Small music halls and clubs are where future stars are born in America. Before the advent of shrewd corporate interference, stadium tours, large-scale arena productions and “merch” vendors, there was the humble jook joint and smoky bar. Places where patrons came to indulge in their pure love of music without laser light shows, pyrotechnics, costume changes or backup dancers.
Sadly, some, like the incredibly influential CBGB club in Manhattan, have shuffled off this mortal coil. Others may not be long for this world. With that in mind, here are the most legendary music halls left in America.
10. Lee’s Unleaded Blues, Chicago
Monumental developments in black music came to pass after the post-World War One migration north to Chicago. With most of the old urban jook joints and music halls now extinct in the city, the South Side still has one authentic spot in Lee’s Unleaded Blues, where Blaxploitation-era decor is just one of many quirks. For soulful blues and R&B, there is no purer place.
Thankfully, some icons last. Since 1939 and the Harlem Renaissance, the Lenox Lounge has been a hotbed of jazz. The ghosts of John Coltrane, Billie Holiday and Miles Davis still linger in this former haunt of Malcolm X and Langston Hughes.
8. Whisky a Go Go, Los Angeles
Perhaps the first “disco” in America, the Whisky a Go Go has been a Sunset Strip staple in Los Angeles for decades. Every major rock act from the city has had a stint on the famous stage, from former house band The Doors to Alice Cooper, M?tley Cr?e and Van Halen.
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7. The Village Vanguard, Manhattan
The Greenwich Village mecca of jazz has been around since 1935. Once a notable haunt for beat poetry and folk music, the Vanguard went all in for jazz back in 1957, with countless albums recorded in-house since. Greats like Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane and Wynton Marsalis have all had famous runs here.
6. The Crocodile Cafe, Seattle
With new management set to unveil the Crocodile Cafe anew in 2009, fans remain hopeful that the Seattle landmark rests under the protection of a competent caretaker. The club was a vital node in the city’s vibrant underground music scene in the 1990’s, when bands like The Posies, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney and other Sub Pop acts put Seattle on the map.
5. Roseland Ballroom, Manhattan
For almost a century, the Roseland Ballroom has been a leader in live entertainment in New York City. From the Big Band, jitterbug and Lindy Hop era to disco and rock ‘n’ roll, the hall immortalized in verse by the likes of Ring Lardner, F. Scott Fitzgerald and other Jazz Age icons, has seen it all.
4. The Fillmore, San Francisco
The Fillmore Auditorium, made famous by concert promoter Bill Graham, was the nexus of the counterculture and pscychedelic scene in America. The Grateful Dead, Cream, Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Who and Led Zeppelin all made memorable contributions to the Fillmore’s legendary atmosphere.
3. 40 Watt Club, Athens, Georgia
The inordinate amount of musical output that has come out of the town of Athens, Georgia over the years is impressive. For fans of punk and New Wave, few clubs provide more history and heritage than the 40 Watt. Notable hometown acts to take the stage include Pylon, R.E.M. and the B-52’s.
2. Tipitina’s Uptown, New Orleans
A former brothel, Tchoupitoulas Street in Uptown, New Orleans has a gem in Tipitina’s. The city, famous the world over as the birthplace of jazz, has many music halls but Tipitina’s is where names like Dr. John, The Neville Brothers and the late, great Professor Longhair went to play and record. Every year the club hosts the alternative Fess Jazztival, a more authentic version of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Since 1934, no matter how popular or commercially successful in white America, black performers have had to win over audiences at the Apollo Theater in Harlem in order to pass muster. The national treasure’s famous “Amateur Nights” made the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin into household names.
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This is a great list of classic music halls. I would figure memphis would be represented but I know that everyone has their personal preference. I have had the most fun at Tipitina’s on your list. Jazzfest is a see for any music lovers.
You have a very nice list, thanks for sharing.