Where to find quality music in Atlanta
Local clubs for those discerning ears
Photo credit: Perry Julien/CL File
Straight up, there are countless factors that contribute to the quality of how great, or how much of a travesty a show might sound: an engineer’s wizardry and skills on the soundboard; a band’s ability to communicate what it wants and what it needs: and, often times, the room itself. All of these factors must fall into alignment to please the most discerning ears in the audience. Here are 11 Atlanta music venues that are praised for their unimpeachable sound qualities.
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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Eddie Owen presents: Red Clay Music Foundry
This 260-seat theater hosts a variety of musical acts. Acoustic music and singer/songwriter material is the venue’s forte, but the format is open, and the emphasis is always on hosting an immersive, real-world musical experience.
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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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Fox Theatre
In the late ’70s, Atlanta almost allowed a telephone company to demolish one of the city’s architectural gems. Everybody thinks Gone with the Wind premiered here, but that happened at the Loew’s Grand down the street, which did get torn down. A 60-minute guided tour is available. The Fox Theatre hos...
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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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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 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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