Here’s one to get you talking. Paste solicited nominations for the country’s best music venues, taking their readers’ 500+ suggestions and whittling ‘em down to an unranked list of 40 “according to history, setting, sound, character, comfort, atmosphere, vibrancy, uniqueness and their roles in helping launch careers.” Here’s their list of the nation’s best listening rooms, ranging from the legendary (Fillmore) to the new(ish) kids (Allen Room at Lincoln Center). Pick your favorite region and enjoy.
NORTHWEST
Café Du Nord (San Francisco, CA)
Crocodile Café (Seattle WA)
Department of Safety (Anacortes, WA)
Doug Fir Lounge (Portland, OR)
The Fillmore (San Francisco, CA)
Tractor Tavern (Seattle, WA)
Gorge Ampitheatre (George, WA)
Great American Music Hall (San Francisco, CA)
SOUTHWEST
Continental Club (Austin, TX)
Red Rocks (Morrison, CO)
The Troubador (West Hollywood, CA)
Largo (Los Angeles, CA)
Stubb’s (Austin, TX)
Hotel Café (Hollywood, CA)MIDWEST
Cain’s Ballroom (Tulsa, OK)
Schubas (Chicago, IL)
Magic Stick (Detroit, MI)
Fox Theatre (Boulder, CO)
First Avenue (Minneapolis, MN)NORTHEAST
9:30 Club (Washington, D.C.)
Allen Room at Lincoln Center (New YOrk, NY)
Iron Horse Music Hall (Northampton, MA)
Club Passim (Cambridge, MA)
Bowery Ballroom (New York, NY)
Maxwell’s (Hoboken, NJ)
World Café Life (Philadelphia, PA)
The Living Room (New York, NY)
Space (Portland, ME)SOUTHEAST
40 Watt Club (Athens, GA)
Bluebird Café (Nashville, TN)
The Basement (Nashville, TN)
The Earl (Atlanta, GA)
Eddie’s Attic (Decatur, GA)
Jammin’ Java (Vienna, VA)
The Melting Point (Athens, GA)
The Orange Peel (Asheville, NC)
Southgate House (Newport, KY)
The Tabernacle (Atlanta, GA)
Tipitina’s (New Orleans, LA)
Workplay (Birmingham, AL)
Would like to see Mercury Lounge in there, but when you live six blocks away, bias is an issue. Additions, subtractions, expressions of frustrations? Have at it.
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The Exchange (Regina, SK)
Absolutely perfect venue. I could watch The Constantines own that place every night for the rest of my life.
Admittedly, it’s been a while since I’ve been to First Ave but I think the Fine Line is much better.
THE SOUL BAR in AUGUSTA, GEORGIA home of JAMES BROWN
The Parish is my favorite venue in Austin.
the empty bottle is the best place to see a show in Chicago
This sort of list is so arbitrary, I can’t take it too seriously. But, 5 venues in GA versus 5 in the entire midwest? Give me a break. I realize Paste is based in Georgia, but the home-state love is a bit excessive.
is that boulder, ca suppose to be boulder, co….if it is, the fox is not that great….seriously….that place smells like grandma…
weren’t people freaking out about gum calling colorado the midwest recently? looks like paste can expect some angry letters from righteous colorado peeps.
Silly list…but What?!? no Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill?
Jammin Java and the 9:30 Club are maybe 20 miles apart, yet in different regions (both in DC Metro). How odd.
the opolis in norman, ok
red rocks? well sure.
I might as well be the only person to mention The Starlite Room (Edmonton, AB). Awesome place (for the nine people who have heard of it).
Olympic Island, Toronto
boston? the paradise? middle east?
iron horse is decent though.
i’ve heard of it, Bob. I just saw Dino Jr. there on Saturday.
they left off the Middle East in Cambridge?
And I’m sorry, I know Maxwells has the history and all that, but it’s a shit place to see a show. Bad sight lines, bad lighting and more often than not bad soundguys. The intimacy is amazing and it’s a point of pride to be able to talk about having seen some astounding bands play there the night before they do a sold out show at Irving, but the room itself is rubbish.
The three SF picks are each pretty good to great. Great American can be an amazing venue to the right band. Cafe du Nord is a pretty good intimate venue. Fillmore is probably as good as they get for large-ish venues.
There are obviously some problems, with the list, though. From my Boston days, I always liked TT the Bears and for an impersonal box-of-a-venue, the Middle East downstairs will probably be my favorite.
GREAT to see cain’s ballroom make the list. i’ve seen countless great shows there.
I agree with The Opolis in Norman….great sound, intimate, fun decor, nice owners, cheap beer. It’s awesome! Also, Hailey’s in Denton is wonderful as well!
I really dug the downstairs at the Middle East when I was there in October.
I haven’t yet checked out the Doug Fir here in Portland– I suppose they have a lot of interesting acts, but no “must see” acts, yet, my concert budget gets stretched thin in this town as-is– but I do hear that it’s a cool and intimate venue.
I’ve always been a fan of The Aladdin, though, I’ve seen some mind-blowing shows there. It’s too bad everything gets booked at the Crystal Ballroom instead.
paste is clueless about chicago. schubas SUCKS! empty bottle is so much better.
Four locations in Atlanta, and New Orleans only gets Tipitina’s? I can’t take this list seriously when they can only find one club in a city that has more live music locations in a fifteen bloc radius then most of these cities could dream of!
And they?re honestly going to contend that Atlanta has more great spots for live music than New York or Los Angeles? I smell a huge heap of bullshit!
that’s hilarious…i live about a quarter mile from club passim but i’ve never been there. i thought it was just a place for spoken word poetry and amateur singer/songwriters.
say what you will about TT’s, the Middle East and Paradise for acoustics or whatever, but they’re venues that actually have real bands performing at them. which gives them a *slight* advantage…
I wouldn’t say that Schubas sucks, I’ve had a pretty good time there, but I like the Metro much better as far as Chicago venues go.
i don’t understand how paste took two venues that are only seperated by 50 miles and put them into two seperate regions….it’s only 45 mins from boulder to morrison….
i might be late on this. but since when is san francisco considered the northwest?
club passim? who plays there ever? clearly the middle east should be on this list
black cat- dc…. so much better than 9:30
exit/in, mercy lounge- nashville
Yeah, I second the Black Cat in DC — no matter where you stand, you can always see (I suppose unless you’re short… or there is that one tall guy who always stands in front of you… but I don’t think you can blame the venue… just God).
The Union in Athens, OH is pretty good too for what it is…
joe: since SF got all uppity and refused to be called “Frisco”? I’m guessing Northern Cali = northwest, these days. Plus it makes it easier to spread the list out, since Idaho ain’t exactly a bastion of culture.
Oh yeah, the Gorge Ampitheater in George, WA? It’s a damn amazing carved out hillside ampitheater with the Columbia River as the backdrop to the stage. A long drive from anywhere, but if the weather holds, it’s the most breathtaking view for any venue. Maybe I’ll make it to Sasquatch next year…
Paste redraws the lines. SF is not only included in the Northwest, but LA is now part of the American Southwest. And the Casbah and Belly Up in San Diego apparently ain’t shit. I would beg to differ, but looks like the list doesn’t have much cred anyway.
Gotta give another vote to the Opolis in Norman Oklahoma… great place to see your favorite band with 50 other people
I go to a lot of shows in Austin and wouldn’t even have Stubb’s in my top five of Austin venues, let alone top 40 in the country. My favorite venue, Emo’s Austin, didn’t make the list despite making the top five in Playboy’s list that came out a few months ago. Emo’s has butt loads of character and history. They still have the stool that Johnny Cash sat on when playing at SXSW hanging above the bar.
There is no way World Cafe Live beats the Tower Theatre for Philly.. and internationally speaking, the Paradiso in Amsterdam is the best venue. EVER.
I agree the Metro is a great place to see a show. Just saw LCD Soundsystem there and it was outstanding.
glad to see Southgate House in Newport KY on the list…what a great venue.
Boston has been snubbed for sure. But its tough to please everyone I guess. The Middle East, Paradise rock, even TTs need some recognition. Never been to the Iron Horse though.
The Blue Note in Columbia, Missouri, holds a special place in my heart.
I’ll third the Metro in Chicago… Schuba’s is great, but Metro is legendary — and feels like the city.
I call bullshit on the Midwest list.
Agreed the bottle is better than schuba’s, which is better than Metro..
but no GROG SHOP in Cleveland? are you joking me?
although, I guess this is what you get from the readers of Paste……
I wholeheartedly agree with the picks in San Francisco. GAMH is my favorite venue of all time. Cafe Du Nord is almost scarily intimate. The Fillmore is a legend.
I’d add Bottom Of The Hill to the list also. Great venue.
Cat’s Cradle is in Carborro. I’d put it on the list.
Totally agree with Bottom of the Hill being added to the SF list.
THE MIDDLE EAST 4 EVA!!!!11!!!
Personally, I’m glad that they left Cat’s Cradle off of the list. Yes, they attract most of the great bands that come through NC – but the sound engineering there is terrible.
The Gorge is nice but for sound it’s shit. A great view and tremendous atmosphere can’t make up for crappy sound rigs.
Tractor Tavern is just a 10 minute walk from my place and I love that choice–it has a unique decor and blends indie and country/alt-country fans into one happy family.
Gotta love the Tractor Tavern (Seattle) being picked here, if for no other reason then I can crawl home from it.
The original Cat’s Cradle for sure… not sure about the new (third?) location.
I have to second the need for the inclusion of San Diego’s Casbah (at it’s second location, correct?)
The best venue I ever saw live music at was The Backstage, which unfortunately closed it’s doors in the late 90′s. When it went under, The Tractor Tavern (formerly The New Melody) took on most of it’s bookings and the rest is history.
The Bug Jar—Roch., NY
Trocadero—Philly
There’s no question The Pabst Theater in Milwaukee should be on there. Not only gorgeous on the inside, but the sound is better than any other venue I’ve been to (and I’ve been to a lot!).
“Paste redraws the lines. SF is not only included in the Northwest, but LA is now part of the American Southwest. And the Casbah and Belly Up in San Diego apparently ain’t shit. I would beg to differ, but looks like the list doesn’t have much cred anyway.”
werd; all the shows I’ve seen at the Belly Up have been some of the best music experiences ever.
Although it’s probably not in the list because SD is like the least indie city in all of SoCal.
Anyway, can any of you LA freaks tell me where the FUCK the Largo is? I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard of anyone performing at the Largo, wherever the fuck it is. The Troubadour I can totally agree with, but the Hotel Cafe? Really? They get enough decent artists to actually warrant being called a “best venue”?
Paste is a pretty good magazine (great if you look at the other dreck on the stands), but that list is just crap.
Um..the Largo is a dinner club on Fairfax. Jon Brion holds his weekly shows there every Friday. They regularly have comedy nights ft. Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswald, Margaret Cho, etc. Fiona Apple and Aimee Mann have each played at least once a month in the past year. The place seats like 40 max and is known for its strict no talking during sets/no cell phone rules.
I agree that The Hotel Cafe is really pushing it considering the other venues in LA, but the Largo is top notch.
this list is utter shit, plz disregard it.
I for one really dig Schubas, and Metro is a close second if it weren’t for the arrogance the staff seems to share.
Black Cat > 9:30 Club in the District.
Bullshit indeed. I mean no Metro in Chicago. No Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis. No Launch Pad in Albuquerque. Shite I say!!!
Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco is pretty crappy, actually. The stage is too low so you can’t see anything (I’m 6’2″ but I have shorter friends), and if you are in the back half of the room, all you hear is bar chatter because of the odd shape of the place, which for some reason flows sound from the back to the front. Also, they don’t care at all about the timing of things. It’s not uncommon for a headliner to come on stage after midnight on a weekday. We never go here unless we absolutely MUST see the artist. Other venues (Great American Music Hall, Bottom of the Hill) we’ll go to just because the places are so well run.
Ugh! Per usual Arizona doesn’t make the cut. I don’t get it. We have the 5th largest city in the U.S. and yet musically we are underwhelming. I can’t say I’m suprised we were left off the list because venues by and large here are not that impressive. I hope music lovers of AZ read this list and were inspired to make some noise.
Ugh! Per usual Arizona doesn’t make the cut. I don’t get it. We have the 5th largest city in the U.S. and yet musically we are underwhelming. I can’t say I’m suprised we were left off the list because venues by and large here are not that impressive. I hope music lovers of AZ read this list and were inspired to make some noise.
Not sure why the Iron Horse is on here. It’s nice to have relatively “big” indie bands coming to the liberal-arts-purgatory that is Northampton, and the people are always great, but the venue itself is pretty unremarkable. I’ve only been to 2 others on the list (Bowery and 9:30) and those seem a lot more appropo for a top 40.
Giving some hometown love, I must say the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh has incredible acoustics and fittingly gorgeous design; a personal favorite venue. Only hosts 10 or 12 shows a year though.
There really isn’t any Canadian love on this list.
I would nominate the Casbah in Hamilton.
Nice venue.
The Empty Bottle should have definitely made the list. But all of you pholks talking up the metro? That place is AWFUL. You might as well go to the Aragon Ballroom…
Club Passim has the historical significance, despite it’s insignificance today….Bob Dylan and many others played there in relative obscurity back in the day.
No problem, Boston’s not a big college town anyway.
at first i was kinda pissed about the cat’s cradle being excluded, but it is a good point that the sound there sucks, and i might be a little biased when that’s the place i see 90% of my shows…
also, great spinal tap reference
Cats Cradle in Chapel Hill!
The Basement? I like the club and the bands they book, but there are about 20 better places to see music in Nashville. (Poor sight lines and usually pretty bad sound as well.) The fact that the Ryman Auditorium is not on the list makes it immediately suspect. Best music venue I’ve ever seen, and it’s not a well-kept secret.
*sigh* what complete and utter bullshit. the fact that an ATLANTA-BASED MAGAZINE didn’t put Variety Playhouse on this list is completely fucking ludicrous. seriously. what were they smoking when they chose the 40 WATT and The Tabernacle over the VP? as someone who has been to many, many shows at venues all over the southeast, i would, without hesitance, name Variety Playhouse as the best one in the region. in fact, it’s my favorite venue i’ve ever been to, ever.
The main problem with shows in NYC is that they tend to sell out before the band even forms.
Personally I’d take Schubas over the empty bottle. If you’re at the EB for a relatively big name, it’s got a fun atmosphere, but a lot of times the acts have to battle a noisy bar crowd not so into the music on stage. That’s a problem everywhere but seems a little more pronounced at the Bottle. The stage is angled a little oddly for about half the audience, and there’s a weird step four or five feet from the performance area, meaning the people up front are higher up then the people behind them. Since the band is only a foot or so off the ground, if you’re standing right behind the step it can make a difference between seeing them play or waiting for the shaggy hair in front of you to move to one side. It’s got a clubhouse feel with the couches and pool tables, and it’s definitely better for running back and grabbing drinks (you’ll usually sober up just waiting for your beers at schubas), but as a place to see a band, I’m sometimes left a little disappointed.
They’re both a lot better then subterranean though.
Actually, Variety Playhouse is fucking terrible. It’s more suited for elementary school Thanksgiving musicals. And The Magnetic Fields (worst concert ever). 40 Watt easily wins this.
How can a Boulder theater be in the Midwest, but Red Rocks be in the Southwest? Colorado’s big, but it doesn’t straddle two different regions of the country.
Chameleon Club, Lancaster, PA
Love for Jammin’ Java! Awesome. I’d like to toss in Starr Hill in Charlottesville, VA.
wow. mercury lounge was my first thought too. I spent my formative years there, and no other place in austin has as good acoustics or atmosphere.
how bout Massey Hall, Toronto?
southgate house, newport, ky
best place ever
I KNEW First Avenue in Mpls would make the list. I don’t care if parts of Purple Rain were filmed there, that place blows.
New Game. Out of those 40 places, how many have people been to? I’ve been to 9 (SF, LA, MN, NYC).
Red Rocks and the Fox Theater are roughly one hour from one another by car. So why are they listed in different regions?
red rocks>the gorge
Firstly it’s “World Cafe Live” not “Life”.
But more importantly, no respectful Philadelphian would ever call the World Cafe even a top 5 venue in Philly. Its like an old age home.
The Basement is the bomb. Glad it made it….. THE FUCKING BLUEBIRD?!?!?!?! What a joke. That place sucks. What about the Ryman?
why would you even consider putting the troubadour on the list? the troubadour is total balls!
What about Young Avenue Deli in Memphis? Some of the greatest rock acts play there on a regular basis. I was at a three night run a few years back that featured, Cee-Lo on Friday, Lucero on Satuday and Del McCoury Band on Sunday. Talk about on hell of a lineup! I do respect that the Southeast has more representation than the rest of the country, everything is better down south!
Minneapolis: TRIPLE ROCK SOCIAL CLUB!!!!!!
Owned by punkers, for punkers. Decent ticket prices, great food, a nice small-medium size room. Vegetarian option and over a dozen really good tap beers, and hundreds more. Best of all, NO TICKETS, no rip-off $12.00 “convenience charges”.
of course atlanta has the best venues. most of paste’s readership comes from where the mag orginated duh! but seriously…being from atl i was perplexed why the variety playhouse was not mentioned especially when the tabernacle and the eddies attic are. variety has the best sound of the smaller indie venues than these two and by far outshine them aestheticaly. i would say variety, the earl, and the drunken unicorn are my top 3 here in atlanta. also mention the atlanta symphony orchestra’s hall because they hosted sigur ros. the athen’s venues are correct. i was curious no florida venues were listed…a whole state has no venues c’mon paste! anyhow all supposed “best of” lists never satisfy anyone. they are made to spark creative conversation or arguments like this one obviously has. enjoy kids!!
1. The Troubadour is amazing– great room, sound, history, etc.
2. Belly Up is the best venue in Southern California.
I can’t believe they left off the Staples Center in LA and MSG in NYC!!! Blasphemy!
LA – Yes, Largo rules. Especially as you get older. Have seen some truly genius shows there. If you ever get the chance to see Grant Lee Phillips, Tommy Stinson or Michael Penn there… GO.
DC – 9:30 over Black Cat. Not really a question there: the 9:30 may be the best venue of its kind around. Like the Black Cat though…
Philly – I concur: where was the Trocadero on this list? Me loves the Troc.
Boston – I still miss the Channel. That place was rad.
I will also kick in and say the Greek Theater in LA. Going to Arcade Fire there and there is just something about it… just a great outdoor venue.
first unitarian church – philly
no love for the norva in VA? c’mon, its the grossest small venue ever and the most punk in va.
Largo and Hotel Cafe are where all your ‘KCRW Presents’ sensitive singer-songwriter shows are in LA. (think Nellie McKay and Eleni Mandell) You basically have to know the performer personally to get in at Largo, though. So small you have to go outside to change your mind.
Word Up! to The Troubador. Can’t believe the Greek Theatre didn’t make the cut. You can hike up into the trees behind the venue and hear the show perfectly, sans ticket. Greek tree-people, are you with me?
Can’t we all just agree that PASTE magazine sucks?
magic stick is absolutely horrid. expect some fun mugging on the way in. ruined my liars concert because of how shitty everything around it was.
Paste is a good mag. I have a subscription to Blender now, thanks to a relative’s gift. At least Paste doesn’t have a topless Avril Lavigne on this week’s cover and a wretch-inducing puff piece about how we are supposed to take her seriously now as a musician.
I live in Austin Texas. I find it quite interesting how somehow West Hollywood is in the same category as Austin. We actually have ads in our local paper for shows in New Orleans, but Cali is like worlds away from here, as distant as almost every other part of the continental US.
World Cafe Live is Philly’s representation? That’s a shame. Aside from a serious lack of interesting artists, World Cafe is just seriously lame as a venue (and cafe, I might add).
Anyone around here will tell you the church and the TLA are the best places to catch a show. (The Troc is decent, The Electric Factory can blow me)
I guess the reason no one is commenting on the department of safety is that none of you have been there but I’m amazed that’s on the list. I’ve never been there but a venue in anacortes which is only really known for what the heck fest is an interesting choice.
The mouth breathing in these comments is laughable. Almost as laughable as NYCers love for the Mercury Lounge. Are you guys joking? I’ve never enjoyed a show there. Maybe NYC clubs aren’t on here because most of them just stink. That’s been my experience. Cramped, bad sound, terrible ventilation (in the smoking days), and personality plus at the doors. I’m sorry, but the clubs I go to in the South are just BETTER. And remember that this list was compiled by readers, so it’s not really a definitive list by any stretch. Personally, I think that the Bottletree in Birmingham should probably be on here, but it’s fairly new.
A more interesting list would include the best from each city.
“local venue where one time i saw 18th Dye just kick it for like 2 hours” in “my town. my town rules.”
pfff
real winner: america. AND ABOUT TIME! (no, america the band, baby)(hey- how’s yr folks?)