Skip to main content

9 Coolest Concert Venues in the United States

Context is not always everything, but it sure as hell is constantly something. In live music, the complex formula of surroundings can make or break a great performance. Gifted as the band may be, bad acoustics or a poorly designed pit can distract to the point of you leaving well before the first encore is played.

America is home to a great number of fantastic music venues, lauded for their sound and history as much as the famous acts that have torn up their hallowed stages. But what about the coolest concert spots — the ones that are timeless yet fascinating, nonchalant yet incredibly captivating?

Recommended Videos

Music’s a debate-heavy galaxy but most people will agree that a show at one of the following venues — whether it’s to catch a legend like Dylan or your favorite hometown singer-songwriter — is always a more than worthwhile evening.

Doug Fir Lounge

Portland Oregon

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Set in a bar and restaurant that looks like it was made of Lincoln Logs, the Doug Fir is one of the best venues in the Pacific Northwest. The Portland club touts razor-sharp acoustics, solid visibility, great interior design, and hosts some of the strongest mid-sized bands on the circuit. Better still, it holds just 300 people, making every live set an intimate one.

First Avenue

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota
Stephen Maturen/Getty

Parked at the corner of First Avenue and 7th Street in downtown Minneapolis, this appropriately named club originally opened as a Greyhound station in 1937. Since, First Avenue has become a cultural hot pot and the frequent playground of the late Prince, a Twin Cities god. It’s a lauded musical temple, featured in Purple Rain, a place where U2 wrote songs, allegedly haunted, and helped build a vibrant Minneapolis music scene back in the ’70s. Cooler still, there’s a smaller club within the club called The Entry that caters especially to local acts.

The Gorge

George, Washington

The Gorge
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Gorge is so beautiful that it’s baffling. The outdoor theater in a dramatic pocket of central Washington is known to stop singers in their tracks, prompting them to pause and applaud the setting sun in the gorge behind the stage. That kind of natural beauty, with a stage seemingly balanced on the edge of the world, draws some unbelievable talent. This is the kind of venue big guns like Dave Matthews demand to play every year, for multiple days at a time.

ACL Live at the Moody Theater

Austin, Texas

ACL Live at the Moody Theater
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Several years back, the famous Austin City Limits broadcast moved from its longtime home at the University of Texas to a stunning new venue. The Moody Theater has gone on to become world-class, meticulously designed with cutting-edge acoustics and a cubic demeanor that makes every seat in the house a good one. It’s rumored that the layout here is so good that the artist on stage can make actual eye contact with each and every crowd member. And Willie Nelson has his own weed-smoking area. 

Hollywood Bowl

Los Angeles, California

Hollywood Bowl
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Even Rolling Stone has raved about this venue. But it’s not surprising once you’ve caught a set at this picturesque amphitheater nestled into the Hollywood Hills. It’s the summer home of the L.A. Philharmonic and originally featured stage shells designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Today’s version is much the same and honors the original layout. It continues to be a stage that inspires the best from performers, a place where the Beatles played, Pink Floyd beat on a flammable gong, and The Doors played their final show. In addition to being close to a metropolis, the Bowl is removed enough to offer some great wildlife sounds and sightings for those paying attention.

Green Mill Cocktail Lounge

Chicago Illinois

Raymond Boyd/Getty

Believed to be the Windy City’s oldest still-functioning club, the Green Mill opened its doors in 1907 as Pop Morse’s Roadhouse. It soon became a hangout spot for local jazz acts, actors and actresses, and mob members. Al Capone’s favorite booth still stands at this amazing joint in uptown Chicago.

The cool factor here is written on the mostly unchanged walls, the unrivaled green neon sign out front, and the sit-down lounge environment that was so commonplace as Chicago became synonymous with great jazz. You’ll want to settle in, order a gin and tonic, and tap your feet.

The Triple Door

Seattle, Washington

The Triple Door
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Housed in a former theater built in the 1920s, the Triple Door officially launched in 2003 in downtown Seattle. Yes, it missed the grunge era, but it’s become a favorite for local and traveling acts alike, beloved for its space and sound as well as its noble fundraising efforts.

While relatively new, it’s modeled after the small-scale dinner theaters of old. The Triple draws an eclectic mix of bands to a city known to have produced a hit band or two. In an era of jam-packed floor pits set beside a stage, this venue is a slice of well-appointed, sit-down heaven.

Bowery Ballroom

New York City, New York

Bowery Ballroom
Image used with permission by copyright holder

New York has a boatload of great venues, from impromptu outdoor spots like Prospect Park to Arlene’s Grocery and Webster Hall. Manhattan’s Bowery Ballroom is arguably the coolest, with gorgeous bronze rails and a reasonable capacity of about 575.

The former shoe store and then-vacant building took on the Bowery name in the late ’90s. It’s now a place on every great musician’s radar. Patti Smith played New Year’s Eve here for 14  straight years, for Pete’s sake. Adding to the coolness of the place is the fact that it remains one of relatively few independently owned music venues in the conglomeration-hungry American music landscape.

Preservation Hall

New Orleans, Louisana

Josh Brasted/Getty

The New Orleans institution otherwise known as Preservation Hall is a French Quarter landmark. It sports a touring house band of the same name, record label, and non-prof foundation. It got its start in the early ’50s but the building goes back to the early 1800s when it was a tavern.

It’s an important slice of jazz culture in a city that’s been ever-generous in its musical contributions. This is where fledgling local bands would fine-tune their sounds via jam sessions and touring acts would play before a music-loving city in a neighborhood where a rhythm or two is always playing. It’s a rustic, house-like venue that perfectly encapsulates the bayou side of Americana and domestic jazz.

Mark Stock
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
Nina Dobrev talks love for F1 & the ‘electric’ feeling of race day
From Netflix to the paddock: Nina Dobrev on her passion for Formula One
Nina Dobrev holds a Peroni and smiles.

When Nina Dobrev first attended an F1 event over a decade ago, she went as a casual observer. Similar to many recent Formula One fans, she streamed Netflix's Drive to Survive and immediately fell in love with the sport. Fast-forward to now, and Dobrev is all-in with F1 thanks to her greater appreciation for the world-class drivers and their sensational teams.

This past weekend, Dobrev attended the 2025 Miami Grand Prix on behalf of Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% to support their iconic partner, Scuderia Ferrari HP. The Vampire Diaries star is also friends with Lewis Hamilton, one of the greatest drivers in F1 history, who competes for Ferrari.

Read more
8 intense and gripping movies like Sinners to watch next
These movies are just like Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler's hit
Michael B Jordan in Sinners

Sinners is the biggest original movie of 2025 so far. With an overabundance of franchises and retreads, fans have fervently crowded theaters to see Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan's next collaboration. The movie follows twin brothers who must fight back against evil spirits in a Mississippi town after returning to civilian life following World War I. The mix of racial commentary, social analysis, and beautiful set pieces has transfixed viewers to the big screen so far.

Going to a movie two or three times is always a good antidote for your movie craving, but if you've already exhausted your Sinners allotment for the time being, it might be best to look for similar films. Vampires, period pieces, racial implications, and so much more feature in this wide array of movies like Sinners. We've got you covered right here.

Read more
The best feel-good shows to watch when you need a pick-me-up
From Gilmore Girls to Schitts Creek, these are the best feel-good shows ever made
The cast of Ted Lasso

Television is, by its very nature, something that we invite into our lives over an extended period. Unlike the movies we watch, TV shows are designed for you to develop some sort of familiarity with the characters on them.

Sometimes, that familiarity doesn't necessarily breed love, but other times it does. The shows on this list will make you fall in love with their characters and leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. These are what I'll call feel-good shows.

Read more