I saw an electronic music show (LSZEE) here a few weeks ago and it was by far the worst venue experience I've ever had. The way that the staff interacted with my partner and me was dehumanizing, totally devoid of empathy or compassion, and judgemental. ANY electronic music artist that cares about their fans should steer very clear of this place and any fan that cares about themselves and their community should do the same.This venue has no business hosting EDM shows; it was obvious that they hate doing it and are only having them to extract money from a group of people that they see as degenerate scumbags who need to be tightly controlled to protect themselves, each other, and their venue.To be more specific; this venue has a long list of rules, some of which are on their website and some of which aren't. These rules are enforced aggressively and inconsistently by an absurdly large number of security staff. I'm a self-reliant, kind, sober person and really shouldn't have needed to talk to any security staff for the two nights I was there but I had unpleasant interactions with 15+ members of their staff during that time. I don't have the word count to explain all of these so here's a list of some of the awful things their security team did.- Refused to let us bring an empty reusable water bottle into the venue despite no info on website, tickets, etc on what was / wasn't allowed- Took water bottle caps away despite medical need for hydration access- Absurdly slow and thorough pat down and bag check; prepare to be poked, prodded, groped, and interrogated- Threw out a bunch of my stuff at security without telling me- Refused to let me bring in nicotine replacement products- Took away sealed OTC medication despite website saying that it's OK- Medical staff only able to do damage control, no flexibility on preventative care- Sheeted all water fountains in the venue- Posted guards outside of the restrooms to make sure people used the right restroom based on a visual assessment (I'm nonbinary and confirmed by talking with one of them)- Yelling at people to get out of restroom stalls to clear the venue <10 min after show ended and 20 min before the advertised end time- Locked all of the single stall non-binary restrooms- Posted several security guards to keep people from lingering/dancing/standing in all areas that weren't the overcrowded GA floor or their cramped, narrow, steep seats- Several security guards aggressively checking crowd for prohibited behaviors (generally adding to the terrible vibe)- Attempted to intimidate me as I was leaving the venue after they heard me noting some of these concerns to the artists' community engagement team - [second hand info] Discussed with the community team who said they had to intervene several times and talk to the venue after having so many issues including seeing a security guard groping a girl who was intoxicated and being taken to medical- [not 100% certain, could have fallen out or something] Think that security stole my partner's airpods (older ones with no tracking)To elaborate on the water example; my partner, who is a nurse and is also sober, has a heart condition and needs access to water and electrolytes to prevent episodes. After they took our empty, reusable water bottle away we talked to two separate security groups, ticketing, bar staff, bar staff management, and medical to try to get her a bottle that she could close and hold onto to meet this need. All of them flatly refused to make an accommodation, be flexible in any way, or even show some sort of human empathy and understanding for her need.Again - if you care about yourself, your dignity, harm reduction, community, treating each other with decency and respect, and good vibes, skip this place. San Jose Civic - if you're reading this and open to feedback, I think that you should either stick to Sesame Street and Symphonys or fire the jerk who assembled and trained your security staff and start over.

San Jose Civic is not a good place to enjoy a show if you want to see and experience it. Just here to see Letterkenny, and the performance is tight and very true to form, but like any performance San Jose Civic handicaps the show. Orchestra seats are only good in the first few rows, the entire massive multi-section orchestra is entirely flat, the sound system is overdriven front only speakers and intermission winds you theough the entire dog-leg lobby to emerge with dozens of smokers. The balconies are steep and there is little leg room anywhere, the aisle seats are fine, except you must stand to let everyone through. Without a traditional sloped floor the only view will be from a useless fixed center screen and one poorly aimed side cam. Encourage performers to avoid this venue.

Interesting venue with lots of history in San Jose. So convenient to the light rail. Most seats are good, although very close and without much leg room. The balcony is quite steep. If fear of heights is a problem seats on the main floor would be better. TV monitors work well. It’s wonderful to have this place that has hosted so many celebrities over the years still be functioning with high caliber artists, speakers, groups, etc

I've been here once before for a media day for the NHL, but this is the first time I saw a concert. It is very intimate venue and I really enjoyed it! The concert was great, the venue is beautiful and the staff very friendly and helpful. I would definitely see another concert here!

The Civic is an interesting venue. It is quaint and personal for performances. They hold other events there for children and adults - training sessions and performances. Art and acting are also activities you can explore here. An initial review of the surroundings and grounds show some challenges for accessibility. You can get around by there is some accommodation you need to make to find accessible entrances and areas you can freely move around in with anything that has wheels on it.