Bob Carr Theater

Walking up to Bob Carr Theater on Livingston Street feels more like pulling into a massive convention center than heading out for a loud night of live music. You are staring at this huge concrete marquee out front while the Orlando humidity sticks right to your shirt. It doesn't have that gritty neighborhood dive bar feel where you stumble right off the sidewalk into a sticky room.

Inside, it is all high ceilings, huge lobbies, and rows of heavy carpet. You are passing through security checkpoints that move at their own steady pace, and you can't miss the massive crowd milling around the lobby bars before the house lights blink. Drinks run expensive, and there is always a huge cluster of people blocking the main thoroughfares while they wait for the doors to the auditorium to open up.

Once you are inside the actual hall, the sound setup handles big touring acts easily. The seats are plush and steep, meaning you aren't fighting for a view over someone's head, but you also don't get that raw, floor-level energy where the bass hits your chest. You are sitting back in a proper theater seat watching the stage frame the band from a distance.