Japandroids at Rock & Roll Hotel. Photo by Valerie Paschall.
In our weekly best-of list yesterday, DCist’s contributors highlighted what they considered to be the best music venues in D.C. While we came up with a solid list of 15 venues, obviously we didn’t include everything. After all, it is a list of the “best” venues in D.C., not “all” of the venues in D.C.
Nevertheless, our lists are, obviously, quite subjective, and while we pick places that are our favorite venues, people don’t always agree. As such, sometimes we like to write a follow-up post highlighting the places we missed. Here, are some more of the best music venues in D.C. that commenters and readers thought should be included in our original list. Now, quit reading the comments and go see some live music!
TWINS JAZZ: The opening of Twins Jazz marked the start of U Street’s renaissance as a hub for live music, particularly live jazz. Named for its owners, twin Ethiopian sisters Kelly and Maize Tesfaye, the club mainly features the best among local musicians, but regularly brings in up-and-coming artists from New York and Philly. Twins also prides itself in providing a stage for talented young musicians-in-training who are still in high school or college. — Sriram Gopal
Twins Jazz is located at 1344 U St. NW.
THE BIRCHMERE: Situated in the suburbs of Alexandria, The Birchmere is a great music hall to catch a lot of your favorite classic rock acts from yesteryear in a more intimate setting. Come for acts, stay for the intimacy. — Matt Cohen
The Birchmere is located at Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria VA.
THE HOWARD THEATRE: Another beautifully restored Shaw/U Street area gem, The Howard Theatre reopened last year to much acclaim. Inside, the spacious, chic theatre has hosted a wide variety of events, including everyone from Bad Brains to BYT’s Bentzen Ball. — Matt Cohen
The Howard Theatre is located at 620 T St. NW.
THE HAMILTON: Located in downtown D.C., The Hamilton is a class place, but that doesn’t mean it won’t book bands that get down and dirty. Sure, there’s a seated area and full table service for the classier events, but on the right night, a good band will lure everyone from their seats and onto the dance floor. — Matt Cohen
The Hamilton is located at 600 14th St. NW
STRATHMORE: Quite simply, the best-sounding venue in the D.C. area. The Bethesda, Md. concert hall was built to host orchestra’s—meaning that the acoustics are unbelievable—but they host the occasional rock show. I saw Sigur Ros there about four or five years ago, and it was a transcendental experience. — Matt Cohen
Strathmore is located at 5301 Tuckerman Ln., North Bethesda, Md.
GYPSY SALLY’S: Gypsy Sally’s is a new venue and “vinyl lounge” in Georgetown and I’ve yet to make it out there, but I’ve heard good things. It’s got a very Americana vibe to it (from what I can tell) and the scheduling has a heavy emphasis on folk, bluegrass, country, alt-country, and Americana. So, if any of that sounds appealing to you, go check it out! — Matt Cohen
Gypsy Sally’s is located at 3401 K St. NW.
ROCK & ROLL HOTEL: The sound at Rock & Roll Hotel isn’t always the best, but it’s nonetheless an essential venue in D.C., and is partially responsible in H St.’s transformation into a popular nightlife neighborhood. The venue consistently books killer touring acts, that range from some of the best up-and-comers, to legendary alt-rock bands. Beyond its booking, it’s also a damn good bar. — Matt Cohen
The Rock & Roll Hotel is located at 1353 H St. NE.
THE PINCH
This Columbia Heights dive bar is quickly becoming my favorite place to catch punk and metal shows in the city. It’s small, loud, and a little grungy: Everything that a decent punk bar/venue needs to be. — Matt Cohen
The Pinch is located at 3548 14th St. NW.
THE STATE THEATRE: Another NoVa staple. This former movie theater in Falls Church, Va. was turned into a concert hall in the late ’90s and, like The Birchmere, has consistently given patrons a more intimate setting to see their favorite classic rock bands and artists. — Matt Cohen
The State Theatre is located at 220 N Washington St., Falls Church, Va.
IOTA CLUB AND CAFE AND GALXY HUT: These two legendary places are keeping Arlington cool. Like the 9:30 Club and Black Cat, IOTA and Galaxy Hut were essential venues for a lot of notable D.C. bands back in the day. And guess what? They still are. Back in 2011, when The Dismemberment Plan first reunited, they played a surprise reunion show at Galaxy Hut’s, which fits maybe 100 people. — Matt Cohen
IOTA Club and Club and Cafe is located at 2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va, and Galaxy Hut is located at 2711 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va.
THE RED PALACE/THE RED AND THE BLACK (R.I.P.): The Red Palace (formerly Red & The Black) was one of the best venues in the city. Not too big, and not too small, it consistently killed it with its booking, often hosting up-and-comers well before they hit the mainstream. I miss it every day. — Matt Cohen
