Many thanks to the Shutdown for his assistance and wizardry used to bless this mess and turn it into a properly-formatted compendium rather than an eyesore full of disorganized information.A bit of information might be trimmed off while I'm formatting this, for full accounts of venues you can always search the thread for people who posted about it.
In the musicians forum, a bunch of users contributed information on their local venues that are metal-friendly. With a fair amount of user interest in a tour section, I think it would be a very useful resource to gather information on all of the metal venues in each area, with links to their websites/schedules (whatever is kept up to date, if possible), a brief description, what they tend to book, and any other relevant info. If you have experience with booking at a venue, that would also be appreciated by the musicians who started this.
Right now, the formatting is inconsistent and I just assembled what individuals posted. I'll sort it out once we determine exactly which information we want on each venue. As of now, we only have info on venues in the USA. Obviously, we're missing nearly every major city at the moment, but we have some great information on a few areas. Info on independent venues is perhaps the most important, as most major venues are affiliated with ticketing services that make it easy enough to find them.
The ideal information is: Venue name, city/state, website, brief description, estimate of size/what they book. I put together what I think is ideal for most of the venues in Connecticut, but don't hesitate to add any other info you find relevant. *edit* I'm also adding if venues tend to be all ages or 21+, If they do local/major tours/minor tours, and approximate venue type (major, club, bar/restaurant, youth center, practice space)
Originally started here:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=89120A bit of talk about potentially adding a tour section:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=90790AlabamaThe Spring Street Firehouse - Birmingham, Alabamahttp://springstreetfirehouse.com/412 41st Street South Birmingham AL 35205
[email protected]Comments: A great all ages venue for extreme/heavy/underground music.
The Nick - Birmingham, Alabamahttp://www.thenickrocks.com/2514 10th Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35205
(404)876-8436
Comments: Birmingham's oldest rock'n'roll establishment, very metal-friendly. They've seen it all.
Bottletree - Birmingham, Alabamahttp://www.thebottletree.com/3719 3rd Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35222
(205) 533-6288
Comments: kind of a indie/hipster place but they have metal shows fairly often, with bands like EYEHATEGOD and Phobia coming through and freaking out the Portlandia clones.
Patera's - Birmingham, Alabama2846 Hwy. 31 Pelham, AL 35124
ph: 663-7515 fax: 663-7516 alt: 663-7571
[email protected]Comments: small, fun, very metal friendly. there are some local NYDM/ALDM guys booking that place, if you are in that network.
Matthew's - Birmingham, Alabama2208 Morris Ave, Birmingham, AL 35203-4212
205.467.5141
ArizonaNile Theater - Mesa, Arizonahttp://www.niletheater.com/Comments: Venue for smaller to mid-tier bands.
901 Live - Tempe, Arizonahttp://910liveaz.com/Comments: Outdoor venue with an inside/outside bar that caters to smaller bands and local acts.
Rocky Point Cantina - Tempe, Arizonahttp://www.rockypointcantina.com/index.htmlComments: Venue for smaller to mid-tier bands.
Marquee Theater - Tempe, Arizonahttp://www.luckymanonline.com/Comments: Venue for the larger acts.
CaliforniaCobalt Cafe - Canoga Park, Californiahttp://www.cobaltcafe.com/All ages
Color Blind Studios - Concord, Californiahttp://colorblindstudios.com/Comments: Recording/rehearsal studio, hosts metal shows on occasion.
The Black Castle - Los Angeles, Californiahttp://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Black ... 2572873680855 W Manchester Ave, Los Angeles, CA.
Ghetto Grounds - Los Angeles, Californiahttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Ghetto-G ... 624?ref=tsComments: Coffee shop that hosts shows
Safari Sam's *CLOSED* - Los Angeles, CaliforniaEli's Mile High Club - Oakland, Californiahttp://www.elismilehigh.com/21+
Comments: Seems to be the primary place in Oakland for metal shows. It's an ugly dive bar in a fucking abysmal neighborhood but still pulls a decent crowd and some fun shows.
Thee Parkside - San Francisco, Californiahttp://www.theeparkside.com/All ages
1600 17th Street San Francisco, CA
Comments: An awesome dive bar that books primarily punk/metal shows, this and the DNA Lounge are the primary metal venues in the city.
Elbo Room - San Francisco, Californiahttp://www.elbo.com/All ages
Comments: A nice hessian owned bar in the Mission, shows are upstairs in a decently large area with it's own bar, though as a downside, the same upstairs area doubles as a nightclub on weekends (every saturday maybe?) so if you're looking for a gig on one of the days they have something like that booked you'll have to settle for a matinee show (About 5PM-9PM.)
Sub-Mission - San Francisco, Californiahttp://www.sf-submission.com/All ages
Comments: For a touring band this might be an awesome spot given it's fairly large capacity but the venue doesn't book their own shows (so you'll need a promoter to help you out,) nor do they really promote them (they don't update their website often/ever nor are they good with social networking sites) and they take a pretty big chunk of the door sales (local bands are usually stiffed or given $10-20 even if it's packed though payouts are at the discretion of the promoter.) Despite all this, their staff is awesome and many if not most of the best shows I've been too have been here.
Hemlock Tavern - San Francisco, Californiahttp://www.hemlocktavern.com/21+
Comments: Located in the beautiful Tenderloin District, this place is actually a huge bar with an small-ish upstairs area with a tiny stage.
Benders Bar - San Francisco, Californiahttp://www.bendersbar.com/21+
Comments: They only do shows on Saturday nights and it's somewhat of a small place but it always seems packed, they pay out well, and they give the bands free drinks (what more could you ask for?) They usually will only take on 2, maybe 3 bands max so it's a great place for bands travelling alone. Mikey at Subliminal SF books at both Benders and Hemlock.
Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, Californiahttp://theregencyballroom.com/21+
Comments: A larger venue, located on the corner of Van Ness and Sutter, for some of the bigger metal bands that come though the area. The Ballroom is more pricey (in terms of ticket prices and drinks) than places like Slims and the DNA lounge, but it's got a lot more space and hosts some of the more well-known metal bands. Pretty good looking place too, looks just like what you'd expect a ballroom to.
Slims - San Francisco, Californiahttp://www.slimspresents.com/21+
Comments: Right next to the DNA lounge on 11th street. A mid-sized brick building, can get pretty packed depending on which metal band is playing.
Red House - Walnut Creek, Californiahttp://www.redhouselive.com/Comments: Hosts metal shows on occasion.
Key Club - West Hollywood, Californiahttp://www.keyclub.com/9039 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood Ca. 90069
Viper Room - West Hollywood, Californiahttp://viperroom.com/8852 W. SUNSET BLVD.WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA 90069
Whisky A Go Go - West Hollywood, Californiahttp://www.whiskyagogo.com/8901 W. Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90069
ConnecticutAcoustic Cafe - Bridgeport, Connecticuthttp://www.acousticafe.com/All ages / Indie / Locals
Comments: Doesn't do much metal, but metal bands have played there over the years.
305k Gallery - Bridgeport, CT - Bridgeport, Connecticuthttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Gallery-3 ... 5792202986
All ages / Gallery
Comments: Really new place, not sure if they do metal but they have a festival booked with Scale The Summit headlining.
Heirloom Arts Theater (formerly Empress Ballroom) - Danbury, Connecticuthttp://heirloomarts.org/about +
http://www.facebook.com/pages/HEIRLOOM- ... 3072142532
All ages / Club / Tours+locals
Comments: Section of an old warehouse with an entrance from an alleyway. Mostly does indie/post-hardcore but also has some metal shows with local bands that I have never heard of. I saw a lot of major bands here in 2003-05 and haven't seen the place in years.
*Tuxedo Junction - Danbury, CT - Danbury, Connecticuthttp://www.tuxedojunctionct.com/ +
http://www.facebook.com/TuxedoJunctionCTAll ages / Club / Tours? Locals?
Comments: Needs a real website. Books lots of awful ___core bands but I think they would do metal too. Good venue the one time I was there.
The Beanery - Fairfield, Connecticuthttp://cal.fairfieldct.org/content/2765/2777/3679.aspxAll ages / Youth center / Locals
Webster Theatre - Hartford, Connecticuthttp://webstertheatre.com/All ages / Major / Maj. tours+locals
Comments: The main room is a cave, there's a shoebox room/bar as a second stage. Recently acquired by the ownership of The Palladium in Worcester, MA.
Cook's Cafe - Naugatuck, Connecticuthttp://www.cooksrocks.com/ +
http://www.myspace.com/cookscafe21+ / Bar/res / Locals
Comments: Restaurant/bar that also books local bands.
Toads Place - New Haven, Connecticuthttp://www.toadsplace.com/All ages / Major / Maj. tours+locals
Comments: Hasn't booked much metal for years, though there's an occasional local metal band and not-quite-metal stuff like Alcest.
El N Gee - New London, Connecticuthttp://www.facebook.com/elngeeclubClub / Tours+locals
Comments: Opened and closed countless times, apparently it's back. Infamous punk venue, also does metal.
Dewey's Pub - Seymour, Connecticuthttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Deweys-Pu ... 9618707693
Bar/res / Locals
Comments: Pub that recently had some metal shows.
Lanza's - Seymour, Connecticuthttp://lanzarestaurant.com/Bar/res / Locals
Comments: Pizza place that recently had a few thrash bands.
Rack And Roll - Stamford, CT - Stamford, Connecticut21+ / Bar/res / Locals
Comments: Billiards bar that will book local hard rock and metal bands. Not for touring bands. I've seen a metal band asked to play quieter here, but there are also no-admission shows and cheap beer.
Seaside Tavern - Stamford, CT - Stamford, Connecticuthttp://www.seasidetavern.net/bands/21+ / Bar/res / Locals
Comments: Bar room in the back of a restaurant. Haven't seen much metal there recently.
Shamrock Cafe - Suffield, CT - Suffield, Connecticuthttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Shamrock ... 4964067911Bar/res / Locals
Comments: ""My friend/ex-band mate books shows there frequently. All shows are 21+, but they'll usually let you hang around if you're in one of the bands.""
Oakdale Theater - Wallingford, Connecticuthttp://oakdale.com/indexAll ages / Major / Major tours only
Comments: Big theater that holds ""smaller"" shows like Killswitch Engage in the lobby. Huge place, doesn't do local bands or openers at all AFAIK.(formerly/currently Chevrolet Theater, Toyota Theater, ""The Dome"" (lobby))
Cherry Street Station - Wallingford, Connecticuthttp://www.myspace.com/cherrystreetstation21+ / Bar/res / Locals
Comments: Bar that books local bands. They have hosted some extreme metal.
City Limits - Waterbury, Connecticut21+ / Bar/res / Locals
Comments: Restaurant/biker bar type place, not a lot of shows, not much metal of those, but MSW have played there recently.
Trackside - Wilton, ConnecticutAll ages / Youth center / Locals
Amity Teen Center - Woodbridge, ConnecticutAll ages / Youth center / Locals
FloridaBeelzebub's Cave - Miami, Floridahttp://www.facebook.com/beelzebubscavePractice space
Comments: ""basically a practice space for the band
Shroud Eater but they put on small shows for local bands once or twice a month.""
Vinyl Music Hall - Pensacola, Floridahttp://www.vinylmusichall.com/The Handlebar - Pensacola, Floridahttp://www.handlebarpensacola.com/Sluggo's Vegetarian Restaurant and Bar - Pensacola, Floridahttp://www.sluggos.net/American Legion 33 - Pensacola, Florida http://www.al33.org/Live Night Club - Pensacola, Floridahttp://www.liveniteclub.com/Seville Quarter - Pensacola, Floridahttp://sevillequarter.com/GeorgiaMasquerade - Atlanta, Georgiahttp://www.masqueradeatlanta.com/Major / Maj. tours+locals
529 Bar - Atlanta, Georgiahttp://529atl.com/18+ / Bar/Res / Locals
529 Flat Shoals Ave, Atlanta, Ga. 30316
The Earl - Atlanta, Georgiahttp://badearl.com/21+ / Bar/Res
The Drunken Unicorn - Atlanta, Georgiahttp://thedrunkenunicorn.net/#Club / Locals
WonderRoot - Atlanta, Georgiahttp://www.wonderroot.org/Bar/Res
IdahoThe Venue - Boise, Idahohttp://theboisevenue.com/Club / Tours+locals
521 Broad St, Boise, ID 83702
Comments: Probably the best place in Idaho to see a metal show. They typically book on the smaller end of tours and crowds are usually 50-100. It has a really intimate feel to it and you can count on 6 to 10 quality metal shows coming through it annually.
Knitting Factory - Boise, Idahohttp://bo.knittingfactory.com/Major / Maj. tours+locals
Comments: Much bigger than The Venue, but it still hosts good metal shows occasionally. The shows that come through here are much bigger than those at The Venue and I would estimate The Knitting Factory regularly pulls 200-400 people per show. It hosts far fewer good metal shows than The Venue though and really only draws the big names in metal (In Flames, Amon Amarth, Whitechapel, etc.)
KansasSandstone - Bonner Springs, Kansashttp://www.sandstoneamp.com/633 North 130th Street Bonner Springs, KS 66012
Comments: An ampitheatre. I've never been. Some rock/metal tour is going through in the near future. Probably not a particularly metal venue.
The Woodlands - Kansas City, Kansashttp://www.woodlandskc.com/9700 Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, KS 66109
Comments: Never been here, some shows are slated for the future as I've seen. Seems like it's not a metal venue primarily. A race track?
The Granada - Lawrence, Kansashttp://www.thegrenada.com/1020 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, KS 66044
Comments: Fucking awesome venue. Drinks are slightly overpriced. Plenty of places to chill comfortably, friendly and intimate setting, great air system, always cool inside even when it's going nuts (as it frequently does) and lots of great metal bands come here all the time including local heroes.
The Jackpot Saloon - Lawrence, Kansashttp://www.thejackpotsaloon.com/943 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, KS 66044
Comments: Get's the occasional metal show. Not metal oriented. A bit dingy, a bit cluttered for moshing. Basically a saloon.
The Overlook House - Lawrence, Kansashttp://www.facebook.com/TheOverlookHouseComments: ""Another pretty cool place in Lawrence is a DIY/House venue at 6th and Alabama called The Overlook. It used to be called something else so I think it changes a lot, but they do a lot of independent shows. It's mostly punk stuff, but I saw Hellbastard there a few years ago and Speedwolf on Easter Sunday this year. It's worth keeping an eye on.""
LouisianaSiberia - New Orleans, Louisianahttp://siberianola.com/2227 St. Claude, New Orleans
The Big Top - New Orleans, Louisianahttp://www.facebook.com/bigtop3ring1638 Clio St., New Orleans
The House of Blues - New Orleans, Louisianahttp://www.houseofblues.com/225 Decatur St., New Orleans
MaineAsylum - Portland, Mainehttp://www.portlandasylum.com/MarylandOttobar - Baltimore, Marylandhttp://theottobar.com/MassachusettsO'Brien's Pub - Allston, Massachusettshttp://www.obrienspubboston.com/booking.phpBar/Res
The Black Moon Music Lounge - Belchertown, Massachusettshttp://www.blackmoonmusic.com/Bar/Res / Locals
The Middle East - Cambridge, Massachusettshttp://www.mideastclub.com/Club / Tours+locals
The Flywheel - East Hampton, Massachusettshttps://www.facebook.com/FlywheelArtsArt Gallery
The Elevens - Northampton, Massachusettshttp://musicattheelevens.blogspot.com/Pearl Street - Northampton, Massachusettshttp://www.iheg.com/pearl_street_main.aspTours+locals
Ralph's Rock Diner - Worcester, Massachusettshttp://www.ralphsrockdiner.com/21+ / Bar/Res / Locals
Club Oasis - Worcester, Massachusettshttps://www.facebook.com/pages/London-B ... 5007607194Locals
The Palladium - Worcester, Massachusettshttp://www.thepalladium.net/AA / Major / Maj. Tours+locals
The Raven - Worcester, MassachusettsMichiganDTE - Detroit, MichiganHarpo's - Detroit, MichiganBlondie's Detroit - Detroit, MichiganMagic Stick - Detroit, MichiganMajestic - Detroit, MichiganThe Intersection - Grand Rapids, MichiganMac's Bar - Lansing, MichiganBlackened Moon - Lansing, MichiganClutch Cargo's - Pontiac, MichiganCrofoot - Pontiac, MichiganMinnesotaStation 4 - Minneapolis/St. Paul, MinnesotaTriple Rock Social Club - Minneapolis/St. Paul, MinnesotaFirst Avenue - Minneapolis/St. Paul, MinnesotaMedusa - Minneapolis/St. Paul, MinnesotaMissouriThe Beaumont Club - Kansas City, Missourihttp://www.beaumontkc.com/4050 Pennsylvania Ave, Kansas City, MO 64111
Comments: Awesome venue with lots of great metal shows. Local bands play frequently as well as low-mid popularity underground bands. Has a nice bar area with tables and a comfy outdoor area with a second stage where local DJs spin.
The Riot Room - Kansas City, Missourihttp://www.theriotroom.com/4048 Broadway Street, Kansas City, MO 64111
Comments: Awesome venue, I've been many times and always loved it. Nice and intimate as you can walk right up to the stage and blow kisses to the singer of Nightcreation. Cheap drinks, super comfy couches in the bar area where you can still see the show, and the sound is surprisingly good for such a hole in the wall place. Also has a nice outdoor area in the back, basically a fenced off back alley. So much fun.
Starlight Theater - Kansas City, Missourihttp://www.kcstarlight.com/4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, MO 64132
Comments: Nice open air theatre! Expensive, though. Mostly dad rock, but when Slayer came, they came here
Uptown Theater - Kansas City, Missourihttp://www.uptowntheater.com/3700 Broadway Street, Suite 300, Kansas City, MO 64111
Midland Theater - Kansas City, Missourihttp://www.midlandkc.com/1228 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64105
Comments: Has a fair number of metal shows. Mostly dad rock. Has a funny artdeco/roccoco design philosophy. The chairs are extremely uncomfortable and the floor is a bit uneven when they remove them in the pit area. Drinks are extremely overpriced and the large beers have the same amount of beer as the regulars. Total rip off.
Knuckleheads - Kansas City, Missourihttp://www.knuckleheadskc.com/2715 Rochester Street, Kansas City, MO 64120
Comments: -""And that Knuckleheads place in KC does look super sketch, but it's REALLY nice on the inside. There's an inside stage and a gigantic outside stage with like some tables and stuff. I saw Diamond Head there last year. One of the best sounding shows I've been to!""
NevadaClub Underground - Reno, Nevadahttp://www.myspace.com/clubundergroundClub
The New Oasis - Reno, Nevadahttp://www.facebook.com/pages/The-New-O ... 6089107569The Knitting Factory - Reno, Nevadahttp://re.knittingfactory.com/Club / Maj. tours+locals
The Holland Project - Reno, Nevadahttp://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Holla ... 0398900494New HampshireMilly's Tavern - Manchester, New Hampshirehttp://millystavern.com/manchester_nigh ... tm#bookingNew JerseyLe Grand Fromage - Atlantic City, New Jerseyhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Le-Grand- ... 7137664263Dingbatz - Clifton, New Jerseyhttp://www.dingbatznj.com/index.phpThe Cup Complex - Linden, New Jerseyhttp://www.cupcomplex.com/Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, New Jerseyhttp://www.starlandballroom.com/Major / Maj. Tours+locals
Championship Bar & Grill - Trenton, New Jerseyhttp://www.facebook.com/ChampionshipBarNew YorkTown Ballroom - Buffalo, New YorkMajor / Maj. Tours+locals
Acheron - NYC/Brooklyn, New YorkBrooklyn Masonic Temple - NYC/Brooklyn, New YorkEuropa - NYC/Brooklyn, New YorkKnitting Factory - NYC/Brooklyn, New YorkPublic Assembly - NYC/Brooklyn, New York21+
Union Pool - NYC/Brooklyn, New York21+
Shea Stadium BK - NYC/Brooklyn, New Yorkhttp://liveatsheastadium.com/DIY
The Charleston - NYC/Brooklyn, New York21+
Saint Vitus - NYC/Brooklyn, New YorkTrash Bar - NYC/Brooklyn, New YorkGramercy Theatre - NYC/Manhattan, New YorkMajor / Maj. Tours+locals
Santos Party House - NYC/Manhattan, New Yorkhttp://www.santospartyhouse.com/Cake Shop - NYC/Manhattan, New York21+
Lit Lounge - NYC/Manhattan, New YorkABC No Rio - NYC/Manhattan, New YorkOhioNow That's Class - Cleveland, Ohiohttp://www.nowthatsclass.net/Bar/Res
11213 Detroit Ave. Cleveland, OH 44102
Comments: another great venue for hardcore/metal shows. A lot of bands like this venue because it's an intimate little place. It's got a great feel, great staff, and a sizeable following to where shows will be packed, but never crowded. Also home to many a local shows.
Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, Ohiohttp://www.beachlandballroom.com/calendar.asp?Page=3Comments: power metal's haven. Lots of local shows through here, and a lot of power metal plays here for some odd reason. It's a bigger venue, and allows for dancing/moshing and also makes it easy to stay out of the foray. It's got a bar connected indoors to it, and the beer there is three bucks for a tall boy. Ain't a bad place to catch a show.
The Grog Shop - Cleveland, Ohiohttp://www.grogshop.gs/Comments: mostly indie and folk bands, along with rap but there are a handful of metal shows a month. Located in one of the youngest neighborhoods in Cleveland, Coventry, and is an ideal location for those of you unfamiliar with Cleveland. Round the corner from bars, restaurants, and places to stay. It's a great venue, a good size, and has an excellently managed staff, I've never had a problem booking/playing/seeing a show. A little far off the main highway though (route 71) so it may be a little too far for some.
Peabody's Down Under - Cleveland, Ohiohttp://www.peabodys.com/Comments: the metal venue in Cleveland. Everyone who's anyone comes here. I've seen over a hundred shows at this venue. It's got a bar inside, whose prices aren't great, but they won't gouge you. There's a big enough area to mosh, but you can stay out of it pretty easily. The stage is just high enough where you can comfortably rest your hands on to headbang (this is a big deal to anyone who's ever been to a venue with those awful short shin-height stages) and you can easily pop in and outside to the courtyard for smokes/shitty band breaks. There's a separate venue called the Pirate Bay located right before you make it outside, and that's where all the local bands play, and there's almost always three or four local bands when every show comes to town. So each show feels like a mini festival, you can see up to six or seven bands depending on who the headliner brings along. Simply put, my favorite venue. Great place to go see a show, and I recommend all metalheads who come through the area to stop by, we'll grab a beer.
The Symposium - Lakewood, OhioComments: this is the best of the best for local extreme metal shows. Tons of mini death-fests and local giant shows. A great place to buy from local labels like Hells Headbangers and see some great local talent. It's around a bunch of restaurants and bars as well. Not the best place for out of towners, just because everyone knows everyone here, but I've never felt out of place.
Frankie's Inner-city - Toledo, Ohiohttp://www.frankiesinnercity.com/OklahomaThe Warehouse - Bixby, OklahomaThe Hidden Castle - Norman, Oklahomahttp://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Hi ... 4420908554The Horde Hole - Oklahoma City, Oklahomahttp://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Horde ... 2336077153The Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City, Oklahomahttp://www.diamondballroom.net/Cain's Ballroom - Tulsa, Oklahomahttp://www.cainsballroom.com/The Brady Theatre - Tulsa, Oklahomahttp://www.bradytheater.com/The BOK Center - Tulsa, Oklahomahttp://www.bokcenter.com/The Eclipse Cultural House - Tulsa, Oklahomahttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Eclipse-C ... 6090615706The Ole Memorial Lounge - Tulsa, Oklahomahttp://www.reverbnation.com/venue/1095276Tankz - Tulsa, Oklahomahttp://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Tankz/145633792216578The Zombie Lounge - Tulsa, Oklahomahttp://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Zo ... 9217939531The Crystal Pistol - Tulsa, Oklahomahttp://www.facebook.com/#!/crystalpisto ... 2005816693The Sound Pony - Tulsa, Oklahomahttp://thesoundpony.com/The Conservatory - Tulsa, Oklahomahttp://www.conservatoryokc.com/OregonBranx - Portland, Oregonhttp://branxpdx.com/Tours+locals
Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, Oregonhttp://www.hawthornetheatre.com/calendar.phpRoseland Theatre - Portland, Oregonhttp://www.roselandpdx.com/Major / Maj. tours
Rhode IslandAS220 - Providence, Rhode Islandhttp://as220.org/Locals
TennesseeNew Daisy Theatre - Memphis, Tennesseehttp://www.newdaisy.com/TexasEmo's - Austin, Texashttp://www.emosaustin.com/Red Seven - Austin, Texashttp://www.red7austin.com/VermontNectar's - Burlington, Vermonthttp://www.liveatnectars.com/VirginiaBlue Nile - Harrisonburg, Virginiahttp://bluenileva.com/Crayola House - Harrisonburg, Virginiahttp://www.facebook.com/crayola.houselocalshowsStrange Matter - Richmond, Virginiahttp://www.strangematterrva.com/Empire (Jaxx) - West Springfield, Virginiahttp://www.empire-nova.com/WashingtonTwo Bit Saloon - Seattle, Washingtonhttp://www.the2bitsaloon.com/The Morgue - Seattle, Washingtonhttp://www.facebook.com/morgue.georgetownStudio Seven - Seattle, Washingtonhttp://www.studioseven.us/The Kraken - Seattle, Washingtonhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Krake ... 6001300708The Blacklodge - Seattle, Washingtonhttp://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001253448093The Funhouse - Seattle, Washingtonhttp://www.thefunhouseseattle.com/El Corazon - Seattle, Washingtonhttp://www.elcorazonseattle.com/The Hop - Spokane, Washingtonhttp://www.thehopmusicvenue.com/Knitting Factory - Spokane, Washingtonhttp://sp.knittingfactory.com/The A Club - Spokane, Washingtonhttp://www.aclubspokane.com/WisconsinRegent Street Retreat - Madison, WisconsinThe Wisco - Madison, WisconsinThe Frequency - Madison, WisconsinMr. Roberts - Madison, WisconsinCanadaAlbertaCalgaryCalgary, Alberta:
Vern's tavern, small bar with cool guy operating, cool place for a gig
The Distillery: pretty pimp spot and great metal/punk ect. Club
Lord Nelson's Bar and Grill, good sound, weird layout, good pitcher prices and is right NEXT to a hotel....ionno if that's what you meant and yeah clint from Vern's is a cool guy, he has some funny banter between the bands sometimes. The Distillery is good shit too, decent price, good sound, cool layout.
Dickens Pub: near Lord Nelsons, not far from Vern's and Distillery (all downtown so at worst these are a train stop and/or bus away from eachother) has the odd Metal show, old school pub layout-not bad. only place i've heard of people stagediving too, of legit establishments at least. normal bar prices (over)
Republik:ex-Punk bar in the 80s turned more of a 'club' in recent years but they have shows sometimes these days, reasonably known acts though like Dickens but less often, i think Behemoth? was the last show there, ionno, never been (never been a band i wanted to see)
New Black Centre: some upstair, loft-like place, more of a Punk venue....they have the some Metal shows, some mixes, mostly Punk. very intimate (small) but i've always liked the sound there, has a support pillar where/nere the pit usually forms though-kinda lame, but it's small enough that standing at the back isn't a big deal. gotta drink outside
The Area: some shithole near the New Black, behind a Crown Surplus army surplus (cool place) apparently it stinks, can't drink inside, but can smoke inside? has bad sound and in general is just a fuckin weird place.......this is all just here-say though, never been there (for want of cash not want of want though)
Palomino: pub downtown, expensive but GREAT fucking food (pulled pork......nyugh) has the rare show, never went to one though
Tubby Dog: yeah.....a fucking Tubby Dog, now you can listen to Metal and get smarties on a hot dog at the same time! has shows sometimes, not a lot, more Punk here too. decent sound for the size, but yeah it's small and stinks of grease, meh, they do actually serve beer though.....obviously overpriced
The Gateway: a bar at the SAIT campus, i've heard of stuff going on there, never went
The Den/Mac Hall: University of Calgary's pub/show hall, a place for the bigger shows, but not like 'big 4' big, like Testament or our Noctis Metal fest....only ever seen the Den in use for Noctis, don't think it regularly has Metal shows but Mac Hall gets stuff coming through frequently enough. good sound, pricey booze
Big 4 Building: in terms of types of bands, this is pretty much between the Saddledome and Mac Hall, though it has them less frequently than either. shit fucking sound and thuggish security. shares a parking lot with the Saddledome, pretty much. fuckit
the Saddledome: this is where Ozzy, Maiden, Metal and Slayer and all those type of fucking bands play, it's our sports venue most of the time- doubles as the 'big act' stadium though, for all music. ridiculously priced booze, ridiculously priced food and weird acoustics and layout.......ionno, i've never had it as bad as some people i know and i still like it but i still recognize that a saddle-shaped venue is a fucking stupid idea, ah well
Edmonton:Dv8 tavern, cool spot ran by traditional skin. Kind of run down but high in character.
Pawn shop, great pub and sound top tier small venue. Great for gigs.
The New City Suburbs: downsized newer location great for gigs
The Studio: out of the way but cool
The rendezvous: kind of a dive but the awesome staff makes up for it.
Filthy Mcnasty's: good for a Monday gig. There's mostly a banger or two amongst the crowd having a
pint at any given point and time.
British ColumbiaFunky Winkerbeans - Vancouver
http://www.reverbnation.com/venue/320905Pogue Mahones - Kamloops
http://poguemahonekamloops.com/events/Irish pub and local venue
The Rickshaw Theatre - Vancouver
http://www.liveatrickshaw.com/This one deserves a mention for Vancouver. The size is decent, enough room for a couple hundred people. The layout of the place is double decker like an opera house, so when there are larger shows they open up the second floor, which is fun for the pot smokers out there who want to blaze while a good band is playing with less chance of being seen by security. Sound quality in this venue has always been very good in my experience. For some shows they sell drinks, at a very reasonable price (a decent selection of beers, starting at $4 Pabst the last time I was there). Not only that, but they often allow underage (-19) people into shows where they sell drinks, they just ask for your ID when you go to the bar, so if you're a teenager and you want a few brewskis you can probably find someone cool who will get the drinks for you. Bands that play there range from larger underground acts like Amon Amarth or Opeth to less known Canadian bands like Mitochondrion. The best shows are ones with the good underground Canadian bands like Mitocohndrion, Antidiluvian, Gyibaaw that cost like 10 bucks to get into. There are usually about 3 - 5 metal shows a month at the Rickshaw. Only downside of this venue that really comes to mind is that its right on the corner of Main and Hastings, which is tied with Jane and Finch in Toronto for the worst intersection in Canada. You will see a lot of meth heads, crack heads and homeless people wandering past while you wait in line outside the venue, but they are mostly harmless. The silver lining is that if you get caught by a street cop blazing outside the venue on a smoke break, they shouldn't give you a hard time because they are used to dealing with schizophrenic crack addled hobos. And hey, maybe you're an adventuresome tourist who doesn't mind seeing some of the more colourful folks in town!ManitobaNew BrunswickMoncton, New Brunswick, Canada: The Manhattan, the Paramount. Downtown club with three venues
within, owner is a metal fan.
Newfoundland and LabradorNova ScotiaGus's Pub - Halifax
Small pub with cool atmosphere.
OntarioToronto:
The Opera House
735 Queen Street East Toronto, ON M4M 1H2
(416) 466-0313
This is the place where most mid-sized drawing metal bands come through. It has two floors, though I've never seen the second floor opened. They tend to host more all-ages shows than 19+ ones, but definitely do both. There aren't really any places to sit, but besides that, it's still a decent venue.
Annex Wreckroom
794 Bathurst Street Toronto, ON M5R 3G1
(416) 536-0346
This venue holds a few hundred people and is definitely one of the best venues. Despite an ill-placed pole in the middle of the room, the setup is actually pretty nice. The stage is literally a step above the ground and there are plenty of places to sit. They do a lot of 19+ gigs but do sometimes have all ages ones as well. My only real complaint is that they play the music between bands almost as loud as the bands themselves, so it's good to have ear plugs in when you get there.
The Kool Haus
32 Queens Quay East Kool Haus, Toronto, ON M5A 3Y5
(416) 869-0045
This place is literally a giant room. The whole area is floor/pit space. Good sound from what I remember, but I've only been once.
Hard Luck Bar
772 Dundas Street West Toronto, ON M6J 1V1
(416) 833-9302
This place is even smaller than the Wreckroom but is also awesome. The whole floor area is very open, good space for merch on the side, and always cheap concerts here. The local bands seem to play here often and I really like it. On a side note, if anyone's been here before it was renovated, it was actually a terrible venue. It was like a long hallway, and I can't even believe it's the same place now.
The Rock Pile
5555 Dundas Street West Etobicoke, ON M9B6C1
(416) 504-6699
This venue is probably similar in size to the Wreckroom (maybe a bit bigger). There's tons of seating, a room for merch in the back, and a huge patio. It can get a little bit loud, but is still a nice venue. I'd like to go back for a second time. For some reason, they sometimes have 16+ events. Also, this is the only place that Inertia-Entertainment doesn't seem to book. There are other venues as well (The Phoenix, Molson Ampitheatre, Mod Club, Echo Beach), but I don't know them well enough to review. Also, if you are in the area and looking for concerts, the number one promoter around here is Inertia-Entertainment
http://www.inertia-entertainment.com/Blacktooth Entertainment is another good one for smaller gigs.
Prince Edward IslandQuebecMontreal:
Katacombes:
http://www.coopkatacombes.com/A very cool metal and punk coop bar. There's some metal djs during the week, Annick Giroux of Cauchemar used to be one before her travels. The atmosphere is cool and very metal, it's a bit tiny for it's good enough. There's a lot of metal shows too, Negura Bunget played there recently and the first edition of Messe des Mort took place at this venue. Their beers are good and the people are usually nice. It's in downtown Montréal, so there's plenty of restaurants and other stuff to see.
Club Soda: A bigger venue, I've seen Behemoth and Accept there, quite cool, the sound is good and it's also downtown.
Théatre Corona: One of the prettiest venue in Montréal, the angelic and religious paintings on the ceiling gave a cool vibe for the Ghost/Blood Ceremony show, it's near downtown.
Café Campus/Petit Campus: One of my favorite venues, it's basically 2 venues in one, the petit (little) campus is on the 2nd floor (I've seen Rotting Christ/Melechesh and Agalloch there) and the Café Campus is on the 3rd floor (I've seen Enslaved there). Good sound, affordable beer and it's on Prince Arthur (a pedestrian street near a cool park, near the Mont Royal; my usual used cd shopping place and near the metro station Sherbrooke).
Also, the Bell centre (Montreal Canadians' place) for huge concerts, I'm seeing Iron Maiden for the 2nd time there in july, it's meh, but yeah.
There's many other places too, like Sala Rossa (I've seen Nasum there), I think there's an Italian restaurant on the first floor, also on the Mont Royal. The Café Chaos who has plenty of local or smaller bands, it's on St-Denis, one of the coolest street in Montréal, I've seen Witch Mountain and Castle there yesterday, it's small, but it's cool. There's Il Motore, Underworld and many more. Montréal is a cultural city!
There is also the Theatre Plaza; Forteresse & Miserere Luminis played there.
There are also other trippy shows, for exemple, last week I saw Yamantaka / Sonic Titan there.
SaskatchewanRegina, Saskatchewan, Canada
The Exchange
http://www.culturalexchange.ca/index.php?p=ContactSmaller venue, two musical instrument store in close proximity, for tourers who may need to pick up odds and ends or replace broken equipment. Plenty of restaraunts and bars/clubs near by. Hotels are a few blocks away. Esnalved, Mayhem have played here (amongst many others). Typically all ages shows, though there is a bar in the venue(doesn't typically serve food).
Riddell Center, University of Regina
http://www.saskmusic.org/listings.php?v ... ingid=1034
About two to three times the size of The Exchange. Near outskirts of the city, so it's easy to get to. Bar (which serves food) seperated from venue by a wall, so all shows here are all ages. Not near any hotels, but it is easy to get downtown from here via the Ring Road or Wascana Parkway/Broad St. Gwar, Cannibal Corpse, Obituary have all played here.
These are the two primary venues for metal in the city, though there is a bar/club in the city called the Distrikt which also hosts metal acts occasionally, though I was unable to find contact info for them.
AustraliaSydney, NSW:
The Valve
900 Princess Highway, Tempe
http://www.valvebar.com.au/Nice venue - cool bar. The stage itself is tucked away and is a nice little room. The only downside of this place is the only women's bathroom is in the venue part, right off from the dance floor/mosh-pit.
The Sando
387 King St, Newtown
http://sando.com.au/Long-standing pub in Newtown. Three stages - one in the main pub area that is mainly blues, the "chill stage" upstairs which also has a bar and is often used as a merch selling area when the main stage, one level up, is used. The main stage is excellent, and the place often hosts metal bands and festivals including Slaughterfest, The East West Deathgrind Fest and as of this year Steel Assassins. International acts such as Steve Grimmett have played here.
The Bald Faced Stag
345 Parramatta Road, Leichhardt
http://www.baldfacedstag.com.au/Quite a decently sized venue, that also hosts international acts regularly. Really, the place is pretty massive. The bar itself isn't the best, but they have a pretty good bistro.
The Lucky Australian
81 Forrester Road, St Marys
http://www.luckyoz.com.au/This place is quite far from the city and a bit out of the way for some people, but it features an old door stage which is great - sound is always pretty damn good and there are some great acts, with a really cool rock n' roll vibe to it. It is all ages, but I wouldn't bring kids in there on a Saturday...
Melbourne:We are quite known for our grindcore scene but over the past couple of years, a few of our venues that had held such bands have closed but we do still have some neat venues around.
The Bendigo Hotel:Bendigo Hotel
125 Johnston street Collingwood 3066, Vic, Australia
ph: (03) 9417 3415
It seems as of late that this venue has really bought back some life into local and international metal.
Since our premier venue, The Arthouse closed down, we were in a bit of a limbo with venues here and the local gigs stopped short for a little bit of time but since this venue has pumped life back into the scene, we've had some great international bands play here like Inquisition and Absu.
Macabre are playing here tonight and i'm quite excited for that.
The Tote:Address: 71 Johnston Street
(Cnr Johnston & Wellington)
Collingwood, 3066
Victoria
When we had major alcohol tax hikes thrown onto several small bars here, this affected this venue here (and closed down The Arthouse for good).
So for a few months, this venue which I had seen a fair share of local shows and Skinless at was closed for several months and the locals weren't happy about this, needless to say it had opened again but there really hasn't been a metal show since it's opening again.
I think I've only really seen one local metal band since then but it looks like they have plenty of crust punk shows there, which is basically the new 'in' thing here.
It may change it's ways and start hosting metal again but who knows.
The Hi Fi Bar:The Hi-Fi (opposite Melbourne Town Hall)
125 Swanston Street,
Melbourne, 3000
One of my favourite venues right here.
The metal bands that play here are usually the mid established international ones like Dismember, Sodom and Cannibal Corpse.
It's also a really great venue in itself too as it can hold around 500 people on a sold out show and the tickets won't burn a hole in your wallet either as the average price for an international show is $40.
Billboard The Venue:170 Russell St, Melbourne 3000
ph: (03) 9639 4000
Nice venue here that usually holds indie rock and raves but they won't have a problem with ripping you to shreds in terms of ticket prices for international metal bands.
They usually hold your bigger bands like Morbid Angel, Behemoth and Dark Funeral here.
The last show I saw here was Morbid Angel I believe and they were asking $80 a ticket, pretty bullshit prices.
Forum Theatre:Same basic thing as Billboard except this venue can get away with high ticket prices as it's a refurbished theater hall with millions of dollars put into it.
I really like the classy look of this place, it's usually a group of metal bands that play here together though to get more attendence.
A few of the shows I've seen here were Suffocation w/ Arch Enemy and Meshuggah w/ Devin Townsend Project.
The Espy:The Esplanade Hotel
11 The Esplanade
St. Kilda VIC 3182
Australia
This is a bit of a love hate venue which weighs in about the same with Hi Fi Bar.
It's located across the road from the beach and in one of the most trendiest locations of Melbourne.
While I don't mind this venue too much in regards to venue and well priced tickets for metal, the majority of the complaints that come with here are that the band room inside the venue is too small and the sound doesn't travel well through it.
I've actually seen a few metal bands apologies for the sound of it.
aeternus1990 wrote:
If you would like to see some metal shows in
Moscow, Russia:
1.
Milk Moscow2.
Plan B3.
Arena Moscow4.
Stadium Live5.
P!PL6.
Crocus City Hall7.
Olimpic Stadium8.
Relax Club9.
Kasta Club10.
Rock HouseWe haven't specific places only for metal shows and all these places are for every kind of music...
If you're looking for more, see lists of events on
Last.fm and
Darkside. Or just send me a message and I'll tell you about it.