My first time at the Sinclair

I’m relatively new to the Boston music scene, so the only Boston concert venue I had ever experienced before going to the Sinclair was the House of Blues.

I’ve been to plenty of small venues outside the city in my 19 years of living and I can honestly say I prefer them to huge stadium shows. They really allow for an intimate connection between fans and performers.

The atmosphere of the Sinclair would probably have been really cool if there were less screaming 13-year-old girls with their parents. Picture a cross between One Direction fans and Warped Tour’s finest. That’s what I was dealing with.

Parents take up a lot of space at these sorts of things and make me feel kind of uncomfortable. It definitely took away from the experience, but that wasn’t the Sinclair’s fault.

The concert I went to see this past Monday was for an Australia based Internet sensation named Troye Sivan. I knew little about him, except that I liked three of his songs.

I wish I had done a little more research on Troye Sivan’s demographic beforehand, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy throwing elbows at 50 year olds who were in my way.

The ticket price was relatively inexpensive at $18.50 each, so my sister and I hopped in an Uber and adventured into Cambridge.

The vibe of the area itself is very relaxed, which I liked. I think the reason for this was that people in Cambridge smoke a lot of weed.

Harvard is around the corner from the Sinclair, which meant hot, rich, intelligent men were plentiful. I have no complaints about this.

The inside of the building was absolutely beautiful, besides it being a little musty from the hoards of sweaty, stinky people that frequent small venues.

Another cool thing about the Sinclair is that it’s also a “moderately priced” restaurant, which allows for cool date nights as well as girls’ night and guys’ night opportunities.

There was exposed brick, cool subway tiling and plenty of PBR for those who are of age.

It was a hipster’s paradise.

Speaking of alcohol, drinks were moderately priced for a concert venue. Draft beers hovered around $7. Beer and shot combos were $10. It was really dark in the bar area, so I couldn’t get a good look at the cocktail prices. That being said, they were probably expensive.

The concert itself was AMAZING. There were minor technical difficulties regarding microphone feedback, but otherwise I have no cause for complaints. The music wasn’t too loud, so my eardrums were thankfully not ruptured by the end of the show.

Something else I liked was that the pit went right up to the stage. There were no barriers or railings. Troye was able to really connect with the people in the pit. At one point, he even sat down next to them on stage.

I, however, avoided the pit at all costs. I could feel the pubescent hormones seeping out from that area.

The balcony suited me just fine.

I always get excited when there is an option to stand in the balcony. At just over 5 feet tall, its usually impossible for me to see if I stand anywhere in the pit besides the very front.

Despite the previously mentioned mustiness, the Sinclair was pretty clean. The bathroom was well managed. It looked to be frequently swept, and there were no funky smells coming from the stalls. I’ll rate it a 7.5/10.

Overall, I had an interesting experience at the Sinclair. I would definitely go back, but would definitely pick a show with an intended demographic that is over the age of 16.