A Concert Goer's 10 Favorite Venues
I go to a lot of concerts. Just this year alone, I've been to 5 already, and I've got hard plans to go to at least 8 more. For me, this is an exciting post. I've compiled a list of the best venues I've ever experienced.
Sure, me being from Central Mississippi is going to limit the number of venues I can talk about here, but I'd argue that's where the value of this post lives. Anyone can blog about Madison Square Garden, Red Rocks, or the Hollywood Bowl, but only a Mississippi concert-goer can give you a breakdown of the best venues in the Southeast.
What follows is my opinion: It's venues I love, fueled by 25+ years of concert experiences. If you don't find value in that...go ahead and click elsewhere. Otherwise, let's get started with some honorable mentions.
Joy Theater - New Orleans, LA
A charming little theater in NOLA that comfortably houses medium-sized acts several times a year. Its slanted floor helps everyone feel included, and its small size and ornate decor add to the ambiance of every show.
Soul Kitchen - Mobile, AL
It's not much of a venue, really. It's more just a warehouse in downtown Mobile. Where it thrives is in its welcoming vibes and prime on-the-strip location.
Brewsky's - Hattiesburg, MS
Another largely unspecial building that houses a perfectly cromulent stage and space. Brewsky's has been operating long enough to really embrace its late '00s spirit, and that's its strength.
#10 - Superdome - New Orleans, LA
The Superdome is enormous. At approx. 83,000 seats, concerts can feel alienating. The Superdome combats this with a no bad seats approach. Concerts feel like a spectacle in the Superdome, like a celebration of humanity, like the only place on the planet you want to be. The only negative checkboxes come from it not being able to deliver an intimate experience.
#09 - Duling Hall - Jackson, MS
Built into an old Jackson, MS, Elementary School Auditorium, Duling Hall is a small-capacity, intimate concert venue for up-and-coming or niche legacy acts. Regardless of who is playing Duling, it's the picture-perfect modern cozy venue. Those artists are there for YOU, or at least that's how it feels.
#08 - Saturn - Birmingham, AL
Saturn is another small venue, but unlike Duling, it has much bigger aspirations. It feels ultra-modern and has found a great way to integrate VIP seating without sacrificing the GA experience. They host medium-sized acts, but the right cock-tail of legacy star-power and quaint surroundings can make the building feel bigger than the sum of its parts.
#07 - Tipitina's - New Orleans, LA
Tipitinia's may just be a concert hall, but when you're in it, it feels like an antique you don't have permission to destroy. Located well off the main thoroughfares of New Orleans, no one accidentally ends up at Tipitina's. If there were an "if these walls could talk" award for NOLA venues, it would be named after Tipitina's.
#06 - Avondale Brewing Co. - Birmingham, AL
As a modern, open-air, in-town venue, Avondale Brewing Co, has a lot going for it, including big shows and VERY large crowds. I'm sure my opinion of ABC has a lot to do with me never attending a show there in the rain, but once the sun goes down and the headliner comes out, ABC feels as big as a festival, while still maintaining the scale of a snug small venue.
#05 - Piedmont Park - Atlanta, GA
Less a concert venue and more a large-scale festival ground, Piedmont Park is a must-visit for concert goers. Drenched in the shadows of Atlanta's tallest buildings, Piedmont Park offers a picturesque place to experience your favorite artists, while offering an uncut feeling of fellowship with thousands of like-minded peers.
#04 - House of Blues - New Orleans, LA
HOB NOLA is the absolute best of the corporate-sponsored, artist-friendly venues. It effortlessly handles its VIP sections, and offers an unbelievable number of intimate views of the artist. Oh yeah, and it sounds amazing. If I lived in New Orleans, I'd likely find myself at the House of Blues a dozen times a year.
#03 - Hal & Mal's - Jackson, MS
Hal & Mals is a deeply flawed venue. It doesn't sound great, regardless of season its somehow 90 degrees inside at all times, and 9 of the 10 loudest shows I've ever been to were in that building. What it lacks in refinement, Hal & Mal's makes up in character and ambiance. Watching a band in 100-degree heat and seeing them rock out makes you feel like you are in the shit with them. The stage is tiny, and the band feels like it's sitting in your lap. The lighting is always bad, but you know deep down, a well-lit show at Hal & Mal's just wouldn't hit as hard as the ramschakle experience you've come to know.
#02 - Brandon Amphitheater - Brandon, MS
In what should count as the most Homer pic of all of these, the Brandon Amphitheater is a modern venue with all the modern amenities you'd expect from a LiveNation-supported experience. What pops out of what should probably be a venue used for local graduations, clog competitions, and state-fair-style shows is a quaint venue that's very much punching well above its weight class. By bringing in everyone from modern acts like Jelly Roll to legacy Rock acts like Goo Goo Dolls, The Doobie Brothers, and Bush, to R&B/Hip-Hop experiences like TLC/En Vogue/Salt N Peppa and Lil Wayne. This little Amphitheater, positioned basically in my backyard, has become the premier central Mississippi venue.
#01 - The Tabernacle - Atlanta, GA
Located in the heart of Atlanta, The Tabernacle is the region's premier "small" venue. Built into an old church, its equal parts classic architecture vibes and southern gothic sensibilities. Long before you even make it to the concert hall itself, The Tabby swallows you whole. You feel like you've stepped into an alternate dimension where the religion is music and booze. From a concert standpoint, the building has codified the right way to treat fans. You feel like you're on top of the stage and on top of one another, and, in a way, they are both true. The looming pipe organ behind the stage, the triple-decker audience, and the slanted (shorty-friendly) floor make the experience epic from back to front and from top to bottom. The Tabby is my favorite venue, and it's not even close. If you ever have a chance to see a show there, please treat yourself.
Here are a few venues I'd like to mention that don't exist anymore. The buildings are all still there, but they aren't concert halls, and that makes me sad.
The Bottling Company - Hattiesburg, MS
For a short time in '00s, the old Coca-Cola bottling building in Downtown Hattiesburg housed a small venue that rivaled big-name places like the House of Blues. It had such great ambiance and design.
Located 50 yards from the aforementioned Hal & Mal's, Club Fire was basically a warehouse with a stage. Nothing really made it stand out as a concert venue, but it was scrappy and put on some great shows.
Mud Island Amphitheater - Memphis, TN
Mostly just a standard Amphitheater, this was the first of its kind I ever visited. It was in a weird location that was hard to get to and didn't offer anything too special, but my memories there make it sad that it's not active anymore.
That does it. I hope you enjoyed the rundown. I'm sure I'll go to 2-4 new venues in the next few years and this list might change. Or not, either way, go see a live show. Your soul deserves it.