Skyway Theater

Did two nights of String Cheese Incident not too long ago at the Skyway. I’d heard the complaints, so was a bit apprehensive going in. I have to say, I had a pretty good time. The place is run down, yes. The carpets are really nasty and you really get the impression that you would not like to see them with the lights on. The bathrooms are small and could definitely use an update. The floors are sticky and you don’t want to know why. But if you know it’s not a super flashy facility going in, that will help.
I have heard lots of people complain about the sound quality but did not feel like this was an issue myself. I don’t know if that’s because SCI had their own sound rig or not, but I can’t say the sound was an issue.
Staffwise, we encountered good and bad. Both nights were packed, and the massive crowd definitely put a strain on the logistics … the first night it took like 40 minutes to even make it into the venue. But to their credit, the Skyway staff worked out some of the kinks and entry on the second night was much faster and smoother. When the staff is trying to herd the large and largely drunk crowd, they are not very nice. But it wasn’t all bad. There was a very kind bartender who went above and beyond for me. I walked up to the bar and ordered a bottled water only to discover that I’d given my husband all my cash. Whoops. The bartender reached into his own pocket and paid for my water. Very sweet and really kind. I was really floored by that.
The one thing I wish I’d known was that the floor in the main room is slanted like an old-​school movie theater. I wore heels and very much regretted it by the end of the night. Ladies, you’ve been warned.
It’s kind of a pain in the butt venue… it’s not super easy to navigate, it’s not super easy to get served sometimes if it’s a busy time for the bar, it’s not super friendly or super clean. But if the right band is playing, I would certainly go back, especially now that I know what to expect.

Your experience at Skyway is going to depend on the show you’re at, how much you’ve had to drink, bartenders on staff, etc. Same as any venue.
The reason for my five-​star is how clever the bouncer was. He put the «it’s okay, she’s 21 stamp» on our wristbands instead of our hands. No need to scrub off all that ink in the morning!

This is one of the nastiest establishments I’ve ever set foot in, and yet big shows still end up booking here. Most of the bars around the main stage don’t take a credit card. The bathrooms are completely gross, water every where and smell of piss. Worst of all, it’s insanely hot in the venue with cords hanging everywhere. Cords are taped to a carpet floor, hanging out of the walls. and draping from the ceilings. This place is a fire disaster waiting to happen. I end up passing on every artist I’ve wanted to see when they play here, it’s unfortunate but I’m not going to support a shitty venue with an owner that doesn’t want to make improvements.

I wanted to like this place so much!
I had a solid experience checking out DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist’s Afrika Bambaata set.
My most recent Mos Def experience was terrible. I was in the neighborhood so I went to their office to pick up some tickets as opposed to ordering them online. One of the employees there kept telling me to just buy them online. She wasn’t even the one helping me, but she repeated herself like a broken record. The nicer, newer (?) employee tried her best to get me my tickets. The credit card machine didn’t work, and the angry one told me to buy them online next time. They were having difficulties printing the tickets, and the angry one told me to buy them online next time. I finally got my tickets after 15 – 20 minutes, and the angry one told me to buy them online next time.
Well, if I have to pay the stupid service fees anyways, might as well make the box office work for it a little bit, right?
We got to the show and the opening acts just dragged (the opening acts dragged for the previous concert too). It was pushing 12:30 and we still hadn’t seen the opening act, Mos Def, yet so we left and never came back.
We left because we got annoyed from being jerked around. But also, the volume was just painfully loud, and they didn’t have ear plugs. Skyway must have conveniently ignored Minneapolis ordinance 364.115 requiring free ear-​plugs for patrons. We had to use napkins :/​On the Mos Def evening, they had these super bright lights, though cool, were blindingly bright. There were areas of the floor where you had to avoid because the lights were so damn bright.
The layout is pretty nice with the slanted floors. But when you walk around waiting for the opening acts to retire, you notice how dated and musty this place is.
I won’t be returning.

Unfortunately great bands play here! As you’ll read in other reviews the place hasn’t been updated in decades. You can hear and feel the club music bumping down below in the bar and there is no bar service in a location where you can see the music. Avoid.

I’ve seen a few shows at the Skyway and have to admit, I’m a bit underwhelmed. For starters, this place is run down and in need of some updating. Some may think the worn out 40 year old wall-​to-​wall red movie theater carpet is cool because it’s ‘retro’. In reality, it’s cheesy and gross. Don’t be surprised if you slip on a 20 year old movie popcorn butter stain. Secondly, the bathrooms are cesspools. You need hip-​waders to enter the men’s room because there is always a layer of ‘water’ all over the floor. Beware if you’re stupid enough to wear flip-​flops because you will likely pick up a flesh-​eating disease. The thermostat must be broken, because it has been hotter than Hades for every show I’ve seen. I don’t mind working up a sweat when I’m moving to the music, but I find myself discarding several articles of clothing here. A little AC would be nice. Finally, the bar area is sizeable and the bartenders are nice and all, but they consistently run out of all ‘decent’ beer. So if you don’t want to end up drinking piss like Bud Light and Mich Golden, I suggest you load up on the Summit early.
It isn’t all bad. Even though I’m not a fan of the general admission layout, I actually like the gradual front-​to-​back gradient to the floor. Yeah, your calves might be a little sore the next day, but it does allow for better sightlines. Especially for shorter people. The sound is pretty good and it does have a convenient downtown location. Bottom line is I would never say ‘no’ to a show at the Skyway. Especially if they book a band I really want to see. However, it will get a frustrating shake of the head and a sigh of disapproval.

I am here for a concert tonight and this is the most disgusting and awful venue I have ever been to. we walked in and the old nasty carpets were filthy like a concert already took place. Then we tried to find a place to watch the concert and it was overflowing with people. We decided to finally just go to the furthest spot in the venue and some guy came in and said we all had to leave because it was supposedly VIP only. It is about 100 degrees in here and cords hanging out of the walls. I can’t believe this place isn’t shut down for being a fire hazard. I have seen this band play all over Minnesota but never been to this venue before. I am so disappointed in this place. It feels like I am stuck in a nasty basement party in the 60’s. Weird vibes.

This place is a nice venue for an intimate concert. The entrance is not obvious at all and we were caught off guard when the guy at the front told us to go his way. We took the escalator up to the second floor where the concert was. I’ve never been to a small concert like this so it was pretty interesting. I LOVE that the general admissions area where you stand is slanted towards the stage which means for short people like me can still see when I’m in the back. Other than that, it is an average venue with nothing that exciting. I do like the layout of it with the stands in the back. They also have a bar in the front where you can order drinks. Parking is going to be on the street or garages nearby.

My favorite concert venue in all of Minneapolis! All of my favorite concerts have been at Skyway Theater — first of all because some awesome bands come through here [Hollywood Undead. Pop Evil (twice!). Stone Sour. Big Gigantic. Bro Safari.], and second because it is a super fun venue. Nights seeing concerts at Skyway have been some of the greatest nights that I (only kinda) remember.
Skyway is bigger than the super intimate First Ave, so it can accommodate a larger crowd. However, like all good venues, it is general admission/​standing room only. Concerts just aren’t the same in big arenas with seating. I pretty much avoid shows if I have to buy a seat anymore. The atmosphere is a bit grungy, but that’s part of Skyway’s charm. It has carpeting that looks straight out of an old movie theater. The upper level is a balcony with all the seating removed, and it’s fun to people watch from up there. There is plenty of space to wander around in the lobby/​bar area if you need to a break from raging/​moshing, and Skyway connects seamlessly with Barfly below so you can keep the party going post-​concert.
Drinks are pretty average price ($ 5 for beer, $ 7 for a shot of Jameson… and those are the only things I drink so I can’t speak to anything else), but the bartenders are super fun. The line will get insane between bands though, so I recommend showing up early if you want to grab a few drinks, unless you’re not worried about missing a song.

I went to an Infected Mushroom concert here recently and it was a good experience. I had never been to the Skyway theater before. We were able to find a close spot to park for only $ 5 for the night and a short walk put us in line. They were organized at getting so many people in the building.
They had a lot of minibars all over the place and I liked how their place had separate rooms from the main theater. You can actually get away and talk if you needed to. My one complaint about the bars was the complete lack of craft beers. It was basically hard liquor or bud light. This made my liver sad.
The actual theater was impressive and open. With a bar in the back as well. Infected Mushroom did an excellent job as well. Kudos to them! Their duel death stars were awesome!
The bathrooms were a bit of a joke. Not very clean and at one point I had to use a stall. The bass from the concert kept opening up the door. Now that’s was annoying. I’m trying to do my business in a packed bathroom and Oh! Hi everyone! don’t mind me, I’m just pinching one off. No seriously this stall is taken… you can even see me sitting on it. sheesh.

The Skyway Theater just reopened a bit ago, but I think they might need to keep improving. The stairwell has low ceilings; I’m not gargantuan, but I am 5’9″!
I don’t know if I just entered by a side entrance, but I had to go from street level from a parking ramp. Hopefully there’s a more convenient entrance where I don’t have to be concerned about someone trying to exit too hastily.
The flooring on the main floor needs some serious reconsideration. I couldn’t see if it was just rubber mats, but when I lifted my feet, the floor would come up with it. This wasn’t just a case of gum stuck to my shoe or sticky alcohol.
Plus, some kind of wiring or cables were not concealed or secure at all. I kept tripping on them, and I was nowhere close to the stage or any equipment that I could see.
I would hope because it’s standing room only that they’ll work on making it a bit more safer and more comfortable. After all, the floor is already slanted downward, and standing on your feet for extended periods of time limits one’s patience.