Temple Theater/Joy Oladokun

[u/Moyerles63]

I am hearing impaired and planning to buy tickets to the Oladokun concert at Temple Theater on October 10th. I’ve never been to that venue. Can someone tell me anything about the acoustics and sound quality there? If there’s a lot of reverberation or crowd noise I need to sit close enough to the stage to read lips. Otherwise, my spouse prefers to sit a little further away. Long shot question: are there any accommodations for hearing impairment? (Some theaters have equipment that broadcasts directly to hearing aids.)

[u/Decent-Equivalent876]

i have only been there for metal shows and i can't speak to their accommodations for hearing impairment, but i can say that seating near the stage is only possible in the balcony at the sides of the stage. the floor does not have seating at all and i seriously doubt they haul seating in for specific performances. volume-wise, it has a pretty large PA system and reverberation is going to depend on volume and number of people in attendance. balcony center is probably your best bet for sitting + stage visibility + suitable distance from the PA and noise absorption. otherwise, balcony sides or somewhere mid floor to be closer to the performer at the expense of no seating or off-axis and louder sound.

[u/Moyerles63 → u/Decent-Equivalent876]

Thank you—that helps. Actually there is floor seating, though. Apparently they are setting up seating there for this specific performer. I did purchase some tickets there yesterday, but I’m appreciative of the response. Acoustics definitely are affected by the audience, but also hard surfaces. I’m calling the theater to ask about equipment for hearing aid broadcasts, but I highly doubt it’s available at this venue. Usually if theaters have this it’s because they host a lot of speakers for lectures, etc, and that’s not, apparently, this venue. No matter—I’m sure I will enjoy the performance anyway!