McDavid Studio

I was there for the Performing Arts Fort Worth Children's Education Fund Awards Luncheon. It's a great venue and the students put on a great performance!!!

It is a great, intimate venue for music. Why isn't it being used? McDavid Concert Series lists one show in May. Haven't been in years now. Can we assume the decision has been made to shift it from community events to a private event space? Really a shame.

McDavid Studio should be a welcome addition to the Fort Worth music scene. It is a large, warehouse style space with wood floors and a mid-sized stage. It is attached to the Bass Hall complex in downtown - great location. And it is, apparently, managed by the worst sort of amateurs.We attended their 08/09 New Year's Eve bash. As billed, it should have been lovely: warm up with some drinks over blues, kick it into high gear through midnight with the awesome Tejas Brothers then mellow out the buzz with a breakfast from Joe T's with pastries from Esperanza. Aces! Pricey at $100 a head and a no-host bar but a fun bill.Or so we thought.We knew we were in trouble when we wandered in about 15 minutes after the 9 o'clock opening and the Bros were already on stage. WTF? Weren't they billed as the headliner? Weren't their pictures plastered over every ad we saw including the Startlegram?They played a great set with tunes written by every member of the band and Dave Perez's stunning Louis Armstrong on What a Wonderful World. Then, suddenly, in a terrifying lurch, they not only left the stage at 10:00 but they also announced that "breakfast" was served and there would be an hour break in the music as food was served in another room! Way to crank it up! Sigh.The food would have been good if we hadn't just eaten before wandering over to the show. And conversation with other attendees might have been fun if everyone wasn't being stunned and cranky by this evil turn of events.When music finally did resume around 11:00 we were in bluesland - not the highest energy location at the best of times and, with a crowd filled with Mexican food, the joint was far from jumping. Jim Suhler & Alan Haynes were not bad and at times - briefly - were quite good. But they lost what few stars they had won when they proved to be so self-involved that they played right through midnight without so much as a pause to acknowledge the coming of the new year.Some free advice for McDavid Studio: when you book a performer as charismatic as Dave Perez for New Year's Eve, make sure he is behind the mike at midnight. If you are serving breakfast on New Year's Eve, serve it AFTER midnight with some lower energy music - say some blues, maybe. And never ever ever advertise one show and deliver another.I know I won't be back and, judging from the grumbling, you're going to have a hard sell for many of our fellow patrons.

This is a great venue for true music lovers. Not a place to get rowdy and loud though as it's more of a listening room where the patrons want to hear the music, not talk with their friends. It seats maybe a couple hundred (if that), great acoustics and friendly hosts who will find you a seat in the cocktail table-style seating arrangement.Conveniently located in downtown Fort Worth, this is actually across the street from Bass Performance hall but a part of that larger venue with many places to eat before-hand and even after the show. There is a Flying Saucer pub with food a block away and a Razoo's cajun food restaurant 4 blocks away. And many others within walking distance.So go to McDavid if your favorite artist is playing here. You won't be disappointed.

I don't think I will be going back to McDavid theatre for awhile. I was having a wonderful birthday celebration with 3 girlfriends. We had dinner on the patio at Bird Cafe and then walked a few blocks to McDavid to see a comedy. Dixie- how to ride a mechanical bull with a tube top. We had seen his show before and the show is hilarious so fun night right? Wrong. I had 1/2 a birthday cake and my handbag and as I walked up to the front a short nasty woman told me my bag was too big and I'd have to walk it 2 blocks away to a bag check. Oh and I had to throw away the 1/2 of my birthday cake tied and wrapped in a bag. Since my car was in valet several blocks away I couldn't just run to the car. A gentleman walked me the 2 blocks quickly (the show was about to begin)in heels. I was livid. My handbag was soft and I could have folded it down. The reason I am writing this review is because more than 1/2 the handbags that came in were hard outer and twice the size of mine. One lady even walked in with a backpack. Now as I walk with blisters on my feet and still really angry I thought others should know depending who is at the door you may or may not be treated rudely. After the show I walked over to the gentleman who walked me to drop off my bag and pointed out to him every women that walked by had a larger handbag. He apologized but my night was already ruined. When I walked the 2 blocks to get bag after the show it was the ONLY one there. I will highly recommend the show but I feel I was treated poorly and as much as the large blisters on my feet from practically running in heels I woke up and thought I needed to let people know the venue needs to speak to their staff about customer service. Some of their employees could use an attitude adjustment. A wonderful birthday girls night out ruined because a woman wanted to be nasty.

Nice little auditorium on block behind Bass Hall. Liked that we could take our drinks in the show (can't do that in Bass Hall).

Best place in town to actually HEAR live music on the all-too-rare occasions that they book shows. It is a multi-use space that is part of the Bass Hall complex in downtown Fort Worth. A separate building where the open rectangular warehouse-like space can be configured for weddings, business presentations, dramatic presentations, and live music acts. As such, this is not a regularly operated "club" with weekly or even monthly performances. Acts are scheduled long in advance and announced online or in limited print media. Generally limited to small touring acts appropriate to 200-250 seats, and local or Texas acts deemed a sufficient draw to cover costs. Excellent sound system that projects from above, creating no sight-line obstructions to the stage from the main seating. Music seating is all loose chairs around circular tables of varying sizes...mostly 4 per, with NO reserved seating. Ushers available to help late couples find seats at tables where 2 have tried to commandeer all 4 seats. Movement is tight, but viable. Bar is always a temporary operation in a back corner. No wait staff, only counter service with a limited drink menu (beers, wine, limited or no mixes). Generally quiet environment where audience listens and doesn't talk, though this isn't guaranteed. Always amazed at folks (generally 2 girlfriends) who fail to realize others are staying quiet, talk constantly as if they haven't visited in decades, and ignore the dirty looks others are giving them. So it's not a rowdy bar or concert scene, but no guarantee of a respectful coffeehouse crowd. Sound booth is located at back wall, center, causing no obstruction to audience.The house sound man for almost every music event is a multi-year employee and musician (bass) who has a very balanced and sensitive musical ear and excellent mixing board skills. He gets it right. If you can find out enough about the act to decide you are interested, this is THE venue to see most anyone. No bad seats unless you are stuck in a far corner or on the extreme side tables parallel with the stage. General admission, so arrive early or on time and no problem.

We booked a wedding here and had it catered by The Ashton Depot. Had a lot of compliments from our friends and family and we enjoyed working with the venue and the caterer. would recommend this venue to others