SHREDnews

By: Jess Grenier

On New Hampshire’s seacoast, in the town of Hampton Beach, one can find the elements of a stereotypical New England beach town: shops, arcades, restaurants, hotels and of course the beach. Now, if someone had never been to Hampton Beach before, they might look over the fact that on the boulevard with arcades and shops is one of New Hampshire’s most popular venues The Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. The Casino hosts many of the concerts that come to New Hampshire. The venue has held some big-name acts from various genres: Cobra Starship, Forever The Sickest Kids, The Plain White T’s, Mae, Goo Goo Dolls, Alice Cooper, Staind, U2, AFI, Sing It Loud and many others.

The best thing about the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom is its convenience; it is located right next to shops, the beach and hotels. You can spend the whole day experiencing the town, go to the show and then spend the night. For those who prefer to get to the venue a full four plus hours before the doors open, you will have plenty to occupy yourself with. There are a multitude of places to eat along the boulevard and there is even an arcade right next to the venue. Unfortunately, the downside about the Casino is that it is a seasonal venue so it closes for the winter.  However, there is nothing comparable to catching a summer show right on the beach with the sand and the ocean literately at your feet.

Parking at the Casino depends on when and where you decide to go to park your vehicle. As with almost every venue, the earlier you get to the venue, the better parking spot you will receive. However, the Casino provides two convenient parking garages, located in the back of the venue, divided by a one-way road; the prices range depending on which parking lot you decide to go to.

As you enter the Casino, the first thing to notice is the twenty-one or older seating area and bar on the left side. This is the perfect place to have parents wait while you head into the crowd. Across from the bar is where the merch tables can be found. Unfortunately, the line for the march can some times be long and block people from getting inside; but as all concertgoers know, this is inevitable. Next to the merch tables is a seating area for any persons who cannot be in the bar area. This area houses a place for underage kids to buy non-alcoholic drinks such as water and soda.

The stage is right in the middle of the Casino facing the bar. Normally, the crowd creates a huge circle around the stage. This sometimes makes it hard to get from one side of the venue to the other, but offers a viewing element not found at many other venues.  The thing to know about the crowd here, is that it always gets rowdy and pushy, as well as hot and sweaty; that is why you want to make sure that you have enough money to get a drink at the end of the show or in between sets. For those who are looking for some inside info, on the left side of the stage is where band members occasionally hang out. Always keep an eye out for them.

Overall, whether you go to The Hampton Beach Casino to see Cobra Starship or the Goo Goo Dolls, you’ll be pleasantly happy with the outcome. I have to say that I have had some of my most favorite concerts here and have developed my favorite concert memories here as well. I know that the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom will surely generate other people’s favorite concerts and memories too.