Bucket lists, everybody has one or two or more. Being a live music junkie, it is music venues that intrigue me and have me developing a bucket list of venues to see while I can. When you are present for a great performance in an amazing setting, it’s magic.
Today I would like to share my bucket list of music venues with all of you. But what is a bigger goal for me is to hear from you about a “must-see,” music venue and why I should experience a concert there. I am hoping to expand my bucket list of music venues that should be experienced while I can enjoy them. That gives me 20-30 more years to get them all in!
I don’t know what I don’t know. Therefore, I am seeking your feedback about a memorable venue or a few places you have experienced which are not on my list… and should be. I would love to hear from you and your experiences.
I’m an East Coast guy so most of my experiences have been along the eastern seaboard. The furthest west I have seen a show is Chicago, IL. I have asked friends about their experiences and this has helped shape my list to date. Over nearly 50 years, I have been fortunate to visit some special places for live music. Growing up in NY, my first two venues were Madison Square Garden (the older version) and Carnegie Hall. I’ve been to the Beacon Theatre in Manhattan and the Bottom Line. Wollman’s Rink in Central Park was an amazing experience of great music in a forest-like setting in the heart of New York City. I have seen epic shows in the ’80s at the Fox Theatre and the Agora Ballroom in Atlanta. Recently, I attended a memorable show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. I have some wonderful memories of concerts from 1975-78 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) in New York. Back home, the Charleston Music Hall is the best small theatre/listening room in the state and my vehicle for all these shows.
I have organized my list according to size and scene. It breaks down to Clubs and Theatres, including Performing arts centers, Indoor multi-use arenas under 10,000 capacity, and Outdoor summer sheds and Amphitheaters. In nearly fifty years in the audience far and wide, I have never found a 10,000+ arena that provided a memorable sensory experience. It’s true that if you want to see many of today’s top bands, you have to see them in a metal and concrete structure that will hold the size of the crowd they command. Should you have a live, large indoor stadium large (10,000+)audience that you believe needs to be experienced, let us know about it!
My current outdoor shed and amphitheater bucket list includes Red Rocks in Colorado. I had tickets this July to see String Cheese Incident there, but the show got canceled on April 27th. Outdoor venues I’ve heard great things about are Tanglewood in Massachusetts, Pine Knob in Michigan, Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and the Gorge Amphitheatre in the state of Washington. I’m looking for music venues in a wonderful natural setting; places where you get more than a musical setting, you get an experience. To that extent, I want to make it to the Caverns in Grundy County, Eastern Tennessee for a concert.
I also love classic old theatres, restored to their original grandeur. I have the Capitol Theatre, Portchester, NY as a bucket list venue. Should Radio City Music Hall be a must see music venue? I don’t know. All I ever saw of the place was a Rockettes Show about 50 years ago.
What am I missing? Where are the great theatres around this country that should be on the list? Many cities around the country have restored grand movie theatres that may be worthy of a road trip! Tell me about them!
No bucket list of clubs would be complete without a visit to the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. I’ve been outside the building, but have yet to take in a show. What small club should make the list? I know of the Brooklyn Bowl back in Brooklyn, NY but don’t know of anyone having been there.
Large buildings on college campuses are designed for basketball and rarely ever have good acoustics. I don’t know if there’s a building that would have to be on a “must-see,” venue list. The same can be said for most pro basketball and hockey arenas. They can hold up to 20,000 generally so more fans can go…but are they worth going to? I have been to the Greensboro Coliseum, which I believe can hold 30,000+ for basketball but I wouldn’t rush back for a concert experience. Pro football stadiums, indoors and outdoors, can hold anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 or more. I saw the Grateful Dead’s, “Fare Thee Well,” shows at Soldier Field with 60,000 nightly. I can’t say that Soldier Field is a must-go venue. Is there one out there that’s worth seeing and tolerating the conditions for the music?
Please join me and share some of your bucket list venues with me and my readers. Let me know if there’s a place that you’ve been to that should be a must venue for my list.
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Do You Believe in Magic 
Yes, Ken, you should put Radio City Music Hall on your list. I saw Mark Knopfler and Emmylou there in 2006. Because you like CMH, you will enjoy that. Check out St Augustine Amphitheatre too. Its small and intimate. You probably won’t be relishing the thought of flying for a long time and you can drive there!
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Thanks for that! I have heard about the St. Augustine venue…roadtrip when we can do that again. RCMH will have to be dusted off!
Hope you are doing well…
Ken
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Red Rocks and The Gorge are definitely must-sees! Try to go for a multiple night lineup at Red Rocks if you can. It’s definitely worth it. Another awesome set of natural venues is Cumberland Caverns and The Caverns in TN. It gets confusing, but Cumberland Caverns is the home of the Volcano Room and the original home of Bluegrass Undergound, which has since moved to The Caverns (for multiple reasons I won’t explain here). The Caverns has many shows year-round, but Cumberland Caverns still has shows occasionally as well. Even if you can’t catch a show there, a tour of Cumberland Caverns is worth it.
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Thanks for the feedback! I will take it to heart. When we see each other next, you will have to give me a history of those caves.
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Although I rarely think of venues as a bucket list, there are some places where I would definitely like to see a show; Red Rocks, the Gorge and the Caverns come to mind. One place I like to go to is the Hampton coliseum, only because I’ve heard good things about it and have several great live shows by Phish and the Dead. With that said, it would have to be a combination of the band and the venue. I would really love to go to Red rocks, but not to see Celine Dion.
On the flip side, some venues turn me off. Here in Atlanta we have Chastain Amphitheater, which is an excellent space, but the problem is that they have picnic benches and allow food and alcohol. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a HUGE fan of food and alcohol, but I’ve been to several shows when the artist stopped in mid-performance to ask the crowd to shut up and listen. Apparently, some acts won’t play there because of the clinking of champagne flutes and constant chatter.
You and I have been to a lot of shows at the same great venues; the Fox, SPAC, Agora Ballroom, the Ryman, (did we see Zappa the Academy of music?). I’ve been trying for years to get you to come here for a show at the Variety Playhouse. While maybe not “bucket list” worthy, with 1100 seats and two bars that don’t gouge you, it’s a great place for a show. Some of the best shows I’ve ever seen were at the Variety.
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Thanks for the feedback! I likeyour thought aboutthe Hampton Coliseum…perhapsthat wil be a future roadtripfor you and me.
We’ve likelybeen to manyof this shoes togetherat SPAC and in Atlanta. I have mixed feelings about Chastain. Ive seen some great shows there but I agree with the ‘air’ some people have with the catered meals and candleabres.
We saw Zappa at the Palladium, day after Christmas in 1976. The only time I was there
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Good article Ken. Of course, I would have to recommend my local favorite First Ave. in Minneapolis for a great club environment (think Prince — it was the location for Purple Rain). We saw our son dj there and it was a great memory. He’s also dj’ed at Red Rocks once (he opened for Atmosphere), and although we didn’t get to the show, I went past it once on a hiking trip and it is a striking environment.
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Thanks for the feedback, Brian. I will have to keep First Avenue in mind should my travels take me to Minneapolis in the future. I was in your fair state one week in January about 20 years ago. It was too freakin’ cold for someone who had been down south for 20 years, now 40 years! I appreciate you reading the articles and hope you will continue to offer your feedback.
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