recommend a venue for live music

Kenc

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2019
141
91
115
Toronto, Canada
I am impressed with the geographic diversity of the membership here.
I wonder if any would like to recommend a great venue for live music whether it be for sonics , ambience, or whatever reason.
Please don't limit it to your home town...anything encountered on travels that merits recommendation would be of great interest!
 

Kenc

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2019
141
91
115
Toronto, Canada
Ok...so nobody wants to play with the newbie? :confused:

Reason for asking is that I, like many others, enjoy travelling and inside info on remote music venues would be useful.

If you have a free evening in Toronto, visit Koerner Hall. It is a mid-sized venue with a warm but lively sound. Has an eclectic
lineup of artists. I've seen the likes of Anoushka Shankar, Joshua Bell and the Cowboy Junkies there over the past couple of seasons.

As for an "away" experience, I'll offer an obvious one that everyone should try to visit. We secured last minute tickets to a performance at the Wien Musikverein in late 2017. The seat locations were pretty crappy but even so the sound and atmosphere were stunning. The evening featured a
performance of Messiaen's Turangalila Symphony, with which I was not previously familiar. My fears of some ear-wrenching 20th century dissonance were unfounded. This was an amazing barn-burner of a piece that would make for a great workout of one's home system. One of my most memorable musical experiences ever.
 
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jazdoc

Member Sponsor
Aug 7, 2010
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Bellevue
In Seattle:
Jazz Alley
Tula’s
The Neptune
Crocodile Club
Nectar Lounge
Tractor Tavern
The Royal Room
Neumos
Chop Suey
Triple Door
 
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Hi-FiGuy

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Feb 23, 2015
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My favorite venue no longer exists, it is now a Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios. The Universal Amphitheater always had great sound, never needed ear plugs, much to the chagrin of a few metal heads.
Many will poke me with sticks over the next two, The Roxy on Sunset and The Coach House in San Juan Cap, hell I will even throw in The Golden Bear in Huntington Beach (RIP). I saw Bill Bruford and Patrick Moraz perform as a duo there, blew me away.
I also liked The Dorthey Chandler Pavilion and unfortunately have not gotten to Disney Center yet, but hear good things about it, even when its not cooking the occupants in neighboring buildings.
 

Hi-FiGuy

Member Sponsor
Feb 23, 2015
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In Seattle:
Jazz Alley
Tula’s
The Neptune
Crocodile Club
Nectar Lounge
Tractor Tavern
The Royal Room
Neumos
Chop Suey
Triple Door
You like Chop Suey? My previous employers secondary parking garage is literally next door to them and I have never been impressed with what I have heard coming out of there, but to be fair I never paid for a show and went inside.
Never made it to Jazz Alley, really wanted to but after putting in 12+ a day on Cap Hill all I wanted to do was leave and there was no way in hell I was driving the 50 miles in on my days off to go to a show.
 
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jazdoc

Member Sponsor
Aug 7, 2010
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Bellevue
You like Chop Suey? My previous employers secondary parking garage is literally next door to them and I have never been impressed with what I have heard coming out of there, but to be fair I never paid for a show and went inside.
Never made it to Jazz Alley, really wanted to but after putting in 12+ a day on Cap Hill all I wanted to do was leave and there was no way in hell I was driving the 50 miles in on my days off to go to a show.
The people watching is epic, even by Seattle standards. On another note, I was at The Tractor with my wife when she told me we were the only people without tattoos!
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
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I like a lot Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown Los Angeles.
 
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bonzo75

Member Sponsor
Feb 26, 2014
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London
I suggest using https://bachtrack.com/find-concerts for classical

The search box is excellent, you start typing out a city, country, date, performer, piece, venue, it autofills easily and searches for concerts on that day/city/performance etc and gives you a list. Very handy too when visiting other cities

In London
Orchestra - Barbican and Southbank
Small scale - Wigmore hall, to some extent King's Place (nice acoustics but great performers visit much less than Wigmore). Also Milton Court attached to Barbican
Sheldonian at Oxford is my favorite concert venue by a margin but 90 mins from London
 
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Skylab

Well-Known Member
May 14, 2016
153
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Chicagoland
In Chicago:

The Chicago Theater
The Auditorium Theater
The Park West
 

Kenc

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2019
141
91
115
Toronto, Canada
As for jazz clubs, in Toronto they are a dying breed. One relatively new place worth checking out mainly for its uniqueness is the Poetry Jazz Cafe in the Kensington Market area. It's pretty cramped, it's not always jazz and people talk over the music but they support up and coming artists.
 

Skylab

Well-Known Member
May 14, 2016
153
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115
Chicagoland
I lived a couple blocks from Kensington Market when I was a kid, in the early 70’s. It was more actual market than hipsterville back then.

In the late 90’s I took my wife to Toronto for vacation and we saw Diana Krall at the Top of the Senator. That was cool.
 
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Kenc

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2019
141
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115
Toronto, Canada
I work (part-time) at the hospital two blocks away so I have seen Kensington Market evolve as well.
DK at an intimate venue such as the Top of Senator would be a very cool experience. The latter is now called the Jazz Bistro.
I saw DK last year or so at Massey Hall. That place has a lot of history but was getting seriously run down. It's closed for some
much needed renovations.
 
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ptman

Well-Known Member
Dec 23, 2011
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St. Louis, MO
In St Louis, the Sheldon is one of the few buildings in the U.S. that claims to be "acoustically perfect". It was originally built as an Ethical Society church, has 600 capacity, and features mainly folk and jazz acts. It's outstanding. As well, Jazz at the Bistro was rebuilt a couple years ago with a focus on acoustics. Mainly 4-person tables with an intimate atmosphere.

Last year, we saw Rosanne Cash in Oakville, ON (outside Toronto) at the Oakville Performing Arts Center. Fantastic acoustics and a great place to listen to music.
 
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rsorren1

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2013
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Dallas area
If ever your travels take you to Dallas, be sure to see a concert at the Myerson Concert Hall. Wonderful ambience and sound. Dallas Symphony is wonderful too.

If ever in Vienna, try to get to Musikverein. Breathtaking. Only word that describes what you will feel when you enter that magnificent hall for the first time.
 
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Bruce B

WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Apr 25, 2010
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www.pugetsoundstudios.com
In Seattle:
Jazz Alley
Tula’s
The Neptune
Crocodile Club
Nectar Lounge
Tractor Tavern
The Royal Room
Neumos
Chop Suey
Triple Door


I'm like Hi-Fi Guy... For sonics/acoustics... the only one (or two) I'd choose are Jazz Alley and the Triple Door... maybe Tula's. All the rest suck as far as sound. Another possible is Bake's Place. Yeah, the atmosphere of the others can be quite attractive.
The Best acoustics in Seattle are Benaroya Hall.
 

marty

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
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United States
For Classical
Chicago Symphony Hall (Box Seats and Fadim Lower Balcony)
Carnegie Hall* (balcony, 1st and 2nd Tier, anything but Orchestra)
See: https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/the-sound-at-carnegie-hall.20911/
Vienna Musikverein, Vienna
Boston Symphony Hall, Boston (rear orchestra)
Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.
Powell Symphony Hall*, St. Louis (Grand Tier Box, Dress Circle box)
Myerson Symphony Hall*, Dallas (mid orchestra)
Bass Hall*, Ft. Worth (Orchestra M-P)
Philharmonie, Berlin
Barbican, London
* Denotes season ticket holder in the past

For Jazz
Birdland, NYC
Blue Note, NYC
Ronnie Scott’s, London
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Metro DC
Probably not what you are looking fpr. I prefer outdoors.
 

Kenc

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2019
141
91
115
Toronto, Canada
Probably not what you are looking fpr. I prefer outdoors.

outdoors usually not too good for sound but there have been memorable musical experiences such as...
Red Rocks (just outside Denver) went to a reggae type evening there in the mid-80's when I lived in Denver. Details a bit foggy, however :cool:.
Perugia, Italy late 1990's. We strolled around after dinner and spotted some floodlights down the street. It was Ahmad Jamal performing in a courtyard against the backdrop of a small medieval church. Wonderful evening and the price was right.

please share if there is an outdoor venue you'd care to recommend!
 

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