Bogart’s Cincinnati - the best venue for life shows
If you are a concert freak like me, and you like smaller, more intimate venues where even big names sometimes perform, then check out a place, called Bogart’s Cincinnati - you will not regret it!
This small venue, situated close to the Cincinnati ZOO is the best place to get close to your favourite band. In fact, even if you are standing in the very back of the venue, you will still be super close to the stage. Yes, it is that small.
Yesterday, I attended a concert there. It was a tribute night, where three tribute bands played greatest hits from Green Day, Weezer and Blink 182, and it was amazing! So while I am waiting for the ringing in my ears to subside and my voice to come back, I might just as well tell you what makes this venue so special.
Look how close I was! This is the reason I love smaller concert venues.
Where is Bogart’s Cincinnati situated?
Bogart’s Cincinnati is situated on Vine street, in a close proximity of the Cincinnati ZOO. To get to the venue, you have to drive through a shady part of Cincinnati, and I am always terrified when I am driving back home from a concert, but so far, I was always fine. Obviously.
There is not much going on in the area around the venue. Well, there are a few cool restaurants there, a tattoo shop and a Kroger grocery store, but that is it. So if you are planning on arriving early, your best bet is to bring a book or earphones and listen to music. Or just talk to other people who are going to the same concert - you will have a common topic to talk about.
Parking near Bogart's
There are several parking lots around Bogart’s Cincinnati, and there is also street parking available, which usually fills up fast, so your two best bets are the small parking garage or the university housing parking lot directly under the venue. I usually park at the parking lot, because that parking garage is so incredibly narrow that I always have a feeling I will scratch the car on every turn. It is also a little bit more expensive than a regular parking lot.
Pro tip for cheaper parking: Every parking lot around Bogart’s Cincinnati will raise their prices when the show time approaches. If the show starts at eight o’clock, expect the parking to be more expensive at five o’clock. Usually, if you get there early, you will only pay five dollars, while later, expect to pay between fifteen and twenty five dollars.
The venue on the outside
Bogart's Cincinnati is visible from far away.
The venue looks very ‘American’ on the outside. Colourful green, grey and pink front, with light bulbs that light up before the show starts, and an old - fashioned box office. There is also a big display right above the entrance, where they display current and upcoming shows, and if you want to show your friends on Facebook which show you attended, the best way to do so it simply to take a picture of you under that sign.
The sign above the box office will tell you all the upcoming shows at Bogart's Cincinnati.
And a bonus pro stalker tip - tour buses always park in a big parking lot behind Bogart’s Cincinnati. There is always a security guard that will not let you close to the bus, but with a little innovation you might manage to meet your favourite singer/drummer/bass player. There is a coffee shop that overlooks that parking lot, meaning you will be able to see when the band members are exiting the bus.
When they do, simply see where they are going, go out there and meet them. Most of them are usually more than happy to take a picture with you. In fact, I have met band members from five different bands this way, and the only one who refused to take a picture with me, was Jorge from The Casualties. Well, he left the band, sadly, shortly after that concert.
The venue on the inside
The Bogarts Cincinnati is divided into three parts. The first part is the balcony and the view from there is the best and the seats are super comfortable. The problem is that sometimes you are only allowed to go up to the balcony if you purchased the VIP tickets, but they do allow people to go up there during most shows.
The second part is the bar, where you can get drinks, and they also have some seats up there. By the way, if you are over twenty one and wish to have an alcoholic drink, you will get a special bracelet which will allow you to be able to drink without having to show your ID every time you are getting a drink.
The catch is that you can only get these bracelets when you are standing in line outside, just before the doors open, so pay attention to the staff member walking along the line and asking if you are drinking tonight.
The third part of Bogart’s Cincinnati is the general admission area. Two of the things that I love about this venue are the fact that it is well ventilated, so it will not get too hot in there even on extremely hot summer days, and the second thing is the fact that the front row is a little bit elevated. The amazing front row is the reason I am willing to stand in line for several hours before the show just to get there. Yes, I am short, hence the reason I love first rows.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the awesome security guards at this venue. First of all, they usually pass out free water to people during the show, and secondly, they do not tolerate crowd surfing and mosh pits, so I have seen several people being kicked out of the venue in the past because of that.
And last but not least, when you are exiting the venue, look out for staff members passing out free tickets for the upcoming shows. I am not kidding. Yesterday, we got free tickets for Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco tribute bands. I think I have successfully convinced you that this is the best concert venue ever.
Some of the concerts at Bogart’s Cincinnati I have attended so far, were: Jimmy Eat World, the Casualties, Simple Plan, Social Distortion, the Chippendales (well, this is not really a concert, but the girls will know what I am talking about) and so on. Pretty cool lineup, right?
Another band that I was able to see from super close - this time, I was in the second row.
A few words for the end…
I love going to concerts, and it happened to me several times that even if the band that was playing, was amazing, the whole experience was just average, simply because the venue was terrible (in most cases, it was either bad sound quality or obstructed views). but you will not have such problems at Bogart’s. I have been to over thirty concert venues so far, and this one is by far my favourite.
