U.S. Music Venues Recommended by Artists
Whether you are planning a US tour or vacationing to unfamiliar terrain, these are some of the best live music venues to hit, according to some of our favorite indie artists:
Let’s begin with a quick list of live music venues in the sunny state of California. Outside of the hustle and bustle of music mecca LA, there is Moe’s Alley, in Santa Cruz, which is “an inclusive, safe environment for everyone to smile, dance and rock out.” The Independent, in San Francisco, regularly hosts artists ranging from Langhorne Slim to Agent Orange, with many smaller acts in between. Finally, Winston’s, in San Diego, seems to cater toward every music genre on Earth. All of these were recommended by blog fave Slow Coast.
If you’re digging the vibe of that area, singer-songwriter Jeff Kolhede also suggests that you hit up Rickshaw Stop, which is “a 4000-square-foot former TV studio with a full bar,” Ivy Room in Albany, CA, which is a women-owned, all-inclusive venue, Thee Stork Club, The Chapel, Bottom of The Hill… We could fill an entire article with all the venues just in the SF area, but if you’re about four hours south, in Santa Ynez, Stefan J Selbert insists that “Maverick Saloon is a great choice since it’s always popping!”
We were not even going to attempt writing about Los Angeles, but then we received a message from Devlin & The Harm, who did all the heavy lifting for us: “[It] really depends on the capacity and how the band draws. Live local music has changed so much (for the worse) in the last five years. Troubadour has always been my favorite venue in LA; it’s intimate and historic and the sound is incredible, but you’ve got to have a pretty good draw to play because it’s on the West Side.” Devlin adds that Zebulon, Lodge Room, and Teragram are all great, although to book them, you should already have a strong following. He goes on to provide some hope: “On the smaller side, venues like Moroccan Lounge, Permanent Records Roadhouse, The Virgil, and El Cid are all the best options.”
Making our way to Colorado, A Different Thread recently played Trade and Post in Del Norte, CO, adding that it was “such a great DIY space, and they host a variety of acts, from folk on to heavier stuff...” Heading north, Lonely Choir has a clear affinity for the following Denver-based live music venues: Swallow Hill, Larimer Lounge, Lost Lake, Skylark Lounge, and Globe Hall, which all seem to cater to indie rock, folk, Americana, country, and singer-songwriters. In addition to these fine establishments, Lonely Choir also recommends a circuit of cool Denver homes for house shows; however, you should give her a follow on social media before inquiring about any of these.
Dellwood is admittedly a bit rusty when it comes to gigging, but if you’re heading to Minneapolis, MN, here are some of his venue recommendations: “Turf Club, First Avenue 7th Street Entry (a good contact as they run a bunch of the venues now), Icehouse, 331 Club (dive bar feel), Berlin for more experimental, modern classical. Then there’s more theater type spots… Amsterdam.” Minneapolis is the home of Prince, Babes in Toyland, and The Replacements, so of course it’s going to have some fantastic places to catch live music.
We would be remiss not to include our hometown, but for Chicago, Justin Sconza’s favorite is Empty Bottle. We would have to agree, as most noteworthy Chicago gig stories include this venue and there’s a very good chance that your favorite artist played here before you even became a fan. Sconza goes on to mention a couple more: Broken Hearts and, of course, Metro. We will likely expand on Chicago later with a full article.
Half of the submissions we receive come from Nashville, so it’s no wonder that there is a seemingly endless list of stages to play, but Lydia Luce’s favorite is The Blue Room. This home base for indie label Third Man Records is open weekly for intimate concerts in their “cornerless blue space.” Indie artist Morning Verses highly recommends The Bowery Vault, East Nashville’s “most intimate venue,” as well as The 5 Spot, which offers live, multitrack recording for the acts that play there.
Skipping over to “the tar heel state” of North Carolina, Asheville is one of the most indie artist-friendly places on the map, but if you travel a few hours toward the Atlantic, you’ll find the town of Wilmington, home to singer-songwriter Chris Williams. Due to Williams’ consistent delivery of heartfelt indie folk, we trust him completely when he tells us that Brooklyn Arts Center is a great place to experience that same vibe. Many of the events are private, but there’s nothing like catching a show inside of an old church– perfect for your next east coast tour.
200 miles northwest of Wilmington, A Different Thread has another recommendation: “Flat Iron in Greensboro, NC, really deserves a shoutout! They are fighting tooth and nail to get on the map and putting on damn good shows along the way!” Looking over their calendar, they have a slew of upcoming performances that are pocketbook-friendly, and they seem to accept unsolicited EPKs. Hit them up, whether you wish to entertain or to be entertained.
Planning a trip to the nation’s capital? Washington DC-based indie artist Dylan Rockwell says, “The Atlantis is the best small-to-medium venue, but it’s also the most inaccessible for its size. Most local bands haven’t been able to get on a bill there because they’re booked out with touring acts that don’t need local support.” We feel that it’s still worth shooting your shot, but for a better chance at booking, Rockwell adds: “I’d go Songbyrd or Pie Shop… For a darker, moody vibe I’d go DC9, and for a very small capacity spot, go for The Pocket.” Maryland-based artist, Teghan Devon, provides an additional vote for Pie Shop, and: “For big artists I’d say The Anthem in DC… For less known acts or singer-songwriters, I’d recommend New Deal Cafe in Greenbelt, MD, and Hank Dietle’s Tavern in Rockville, MD.”
Finally, like most larger cities, we are going to leave out a ton of indie band-accessible venues, so we relied on Andie Mechanic to give us a couple of her favorites: “I loved the Red Room in Boston (connected to Berklee College of Music and a great venue for small to mid sized artists). And Arlene’s Grocery (in New York City) and Baby’s All Right (in Brooklyn).” Like Chicago, Boston and New York will likely get full-page pieces in the future, but the article did not feel complete without a quick shoutout.
Mad that we didn’t include your town or favorite venue? Let us know and we’ll probably get to it next time. Additionally, John is putting together a list of venues in Europe, so you should hit him up.