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House of Blues Orlando Concert Venue Review - AAron Lewis

A few months ago I saw that Aaron Lewis was coming to Orlando to do a concert at the House of Blues at Downtown Disney. I love Aaron Lewis! I've seen him in concert before and I was eager to see him again. I wasn't sure about the venue, however, because I read that it was general admission, standing room only. So I took it to the Volusia County Moms Facebook page. I posted the question asking if others had attended concerts there and what their thoughts were. The House of Blues concert venue came recommended from local moms, so I bought my tickets!

On this past Saturday night we went to the concert. My review of Aaron Lewis' concert is that he was awesome! He performed for two full hours on that stage, with the vast majority of the time it being just him, a guitar, and his amazing voice. He's that talented... he didn't need a band, fireworks, or other things going on. He has a great voice and just played guitar and sang for two hours. Wonderful concert!

The venue I have mixed feelings on. It's a small venue, with a ticket capacity of around 2,400 from what I was told. There were two lines to get into the concert. One line had around 300 people in it and was made up of everyone who had spent $20 per person at the House of Blues restaurant or store. So, if you are willing to put out an additional $20 per person in the restaurant or store you have earned your way into the short(er) line. We ended up doing this, but didn't set out to do it, because we didn't know about it. We ate at the restaurant (great portobella sliders, by the way), and ended up spending $20 per person. The waitress gave us the receipt and told us we qualified to get into the shorter line with it. You take that receipt to the line, where workers take the receipt and put a wrist band on you and give you little tickets to get into the venue in the first group. 

Meanwhile, there is another line that is forming around the other side of the building. Those are the people that didn't spend the additional money per person to get into the shorter line. Their line had around 1,500 people in it! 

We get inside and even though we are in that first group the pickings are really slim on getting a good spot. There are benches available for sitting, but not many and they are snatched up quickly! We were lucky enough to get what seemed like the last possible bench available, next to a couple of nice young ladies. Now that the first 300 people have filed in, the rest come in... and it gets crazy! The areas all behind the benches essentially become a mosh pit. People are litterally leaning and pushing on the bench we are sitting on, to the point that it feels like it's going to be tipped over most of the night. People are everywhere and the crowd is thick. Try to get up to go to the bathroom and someone better save your seat. And good luck trying to get through the crowd to get the restroom! Yikes!

The bottom line for me is that if I can get in the first line and I'm actually able to get one of the benches to sit on then I would attend another concert there for sure. But if I can't, then I have no interest in going to a concert there again. I would not for a moment want to be standing in that crazy crowded mosh pit througout the place to try and catch a glimpse of the stage (you may be standing with 10 people in front of you who hare not elevated). On the benches you can see the stage just great. Those behind cannot because the crowd is just so thick and they are not evelated above each other.

Two thumbs way up for Aaron Lewis! But when it comes to seeing another concert there again it really depends on whether or not I could get a good spot at the benches. You get a spot on the benches and it's a great night. But if you don't it's chaos. I've been to concerts at the House of Blues in Las Vegas several times, but there were seats and it was never chaotic. The Orlando location, due to the nature of their seating/standing, will make me pause before purchasing concert tickets there again.

Here are some pictures from the Aaron Lewis concert at the House of Blues in Orlando:

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