Best Place to Hear Local Music

The beloved East Atlanta indie music venue and neighborhood bar recently underwent a facelift that more than tripled the size of its hallowed music room. That means bigger crowds, an amped-up sound system, a second bar, and, oh yes, more bathrooms (sorely needed). The change has perfectly positioned 529 as one of the city’s premiere small concert venues. Local and touring bands alike flock to play there pretty much every night of the week. As such, music and merriment seep through walls and onto the village streets, inviting regulars and passersby to stop in, grab a drink, and join the rowdy crowd. less...

Tucked away on South Broad Street in Downtown, THE MAMMAL GALLERY is a stronghold for obscure, challenging, and outsider music. The music programming in 2016 alone provided a crucial service for young and old alike in the experimental music scene. Mammal hosted a low-key potluck and open jam session with German krautrock legend Faust. The club also opened its stage to such wild jazz luminaries as saxophone player Joe McPhee and the group Universal Indians. Sun Ra Arkestra sax man Marshall Allen also found a stage there with his improv music and film outfit Cinema Soloriens. But in between these nights of skronking mania the stage has been taken over by the likes of New York songstress Shilpa Ray, Atlanta party-pop weirdos Salsa Chest, Club Morph’s genre bending queer-friendly club music nights, and trap music icon 2 Chainz and Sonny Digital on stage together. By providing a home for such a broad cross-section of underground music, legends are being born in a gritty, DIY spot far from the bustling nightlife scenes of East Atlanta and Edgewood Avenue. less...

Forget a Facebook invite; you couldn’t stumble upon this place with a pocket compass. That’s because the location of the tunnel shows that take place along the southwestern stretch of the Beltline remain shrouded in secrecy. Imagine the Southern gothic atmosphere of a William Faulkner novel, channeled into a strange but beautiful outsider folk scene. Ramshackle and hobo-esque acts with names such as Pony Bones, Melissa Lonely, the Subliminator, and Shitty Bedford howl at the moon while carving out a sound that’s anything but urbane. less...

“Harpo, this here is our juke joint!” Like a scene straight out of The Color Purple, SUGARHILL stands as Atlanta’s contemporary juke joint. It’s dark, sexy and laid-back, with plenty of local soul bouncing from the stage. The intimate scene allows you to get up close and personal with the artists, while you cozy up next to that special someone. Sure to satisfy your sweet tooth for homegrown R&B/soul, Sugarhill is addictive. The weekly Tuesday Jam session, hosted by Joi with DJ Kemit, is full of surprises - you never know who might hit the stage, from the soulful sounds of Eva Kennedy and Phillipia to the hard-hitting hip-hop of Malachi and Hollyweerd. Since it’s located in Underground Atlanta, it stays open until 4 a.m., which causes me to be late to work almost every Wednesday. 50 Upper Alabama St. 404-658-0068. www.sugarhillatl.com. less...

Moving out doesn’t always mean moving up, and LENNY’S proves that even with a newer and bigger location, it can still proudly call itself the “CBGB’S of Atlanta.” Despite the new location, the floor is still scuffed and dirty, the music is loud, and the PBR is always flowing. The rock ’n’ roll venue has doggedly stuck to a slate of local bands, from new prospects to such local kingpins as the Carbonas and Brass Castle. And it always kicks off the weekend with the raucous and drunken Trashed Friday night dance party. Now settled into its bigger building, Lenny’s crowd has the room to do what it does best — get drunk, loud and rowdy. less...

Throughout 2006, there’s been an ongoing debate around the office: Does fried okra and nitrates on a stick make music better? Well, recent trips to THE EARL have confirmed that yes, a little salt of the earth makes for a meatier experience. Not that anyone was concerned about the quality of music at the Earl to begin with. We turn to the Earl not just because we’re hungry in our tummies but also because we’re hungry in our hearts for that prime grade-A local music. less...