Margo Price steps up to the microphone at HI-FI in Indianapolis. Exploring for her first album, Midwest Farmer’s Daughter, Price’s track record as an outright trip de force on stage has brought north from Nashville. The crowd presses better; I’m front row, excited to finally see her personally.
The Fountain Square location, which had just doubled its capacity to 400 individuals before this show, has a credibility for putting the best acts from around the country in front of a few of the most impassioned music fans. So when the Illinois native and her band, the Price Tags, take the phase in front of HI-FI’s geometric acoustical tile background, we can feel that magic is about to take place.
When she covers the microphone cord around her hand and leans off the phase, there’s an intimacy that can just be experienced in between a live performer and their audience. When we funnel out of the club after the show, we understand we were part of something truly great. Today, a hand-painted portrait of Price resides in the back hall of HI-FI, commemorating that night.
Music has actually constantly been the lifeblood of the Midwest: Cleveland claims to be the birthplace of rock and roll. Chicago was probably the nation music capital of the world before Nashville pushed it off the throne. Expense Monroe, the extensively recognized Father of Bluegrass Music, called Indiana home for many of his life and began Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival, still going strong in Morgantown today.
You don’t need much when you’ve got fantastic music, however at the right location– an upcycled church, a reclaimed movie theater, a beachy ballroom with tradition to spare– it’s even better. Toss on your vintage Johnny Cougar T-shirt and go see your favorite band (or find a brand-new one) at one of these 10 rockin’ spots.
The Salt Shed, Chicago
The Salt Shed might be the newest location on this list– it opened in 2022– but it’s experienced with history. Developed on the website of a 94-year-old Morton Salt facility, the indoor-outdoor concert area maintained the giant, iconic umbrella logo design and tagline painted on the roofing. Fans thirsty for live music can grab food and beverages before the show and browse music and vintage retail stores at seasonal outside markets within the location. The Windy City skyline supplies the ideal background for hot artists like Elle King, Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, and Japanese Breakfast.
” The gorgeous aspect of the place ambiance is that it can adapt to any program,” says The Salt Shed’s Kris English. “We’re a really inviting area with varied programming, and that’s what we will constantly make every effort to be.”
Duke’s Honky Tonk, Indianapolis
Low-cost Lone Star bottles and the love of live music bring faithful clients to Duke’s Honky Tonk each week. A pink neon sign above the stage reminds beginners to “Please Shut the F *$% Up” as artists like Justin Wells and Summer Dean perform. Stetson line the top of the stage, and a vinyl turntable spins timeless country albums during breaks in between sets.
The enthusiasm job of the late, excellent Dustin Boyer– a former Sun King brewer with a contagious love for live nation music– Duke’s brings the finest old-school and country-adjacent artists to Indy. Sold-out programs see up to 150 folks in their finest pearl-snap t-shirts and cowgirl boots dancing shoulder to shoulder, and looking great doing it. Duke’s “deals nothing but love and regard for artists,” says Mary Beth Richardson, the powerhouse lead vocalist of Banditos and a frequent entertainer here.
Schubas Tavern, Chicago
A 1903 Schlitz Brewery building-turned-cozy area bar, Schubas is one of the very best subtle spots to see a program in Chicago. For numerous bands like The National and Band of Horses, playing at the Lakeview landmark is an initiation rite, a sign they’re going up, both in the Windy City and in the music world.
Separated from the main bar, the wood-paneled auditorium produces a 1970s basement ambiance, but the noises created inside those walls are modern. Strolling into the room for the very first time, you might ask yourself, “What’s so unique about this location?” However there’s an electricity that crackles through it, one not caused by a malfunctioning amplifier: a best synergy of famous place, committed fan base and sheer talent.
Big Top Chautauqua, Bayfield, Wisconsin
It’s not uncommon to see tents pitched near Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, but this huge big leading set down outside Bayfield will likely stop you in your tracks … till the beats inside get you moving again. “When you look around and realize where you are– at the edge of no place, surrounded by woods, ignoring Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands, under an incredible night sky with the periodic Northern Lights reveal– it’s pretty unique,” says Big Top’s Seth Meierotto.
Included artists, such as Brandi Carlile and Steve Earle, draw a mix of local families and vacationers to the place. When the 1,000 seats offer out inside the camping tent– a routine occurrence– hundreds more fans set up outside with camp chairs. Extremely apropos.
Classy Theater, Kansas City, Missouri
Deserted and on the verge of demolition, the Uptown Theater was conserved by a $15 million renovation in 1996, making it among Kansas City’s leading music venues. The interior might be the most lovely setting you’ll discover at a rock performance. Looking like a Mediterranean courtyard, elaborate arches and terraces line the sides, while a night-sky concept with twinkling stars and clouds glitters above. Pal Guy, Maddie and Tae, Orville Peck, and Grand Funk Railroad have actually all amused crowds of approximately 2,400 people here.
The Southgate House Revival, Newport, Kentucky
The place, simply throughout the river from Cincinnati, has 3 different stages– The Sanctuary, The Lounge and The Revival. The Sanctuary often hosts nationally visiting acts like the Old 97’s or Jon Spencer, while the smaller stages permit for different sounds from up-and-comers.
Surf Ballroom and Museum, Clear Lake, Iowa
Palm trees flank the phase at this historical music hall, and surf-influenced murals on the walls and ceiling evoke a 1950s beach feel at the Surf Ballroom in rural Iowa. It’s history that permeates up from the maple dance floor. Before their awful airplane crash, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson performed their last program at the Surf in 1959. The location has actually because been designated a historical landmark by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the National Park Service.
If this seems like the best area for Brian Wilson to croon some of his Beach Boys chart toppers, you’re right– he’s offered out the place in the past. Despite the beach-blanket concept and shows from vintage artists like Wilson and The Guess Who, the Surf isn’t stuck in the past. Current artists regularly play here too.
” The acoustics in the building surround and embrace you,” says Executive Director Laurie Lietz. “There’s no much better location to experience live music.” If you’re travelling through on an off-night, the Surf offers both guided and self-guided tours.
HI-FI, Indianapolis
Music comes together in three ways inside (and outdoors) the historic Murphy Arts Center structure in Fountain Square. Posters from previous concerts at HI-FI and other classic places line the walls.
In 2015, HI-FI’s owners also opened Easy Rider Diner next door for noshes prior to the sound. Hand-drawn pictures of popular artists hang in several of the cubicles.
Regional artist Connor McLaren has actually played all three HI-FI stages. “To paraphrase Bob Dylan, it always feels like something is taking place there,” he states, “even if you don’t understand exactly what it is.”
Blueberry Hill, St. Louis
Pop-culture memorabilia– think substantial jukeboxes, tiny PEZ dispensers, and all bric-a-brac in between– fills the walls at Blueberry Hill. An epic Pac-Man mural provides a backdrop for restaurants; a giant packed marlin swims above the bar.
This kitschy place has dished out loading assistings of food and beer for more than 50 years, but the yummy jams came a bit later. Rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry (a big fan of Blueberry Hill’s chicken wings) played the first-ever show in the 340-person capability Duck Room back in 1997. A good friend of owner Joe Edwards, Berry would continue to play regular monthly for more than 17 years. (Edwards is a little bit of aSt. Louis legend himself, co-owning several services down the street in the well-known Delmar Loop, consisting of another music place, The Pageant.).
” Blueberry Hill is precious by both travelers and residents,” says local fan Jo Duncan. “You never ever understand who you will face at the bar or in the restaurant– it could be your next-door neighbor or the exploring band playing down the street. From the minute you walk in the door, you know you are going to have fun!”.
The Majestic Theatre, Detroit.
The Majestic’s colorful Art Deco exterior and themes mean its roots as a playhouse and cinema. When boasting 1,650 seats, The Majestic was considered among the world’s biggest theater; with the rise of the shopping-mall multiplex throughout the 1980s, it rotated to live music. The structure’s outside– one of the largest enameled metal-paneled Art Deco facades in the Midwest– added to the venue’s status on the National Register of Historic Places. Inside, a thriving sound system fills the cavernous hall, developing a distinct sonic landscape. If you wish to be close to the stage, bring your ear plugs. A virtual who’s who of music history has actually played the Midtown musical monolith over the decades, consisting of The Black Keys, George Clinton, Wilco, Sheryl Crow, and Fela Kuti. The exact same facility is also home to The Magic Stick, a smaller sized venue that functions as a pool hall-dance club, and the roof Alley Deck for drinks before or after a concert.
