Favorite Music Venues

Nokomis

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Combining Ted's favorite bars thread and Ope's live music thread, what are you favorite music venues?

Mine:
1. The Armory - LOVE the remodeled mid-century art deco feel. Perfect mid-size venue. Plus, the bathrooms are spacious and clean, appreciated by those of us with stage fright.
2. Palmer's - truly felt like the doors would blow off. First place I saw Chooglin. That band in that space: I was floored.
3. Triple Rock
4. Turf Club - only time I've seen someone actually smash their guitar on stage out of frustration.
5. Fine Line - hot take: Fine Line is better than First Ave.
 

Agreed on The Armory. Love that place. Got tickets in the middle balcony, and it was awesome. Clean, nice bathrooms that weren't crowded, waited barely at all for drinks. Was a great time and would go there in a second to see good music.
 

1. First Ave.
2. Fillmore San Fran (haven't been to the Mpls)
3. Turf Club
4. The Ogden Denver (new fav)
5. The Orpheum Mpls

p.s. The Fine Line is definitely not better than First Ave. It's...fine.
 


1. Troubadour (LA)
2. First Ave
3. Fillmore West (San Fran)
4. The Blue Note (Columbia, MO)
5. The Metro (Chicago)
 


1. Troubadour (LA)
2. First Ave
3. Fillmore West (San Fran)
4. The Blue Note (Columbia, MO)
5. The Metro (Chicago)
I forgot about the Metro. Wasn't there a Double Door venue as well there?
 

I forgot about the Metro. Wasn't there a Double Door venue as well there?
Yes, but I have not been there. Of the clubs in Chicago Area the one's I have been to are the Metro (formerly Cabaret Metro), The Vic, Park West, House of Blues, The Riviera, Abbey Pub, FitzGeralds & Schubas. All of them are at least solid.

In my Top 5 I should have given honorable mention to Pritzker Pavilion, the amphitheater-band shell in Millennium Park/Chicago. Amazing setting on an nice summer night. Great acoustics.
 

Still have a lot of venues to check out....but The Armory is hands down the best venue. Plenty of room, bars lining the entire perimeter, bathroom situation is good. No doubt my first choice.

Only been to the Fillmore (MPLS) once, but that's a really nice venue. Think First Ave but larger and nicer. Place wasn't packed when I saw 'Rival Sons' there this past fall....so it'll be interesting to see how it fares for a sold out show. Guessing that 'Wolf Alice' will probably sell out.....seeing as how their concert at the 'Fine Line' sold out almost immediately. However.....that was just last fall.....so maybe demand won't be as high?

Also only been to 'The Ledge' amphitheater once (past fall for 311) but I really like that place. Cool setting next to the rock quarries, good sound and arrangement. The kind of things you'd expect from a brand new venue. Also.....because it's out in Waite Park....the lot we parked in was just a grassy field DIRECTLY in front of the amphitheater. No charge to park there. So that deserves some points as well.
 




Northrup Auditorium on the U of MN campus has excellent acoustics. Saw Springsteen there on his solo tour.

for smaller venues, the old Roy Wilkins Auditorium - next to the original St. Paul Civic Center, was a decent mid-sized arena.

Alpine Valley is an outdoor amphitheater in Wisconsin. lots of parking, good sight lines. went to quite a few shows there back in the day, including the Who, Elvis Costello and Bob Dylan (with The Alarm as the warm-up act....)

Vetter Stone amphitheater in Mankato is a no-frills site with good sound. caught Johnny Lang there a couple of years ago. bring your own lawn chairs, or you are literally sitting on large blocks of stone.

can't think of the name of the hall, but I went to a Blues Traveler concert at a venue at Iowa State University that was a nice mid-sized hall.

went to a Blues Festival at the Five Seasons Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. BB King was the headliner.
 

Northrup Auditorium on the U of MN campus has excellent acoustics. Saw Springsteen there on his solo tour.

for smaller venues, the old Roy Wilkins Auditorium - next to the original St. Paul Civic Center, was a decent mid-sized arena.

Alpine Valley is an outdoor amphitheater in Wisconsin. lots of parking, good sight lines. went to quite a few shows there back in the day, including the Who, Elvis Costello and Bob Dylan (with The Alarm as the warm-up act....)

Vetter Stone amphitheater in Mankato is a no-frills site with good sound. caught Johnny Lang there a couple of years ago. bring your own lawn chairs, or you are literally sitting on large blocks of stone.

can't think of the name of the hall, but I went to a Blues Traveler concert at a venue at Iowa State University that was a nice mid-sized hall.

went to a Blues Festival at the Five Seasons Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. BB King was the headliner.
Great call on the Northrop. I am assuming your Springsteen show was before the 2014 remodel which cut the capacity nearly in half and really enhanced the sightlines and acoustics.

I saw Neil Young (solo) at the Northrop in 2019 after seeing him earlier in the week at the State and Orpheum. Northrop was the best venue and it wasn't even close. Just a fantastic room.
 

Armory by far. First Ave is overrated shit there's so many obstructed views, bathroom and bar layout sucks. Not to mention how far left politically they've taken a stand to become
 




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