The State Theater in Portland is enormous but still far more intimate than any arena. There is beautiful balcony seating up above (but guard rails at the edge above the floor are non-existent, meaning if you’re tall and have an uneven sense of gravity you’ve only got something that goes up to your knees to stop you and not a thing to grab onto once you plummet). The downstairs has seating the rear and then a very spacious pit. It wasn’t difficult making it up to the front, and though occassional bodies bounced off of me from the pile of people moshing in the middle it didn’t happen nearly enough to be of bother.
I did visit the day before New Years Eve, though. So you’re talking about a venue in Maine and by the coast. It was bitterly cold and that night. The parking garage that was a few hundred yards from the entrance to the theater FELT like it was miles away the theater. Once you go there though, all was good.
I spent the night seripticiouly sneaking puffs off my vape like i was a criminal, but at end of the show there was some guy right up front and by security smoking his joint and letting out billowing clouds toward security, none of who could care less. Made me feel silly for sneaking away at my vape, but whatever.