CityGuide - 21 music venues that keep Atlanta moving
With word of so much doom and gloom at the hands of development, the city parties on
Photo credit: Eric Cash
As word that the Masquerade’s and Smith’s Olde Bar’s futures may be in jeopardy, it would seem that live music is becoming an endangered species for Atlanta nightlife. In truth, the city sports a flourishing live music scene, where pretty much any kind of music one can imagine is on a stage near you seven nights a week. Here are 21 music venues that keep Atlanta moving.
Blind Willie’s
A local blues, jazz, and roots institution that’s been around for more than 25 years. The North Highland Avenue storefront, with its signature guitar-wielding neon alligator, has persevered through an unpredictable economy on the strength of the roots-based music that regularly fills the dimly lit r...
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Center Stage Theater
Center Stage is the largest of the three venues that make up the Center Stage Atlanta Music Complex. But this 1,050-capacity theater nevertheless boasts an intimate atmosphere, with a stadium-seating layout that guarantees a great view of the stage.
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Drunken Unicorn
The literally underground club features plenty of figuratively underground punk, electro, and hip-hop acts. Although connected to MJQ Concourse, it has a separate entrance. Earplugs suggested.
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Eddie’s Attic
Located across from Decatur Square, Eddie’s hosts aspiring and accomplished singer-songwriters for live shows almost nightly and is famous for its biannual Open Mic Shootout. The venue features an intimate listening room, a covered patio, a varied menu, and a full bar.
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Elliott Street Deli & Pub (permanently closed)
This tiny bar in a lovingly renovated old building in Downtown’s Castleberry Hill boasts an authentic neighborhood vibe. Downstairs hosts a variety of low-key jazz, open mic jams, and experimental music nights for the sonically adventurous.
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Eyedrum Art and Music Gallery
UPDATE: The location is Permanently Closed; the Eyedrum organization is still active. - Since its inception in 1998, Eyedrum has been a diverse venue for creative arts and music programming. For years it was ground zero for Atlanta’s underground and avant-garde art and music scenes.
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IRIS aka Rush Lounge (permanently closed)
A staple of Atlanta’s EDM nightlife scene. Seating is at a premium, but then again, you come here to dance — to trap, drum and bass, dub step, electro, house and more.
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Northside Tavern
This legendary dive bar in West Midtown is Atlanta’s home for live blues. The weekly lineup includes a Monday night jam and a regular Wednesday night slot held down by Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck, who helped make the club a blues hot spot in the 1980s. Weekends bring a grab bag of local and touring acts.
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Smith’s Olde Bar
Floor to ceiling renovations!
With live music from the likes of Zack Brown, Butch Walker, Blackberry Smoke, and John Mayer plus past performances from legends like David Bowie, one could make a strong argument that Smith’s is the best small-venue music room in Atlanta. Open Mic, Comedy, Trivia and ...
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Tabernacle
This former church has Gothic ambiance to spare, making it a fun spot to catch a rock or hip-hop show. The club, which boasts some inviting bar and lounge spaces, hosts comedy and other events, as well.
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Terminal West
As part of the King Plow Arts Center, Terminal West has become the Westside’s premier live music venue, giving equal stage time to hip-hop, indie rock, EDM, pop music, and singer-songwriter fare. Check out the lunch and dinner menu at the venue’s Stationside restaurant next door for plenty of fodder...
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The Basement
This (literally) underground club, located below the Graveyard Tavern in East Atlanta, hosts local and touring indie rock and hip-hop shows (T.I. and Iggy Azalea once shared the stage here). The aptly named space is also home to old-school dance parties.
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The Mammal Gallery (permanently closed)
Former Downtown music venue, art space, and burgeoning community center became one of the most exciting additions to South Broad Street. On the nights when the Mammal Gallery hosted a show, the street sprang to life, animated with music and modest crowds of people admiring the colorful murals from u...
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The Music Room (permanently closed)
This cave-like underground bar is located below Pizzeria Vesuvius. A wide flight of stairs ushers you into a moderate-size venue that features live music and DJs.
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The Star Community Bar
The Star Bar, as it’s known, hosts a regular lineup of rockabilly and hard-rockin’ acts, as well as the city’s best free stand-up on Mondays and, tucked away in an unassuming corner, a hidden shrine to the King of Kings, Elvis Presley, complete with an altar and throne. The Little Five Points instit...
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Variety Playhouse
CL: This Little Five landmark bills itself as a combination theater and nightclub, and its mixture of tables and theater-style seating bears out that description. The atmosphere is looser than at theaters like the Fox, to boot. Variety largely hosts national acts that appeal to those over 30 — alt-country singer-songwriters, prog-rock reunions, ’80s alt-rock pioneers and the like.
Variety Playhouse is the winner of numerous Best Of awards over the years.
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