Lincoln Hall

Definitely one of my favorite concert venues in the Chi. It’s the perfect size so it doesn’t matter where you’re standing because you can see the stage from every angle. There’s a bar inside the hall where the stage is so you don’t have to go far for a refill. It’s also right across the street from DePaul’s campus and just a few hop away from the Red Line. Hopefully an artist I like will be playing here soon so I can return!

Favorite concert venue in Chicago!
I’ve raved about Lincoln Hall so much that my friend got me a gift certificate that I’ve used to pay for shows and even drinks at the bar. It’s clean, the sound is great and during winter, there are hooks on the walls to hang your heavy coat. I love that it’s an intimate setting; the capacity is only about 500 people. Also, the price for a ticket is usually less than $ 20. Come here to see an up and coming artist/​musician in a great music venue!

Went here for a concert by Run River North. Intimate space, with open floor on the first level and a view from the bar upstairs.
Upstairs, I tucked into the turkey chipotle club, with a side of sweet potato fries, and a beer. Decent food, and fairly affordable for a concert venue. The tater tots that my friend ordered were pretty good, although a bit salty. Our waitress was quite helpful.
The floor space is pretty cool, although it is a small venue, so prepare to get cozy with others. Great sound, and really enjoyed the concert.
Oh, and the men’s bathroom is clean, well-​lit, and has multiple stalls and urinals, so no need to worry about missing the show because you’re waiting in line to use the facilities.

Attended a concert featuring PUTS (People Under the Stairs) & it was fantastic! I had a great seat in the balcony & took some awesome photos & video. Before the show, I ate appetizers at the restaurant & it was yummy!

Super intimate venue in the heart of Lincoln Park. A quick walk from DePaul campus or the Red Line stop. We went to the first annual Mac and Cheese Smack Down with Time Out Chicago at Lincoln Hall in March of 2016 and loved the space. I was impressed to see the venue turned from a concert hall to foodie destination. It was rather packed but we were able to find places to tuck away and enjoy our cheesy creations. My only complaint that I am not sure is on the venue or Time Out Chicago, with our tickets to the Mac and Cheese Smack Down we got 2 beer tickets. I don’t drink so asked to use my ticket for something else, like a diet coke. They wouldn’t let me do that and said I had to buy it for $ 2.50. I hope for future event like this they will offer designated drivers or those who don’t drink an alternative. One of the bartenders gave my friend a diet coke for free but said he had to charge me when I asked, even when I was willing to turn in both of my beer tickets.
If you go to a show, do yourself a favor and head directly up stairs to the bar area up there. You’ll have a great view of the stage and if you’re lucky, you can grab a table along the side and have a great shot of the show from above.

Checked out a recent Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers show. Overall like the place, though I was mostly in and out for the show with out walking around that much. I would attend another show here. Seem like a pretty good place.

Lincoln Hall is the best venue in the city. They get awesome artists and every spot in the venue you have a great view.

This venue is so cute and intimate. The staff here is SOOOO much better than concord. It’s cleaner and it’s also way more classy. There’s an upstairs where you can view the stage from and coat check is only $ 2! Hope they host more concerts in the future. Would definitely recommend for a chiller type of concert than a rave.

Gets a one star review for attracting large groups of teenagers who yell a lot and smoke weed in the alley.

This was my first time at this venue and from seeing other artists at different venues, Lincoln Hall was definitely the best! The venue is small and intimate with a great sound system. It is small enough that even if you are standing all the way in the back, you can still see the artist performing without having a bad view. There is a $ 2 coat check upstairs with some seated seating. The venue is clean, updated, and not overcrowded. I definitely recommend seeing shows here!

Tonight was my first attendance at Lincoln Hall, aaaaand despite the draw of a cute, intimate space, I’m sad to say that the whole experience was pretty disappointing.
I came for the 7pm Steve Byrne live taping (his 4^th and first in Chicago). The show was sold out, and 30 minutes prior to the beginning, those who weren’t seated on the main floor were sent to the balcony.
The problem is, it’s a TINY venue and there simply wasn’t enough seating nor standing room. Family and friend seating wasn’t planned, either, so I continued to get butted out of the teeny standing spot I was able to snag as people brought more chairs they apparently found or were given. again, chairs not set out. At 7:15, I had to finally give up and, standing, had to squeeze in behind seated people and into a narrow aisle that was trafficked by many others.
Kind of sucks that I spent the whole nearly-​2 hours on my feet, pushed to the very back and trying to peer through the space between someone’s shoulder and a pillar because of poor planning and overselling on the part of the venue.

Truly one of the best concert venues in Chicago.
I’ve been to quite a few shows here and they’ve all been fantastic shows. Mainly due to the fact that venue is small and intimate.
So small and intimate in fact, you could run into your ex, like I did, almost immediately! :p
But seriously, if you love your musicians, and you get the opportunity to see them here, it’ll be the best thing ever and feel like they’re playing just for YOU.
And I think it’s a pretty safe bet to say that if your favorite musician is playing here, there’s a good chance you’ll have get a chance to interact with them. I met Jens Lekman here a few years ago and he was as cool as a cucumber with his fans.
This past weekend I saw The Go! Team as part of the Tomorrow Never Knows festival and it was well organized. The door guys were funny and interactive. The drinks are pretty decently priced, if you ask me. Instead of beer, I went with a mid-​shelf cocktail and it was less than $ 7. And it was in a mid-​sized cup. None of this small plastic cup crap.
All in all, when I get to come to a show here, I always leave super happy and pumped!

Went for Chicago’s World Music Festival, and it was a great venue. It had a good beer selection, a good dance floor, and excellent balcony seating. Would definitely be amped to go see another of my favorite bands play there.

A really great place to catch a live show. I really dig the set up — the venue is preceded by a good sized bar area with tables and space to move around while you are waiting for your show or need to take a seat for a minute or two during a show. Staff is nice, crowd is usually friendly and the size is perfect — not too big, not to small, easy to move around and not a bad view anywhere. Ticket will call/​entry is seamless and they always have a great beer selection on tap. They also carry ginger beer which lets me get my mule-​on, sometimes to excess. :) Always a great concert experience!

We saw Mortified, which is a comedy showcase of people who share their diaries, poems, and stories from childhood. It was hilarious and sad at the same time, but made for a great show. Nothing like telling your inner-​most secrets in front of a bunch of strangers. The School of Rock performed 2 songs before the show, and they were awesome.
The venue is incredible, especially the acoustics. We showed up 30 min before showtime and got 2^nd row seats. It’s a small venue, so there’s not really a bad seat in the house, but sitting up close was better than back corner or standing room. The balcony seating seems cool too. The bar was surprisingly affordable and they have food too, which we didn’t try. The show was on the earlier side, so we got out in time to have a nice dinner. Definitely buy tickets in advance because the shows will sell out.
Loved the experience and we hope to come back for some live music.

I’ve been to Lincoln Hall a bunch; good venue to see a show. Sound is always on point. Unless you are short (like me!)anywhere you stand will give you a solid view. *As per usual us shorties have to lie, cheat, steal and sometimes commit murder to get a good spot at a show*
The only downside is their beverage situation seems to be a bit on the overpriced side. Which is why I have only ordered a beer once out of the sea of shows I’ve been to at Lincoln Hall.
Overall it’s in great location and is a good venue.

Great place to see a band.
— free parking nearby
— courteous staff
— good sound
— food
— clean washrooms

Lincoln Hall is on the smaller side, so it has an intimate feeling. It can, however, get crowded, and it is difficult to see the from the back of the room. Because of this, lots of people stand on the staircases, making the space difficult to navigate. I would recommend arriving early to find a spot close to the stage or in the seats upstairs on the balcony.
The staff here is friendly, and the bathroom is relatively clean. And it’s on a bustling block in Lincoln Park, near all the action, and very close to public transit and lots of cabs.
Overall, Lincoln Hall is one of the better music venues in the city!

I’ve come here for three shows and I really love this venue. While I miss having ticket stubs, I like how seriously they take ticketing.
My first visit here, I was able to get into a sold out show thanks to the dudes manning will call noticing me loitering around hoping someone had an extra ticket they weren’t using. Since my wallet was freed up, I bought a Johnny Appleseed cider. The bartender tried to sway my choice to Vandermill (the preferred cider of all Chicago bartenders apparently). At first, I was annoyed, since Vandermill tends to be more bitter than sweet for me. After drinking the Johnny Appleseed cider and realizing it was like a liquefied jolly rancher, I wish I had heeded the bartenders advice.
The sound each time has been absolutely phenomenal. The crowd has been surprisingly attentive and considerate. During one show, it was so quiet, you could hear the musician tuning his guitar. It was wonderful.
I’ve never had any issue with the staff, my tickets or finding a great spot to watch the show. When I came with a group of dudes who had tickets under another dude’s name (who couldn’t come down to the show last minute), they were nice about letting us claim the tickets with proof of ID with dumb cell phone pictures.
Before the show, I definitely recommend nabbing a table and munching on some tater tots or sweet potato waffle fries while enjoying a cider (Vandermill obviously, unless you have a crazy sweet tooth).
Free parking isn’t usually too hard to find off of Fullerton and the Fullerton Red/​Brown line stop is really close.

Lincoln Hall gets major love from me! Last weekend was my first time coming here for The Limousines show, but it’s now officially one of my favorite concert venues. When you walk in, there’s a bar area with some tables as well and it’s spacious, so you don’t have to rub elbows with strangers. Then, there’s a back room which is where all the music takes place. There’s also an upstairs balcony but we didn’t get a chance to check that out.
I was happily surprised at their beer selection. Sometimes you’re stuck with the choice of Miller or Bud, but not here. I went with a Angry Orchard Cider and my husband went with one of the Revolutions (can’t remember which one.) Not only was the selection good and the prices fair, but the bartenders were extra nice. Sometimes they can be a little on edge when the bar gets crowded, but they handled it like pros. It’s also imperative to note that the security guys were really welcoming too.
Not only can you expect great service, but you can expect to have a great concert experience. The stage is up pretty high so you can ACTUALLY see the band, even if you’re a measly 5’5 and there are tall people in front of you. The acoustics sounded phenomenal for all 3 bands. Dresses was up first which had a bad ass chick rocking your ears off. We sat at the bar for Dresses since there was a TV at the bar so you could still watch and hear everything. Mona was up next. To me, they were only average but my hubby liked them. We watched part of it from the bar area and part of it in the venue. The Limousines kicked ass and did their electronica/​rock shit and tore it all up. All in all, it was a pretty awesome show and I’m glad we went. Tickets were pretty cheap too!