[TDenverFan]

What's this venue like? I live in Bethlehem, and it's about the only medium sized venue around (Trog is small, the SBEC is fairly large, and Steel Stacks is pretty massive). How niice is it? I'd like to go to some shows there (All Stars, ATL/HTL, etc) and I was curious if it's a good venue or not.

Also, any other decent venues in the ABE area?

Thanks!

[yayitsjoe]

uh, it's not too bad. I've been there once. it's basically this big bar/entertainment center that happens to have a stage. i have no idea what the cap is. It's not as good as most venues in philly, but it's better than the chameleon club.

[TDenverFan]

Allright, thanks. I guess it's about the only option, anyways. 1200 is the cap, I believe.

[blissfulrain]

Been there once from NJ, and it wasn't anything special.

[Paris1nFlames]

I've been there tons of times... It's the standard type of venue for the shows it gets, club with big all ages section in front of the stage, and gated off 21+ drinking section in the back

[Takuto]

I went there once. I would never do it again unless it was the closest venue for my date of the tour.

[nakulisbrown]

Originally Posted by yayitsjoe

uh, it's not too bad. I've been there once. it's basically this big bar/entertainment center that happens to have a stage. i have no idea what the cap is. It's not as good as most venues in philly, but it's better than the chameleon club.

You think so? I think the chameleon is way more fun/feels more intimate.
I hate croc rock personally...the underage entrance is in a side alley which is also where bands load in/out. This causes mayhem as kids try to egress in-between sets, and security hold them back so bands can lug their gear.

Also, someone brought a taser to a show once. wtf?

[panterafan17]

Croc Rock venue isn't horrible but its not great either. I've been there 3x.Off to the left side of the stage is a garage door that they open when it gets extremely hot. Its not exactly safe considering someone can just basically fall out of the venue. Also, the security are complete fucking assholes. Someone hit another guy in the pit completely on accident and both guys were cool. All of a sudden security comes out of nowhere, picks the guy up by the neck, punches the dude in the face, and throws him out of the show. The complaints of the security there are endless. But overall, i guess compared to some of the total shitholes in philly, it could be worse

[cvs24]

Also only been here once, and I would say it was ok...I would kind of say it seemed like a bigger School of Rock (Hackensack) for me, although I liked School of Rock more. Security seemed relaxed at the Underoath/Times Of Grace/Stray/Letlive show, but not many people were there, so I can't attest for shows that bring larger crowds.

[laura102605]

I've been to 15+ shows here and every time there has always been some kind of issue. I think they tend to oversell so if you know a show is sold out you definitely need to get there early. The underage entrance brings you in up near the stage, and if it's already packed, then you have to fight your way through the crowd to get to the main floor or even just to chill in the back. And like someone else said, I've seen them unload bands through the entrance that you're trying to get in. Ridiculous in my opinion. Bathrooms are disgusting. Getting out after the show is a nightmare - everyone waiting for merch blocks the exits. I also have another horror story about a "VIP" deal they tried to pull that turned into a scam...Haha sorry for the rant. Aside from the poor set up and utilization of entrances/exits,for the most part I have enjoyed the shows I've seen and one good benefit is cheap parking!

[thisisnotbrianm]

Originally Posted by laura102605

I've been to 15+ shows here and every time there has always been some kind of issue. I think they tend to oversell so if you know a show is sold out you definitely need to get there early. The underage entrance brings you in up near the stage, and if it's already packed, then you have to fight your way through the crowd to get to the main floor or even just to chill in the back. And like someone else said, I've seen them unload bands through the entrance that you're trying to get in. Ridiculous in my opinion. Bathrooms are disgusting. Getting out after the show is a nightmare - everyone waiting for merch blocks the exits. I also have another horror story about a "VIP" deal they tried to pull that turned into a scam...Haha sorry for the rant. Aside from the poor set up and utilization of entrances/exits,for the most part I have enjoyed the shows I've seen and one good benefit is cheap parking!

Curious about this VIP scam thing...elaborate?!

[Chuck!]

Been to ~40 shows at Croc. The experience completely depends on the specific show. The huge shows--e.g., All Time Low--are oversold and generally unpleasant experiences. That said, if you're over 21, it's infinitely more tolerable because you can hang in that section. Smaller and medium-sized shows can be a lot of fun, especially those in the basement. All-Stars would probably be enjoyable at Croc.

As far as AP-esque bands, Croc is the only major player in the Lehigh Valley.

[laura102605]

Originally Posted by thisisnotbrianm

Curious about this VIP scam thing...elaborate?!

Went to a Hanson show in 2007 (feel free to make fun, but they're still around). I was there in line pretty early hanging out with a group of friends and word spread through the line that the first 100 people in line could get "VIP Access" to have dinner and meet the band inside the venue for $25. We ended up forking over the $25 (it was freezing outside that day so we thought it would also be good to wait inside). They let us inside the basement of the venue and our dinner consisted of some kind of nasty cold pasta and tap water. The band never came down. Then instead of letting us go upstairs when it was time for the show to start, they basically kept us locked downstairs and mass chaos erupted as we heard people going into the venue above us! Haha most Hanson fans are batshit crazy so they were pissed that they weren't gonna be front row since we were technically towards the front of the line before our "VIP experience." I think the staff totally took advantage of the situation and knew that they could get 100 naive teenage girls to pay $25 to get inside with the promise of meeting the band! We filed a complaint with BBB, but it was never resolved!

[marsvoltamcr]

depends on the size of the crowd honestly. When I saw Killswitch/ETID/Dillinger/Parkway there, it was sold out, miserably packed, and hot.

but when I saw Hawthorne Heights this past February, there were maybe 50 people. Much more enjoyable atmosphere.

Loved both shows, though.

[Paris1nFlames]

Originally Posted by Chuck!

Been to ~40 shows at Croc. The experience completely depends on the specific show. The huge shows--e.g., All Time Low--are oversold and generally unpleasant experiences. That said, if you're over 21, it's infinitely more tolerable because you can hang in that section. Smaller and medium-sized shows can be a lot of fun, especially those in the basement. All-Stars would probably be enjoyable at Croc.

As far as AP-esque bands, Croc is the only major player in the Lehigh Valley.

^^ this