pick a table, the seats have no cushion and your bum may get a little uncomfortable. They sell way overpriced wine ($ 10 a glass) and I think a coffee is $ 5. So it’s kinda like a movie theatre in terms of concessions. I say, bring a big purse and smuggle in stuff if you want it. Haven’t actually tried to do this though, so don’t blame me if you get caught. lol

The sound engineering and acoustics are simply perfect and gorgeous. I was lucky enough to see Uli Jon Roth play an intimate show here and it was transcendental. A lovely experience all around.
*TIP– if they have a show that’s not sold out, and you can’t afford it or can’t make it there til towards the end of the show, talk to the promoters and they’ll usually offer you a deal. We got a buy 1 get 1 free deal on tickets once because we came half way to the end of the show, didn’t want to pay full price and they were desperate to fill as many seats as possible.

My favorite place for concerts and great prices too. See Rock legends up close and many times, you get to meet them, and become friends! Been 25 times and can’t wait to return. Be sure to see RDG, Taz Taylor, [Points North (Uriah Duffy of Whitesnake is the best Bass player ever)], Pet Shark, Craig Goldy (of Dio), Gary Hoey, Uli Jon Roth from Scorpions, Elliott Rubinson CEO of Dean guitars and plays a mean bass, Michael Schenker… but so far my Fav was OFU… a tribute to UFO. Guitarist is unbeatable, and singer perfect. I saw them 2 feet in front of my face… and met them… Guitarist actually hugged me from stage! So Cool! Uli gave me a hug too. Such cool people and bozos are scarce. Buy tickets from the bands directly, and save money. Saw Pat Travers — was great… don’t miss Lynch Mob in Sept. George Lynch from Dokken. I play 4 instruments. Oh yeah… got a hug from Uriah too. LOL Don’t ever miss Fred Barcetta – tribute to Rush. Awesome! You would think a female singer could not nail it… but Kristina does and is a great lady in person as well! Saw Ace Frealey — was great! Bought the Space Invaders CD and I like it. Tony Macalpine was amazing yet a bit abstract. Marigold was really good with Greg Howe on guitar. He’s one of the best (Fingers like lightening speed spider legs) and Megan was not only a good singer, and a total fox, she was nice to me and signed my CD. How do you know when you drank to much at a marigold Concert? When you wake up and read what was written by Megan…“I like your face too”.: LOL! Oops. The fastest guitarist in the world, Michael Angelo Batio, played… met him… was cool to me… gave me tips and his pic. At 58 he still rocks and pays 2 guitars at once. Mike Boals is a great singer too… powerful in your face rock. He talked to me for 15 Min! Great dude! Has a style like Dio, Rainbow, and Deep Purple. Sang for Yingvei Malmsteen, who also was here and kicked butt… but too bad hes a prick prima donna to everyone. I now have email and Faceook contact with rock stars, from going here! So cool!

Cool place! We went here to see Uriah Heep a few months ago. unfortunately we had to stand outside for a LONG time past the starting time — but it was due to the band having technical issues, and running late. I think that some people were going in briefly to use the restroom, so that was cool.
Speaking of the ladies’ room… it was nice, clean, and plenty of stalls considering the small venue. I never had to wait in line.
A big plus – ChuckAlek beer (a local Ramona favorite) is served here, at reasonable prices.
Looking forward to going there again… just nothing on the calendar that interests me right now. Actually, Uriah Heep didn’t interest me either but I’m a nice wife. :)

The artist that play here are fantastic. We always get a booth which is not cheap. The owner made my experience horrible this last time though and we will not be back. We bought a booth again and were told where to sit. Halfway through the show the owner came and kicked us out in a very rude manner.
He said the girl had made a mistake and took us to the back. It looks like they remodeled and added more back booths. It was also seemed he had oversold the venue which is why he needed our spot. The chart on the site does not reflect that. Beware of his bait and switch tactics. I would have never paid to sit back there. Also check your credit card as they had charged us three times. I will be disputing this charge as well.

I think this is a neat place. Great idea turning a movie theatre into a venue. All seats are good ones but I would recommend the booths. Beers were real cheap which was a nice surprise. We went there for a comedian but looking forward to going back for a band.

First times… attended Sophie B. Hawkins show last night… great venue… perfect for that up close intimate music experience. Great selection of Beer on tap, alcoholic softer beverages in the bottle and non alcoholic drinks. We did not eat there but we saw others eating nosh food… nachos, etc. The only thing that was strange was the fact that they did not sell glasses of wine… something about being a «non-​restricted age» venue… but lets think about this… they sell beer… hello! Anyway, when I asked one of the workers, they could not explain it either… No matter… most important excellent venue for music, beautiful renovation (very deco in design).
If you have the op to go… definitely go and if you need to eat in town… several great choice… right next store is a great coffee shop/restaurant.(was featured on national food/​restaurant shows) and like we found, Da Tuna Shack (look at their reviews here on Unilocal)…excellent evening… even the drive back down to Oside was not that bad…

Have been here only a couple of times for private events specifically for football banquets. Nice layout and clean. Looking forward for the new restaurant next door being finished so I can write another review.

Received free tix to see Tab Benoit, and Chase Walker Band., Good sound, but there some glitches with opening band. Once you arrive, it’s super casual, and very small inside. Alcoho and junk food served at bar, but be prepared to wait in long line before show starts. The 3 act show started at 8:00. When we arrived at 7:20, it was standing room only. There are about 7 – 8 booths that can be reserved, so call way ahead if your plans take you here. There is only one hotel near this venue, and it booked up early. Take a thrash car, as the neighborhood we ended up parking in seemed to feel a bit scary without sidewalks or lights. Google maps took us through central Escondido, then through 12 miles of winding dark back roads. On the way back, we made a left at 17^th, which was a direct route to the 15.

Well, I’m a believer! This venue was absolutely not on my radar before this, and I certainly wouldn’t have chosen to see a show here (RahMOANah?!), had it not been forced on us (we paid to see Lynch Mob at Brick by Brick, but it was moved to Ramona with no notice to those who bought tickets online, and no explanation on their website).
Kudos to Ramona Mainstage for taking the show when the original venue petered out, and for honoring the tickets bought through Brick by Brick. I wasn’t too thrilled by the fact that the show had been moved, and to such a distant location to boot, but a quick Unilocal search helped to ease a few of my fears, at least.
Doors were supposed to open at 7 that night, and we showed up right around that time. There was no street parking in front of the venue, so we hung a right at the first side street and pulled into the parking lot there. We were met by a young man who told us that we couldn’t park there, as the lot was solely for the café next door, and that we had to park on the street. What the hell?
We did a lap around the block, and found some decent parking not too far away from the entrance. I was a little annoyed, but I guess the restaurant gets super-​packed on a Saturday night, and they wanted to ensure their customers had a place to park??? Still strange to me — they could have made some good cash off of the Mainstage patrons, but whatever.
So yeah — I said above that doors were supposed to open at 7, but they didn’t really open till 7:20. No big deal, really, but it is worth noting.
The venue itself was surprising. I saw on the website that they had a pretty large (and very prominent) bar right when you walk inside, and that there were booths along the walls and a good table/​chairs seating area in the middle, with a small standing-​room-​only floor right in front of the stage. I was expecting it to be bigger, but I really did like the size — it was way more intimate than I thought it’d be, and that was a huge benefit for the night.
I admit I know nothing about the history of this venue, but it gives off this sweet classic-​movie-​theater vibe. Between the «concessions stand» up front, the gently sloping floors in the main area, the «projection booth» at the back of the room and the vintage-​style sconces on the wall, it all just screamed «Converted Theater!» Not that it was bad in any way; I actually really loved that charm.
The space is clean, and never got to feel too crowded. You can get right up to the stage, if you’re so inclined (I’m used to having a bar or some barrier between the stage and the front of the crowd, so there were a few times where I was thanking my lucky stars that I’m short-​ish, as a couple more inches would’ve put me in danger of getting smacked in the dome by either Eric Sardinas’ or George Lynch’s guitars…)
We only bought booze while we were there, and I can say that I appreciated that the beer prices weren’t overly inflated, like I’ve seen at places like Key Club or House of Blues. Plus, the bartenders were genuinely friendly, and quick. That helps a lot when the doors open 20 minutes later than they said they would. ;)
One last thing — I love that this venue gives new and local bands a chance to play out to a crowd of paying customers. Taking a chance on the bands that are trying to get their name and music out there is huge, and I think Ramona Mainstage deserves kudos for that.

who would have thought that such a great music venue was to be had in Ramnona!!!
In the heart of the town.
clean, well kept, excellent acoustics, helpful staff, and best of all great acts. check out their calendar. a wide span of musicians on the line up.
its worth the drive.

Nice venue for a concert. Good views and if you get there early when they open you can get a seat to relax in for the show. Clean bathrooms and reasonable prices for drinks.
The padded bench seat at the very back of the room is comfortable but the bass tends to really reverberate there and be over the top. For me it was a bit too much but otherwise good.

Ted Nugent is coming to Ramona Mainstage… amazing…
And there’s still Midget Wrestling about every other month…
but I haven’t been back… maybe for Nugent…

One foot in the gutter, one fist in the gold.
The Ramona Mainstage is located in a horse ranch suburb of San Diego. Formally a movie theater, this place has been transformed into a performance hall. Clean. Casual…Places to mosh or just kick it in a booth or table.
Came here to watch Lynch Mob (with opening act Caustic Felon).
— Pizza slices (straight from the Pizza Box of the local Pizza joint).
— Wear earplugs. Crap it was loud!
— No snarky «Holier than thou» staffers.
— Would I come here again? Hell yeah.
The only negative would be that some bands may cut the set short and get out of this one street town asap…