The best concert venues for a date night in Big D

Concerts, like weddings, are inherently horny. Whether it be for a first date or a special night out for longtime lovers, live music makes everything just a little bit more romantic. And a typical dinner is so played out. Oysters and wine have nothing on a surprise saxophone solo in the middle of a rock show, which happens way more than you’d expect.

Who doesn’t want their favorite memories with their partner to come with a personal soundtrack? Each venue offers something different. Sometimes date night is a fancy seated show at the orchestra; other times it’s a grungy set at a dive bar. Dallas offers both.

If you’re looking to take someone special to a show, these are the spots whose calendars we think you should turn to first.

Meyerson Symphony Center
2301 Flora St.
The home field for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Meyerson Symphony Center, designed by legendary architect I. M. Pei, is an architectural wonder. With swooping alabaster-toned arches framing the foyer, the theatre inside is rich and warm, juxtaposing classic, pure romanticism with something that feels sultry. If a building could be an aphrodisiac, the Meyerson would be the one. It doesn’t help that you’re often restrained to listening to an entire orchestra, which is romantic enough as is. If you haven’t obnoxiously carried a champagne flute around the Meyerson in your Sunday best and accessorized with arm candy, you’re missing out.

Double Wide
3510 Commerce St.
Double Wide is the perfect concert date spot. Cheap drinks, cheap shows, ample space for a chat in case things get too loud, single-stall mirror-less bathrooms, and, in the worst-case scenario, plenty of singles if you need an emergency rebound. The venue side of the beloved bar has some of the best programming in the city if you have the taste for an off-kilter local band or something a little experimental. Plus, there’s usually room in the back, or outside, to dance your heart out. After the show, continue the night in the bar, or on the patio; there’s no rush to get home, unless you have something better to do (wink).

The Majestic Theatre
1925 Elm St.
No matter what show you’re seeing, the historic Majestic oozes class. A date-night perk comes thanks to the floor-to-ceiling mirrors throughout, which are perfect for coupled-up selfies. While paying for parking is inevitable, the central location that’s convenient to both downtown and Deep Ellum places various other activities within walking distance and makes whatever you pay for parking a bang for your buck.

Wild Detectives
314 W Eighth St.
A bookstore? A coffee shop? A bar? A concert venue? Wild Detectives is actually all of the above. The quaint shop in Oak Cliff offers the occasional concert, oftentimes on the back patio. The venue is small, cozy and romantic. It’s less of a rock-and-sway location, and more of a hold-hands-at-a-picnic-table joint. Shows tend to be early and short, so this venue requires less of a time commitment than a full-blown show at a premier concert hall in Dallas.

Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio
411 E Sycamore St., Denton
This Denton venue has a lot going for it as a spot for dates: quiet areas to hang out and talk, comfy couches to get cozy with your partner, an arcade game and usually a food truck on site. Rubber Gloves is one of the most fun venues in the suburbs, attracting a diverse roster of performers from around the country, and a healthy slew of college bands looking for a home.

Toyota Music Factory
316 W. Las Colinas Blvd., Irving
The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory may skew a little corporate for some people’s liking, but its lawn is the perfect laidback live music experience to have on a date. You can get prone on a blanket and have a picnic while enjoying your favorite artist. Traffic can get pretty hairy after a show (it can be especially impossible to get an Uber), but the surrounding bars provide the perfect place to camp out and have a nightcap until the chaos clears up.

Tannahill’s Tavern and Music Hall
122 E. Exchange, Ste. 200, Fort Worth
We wouldn’t be North Texans if we didn’t include a venue in the western half of the region. In addition to its location in the heart of the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, Tannahill’s is a great self-contained date location in its own right. The shows are lively and intimate. Plus, its lounge area is a quieter, more comfortable place to hang out and have a drink.

The Texas Theatre
231 Jefferson Blvd.
At this point, you might have a sneaking suspicion that we have a bias toward antique theaters. And we do. We refuse to apologize for having good taste, and the Texas Theatre might just be the cream of the crop. The space creates an intimate atmosphere for seated shows. The lobby has a full bar and plenty of cozy nooks with comfortable seating, plus there’s a free Pac-Man machine upstairs. Doubling as a movie theater, concerts aren’t regularly scheduled, but they also aren’t infrequent.

The Balcony Club
1825 Abrams Road
Jazz is just inherently sexy, so any spot that incorporates it is going to have an upper hand in the date night department. The Balcony Club, a pint-sized lounge located in the former attic of the Lakewood Theater, doesn’t rest on those laurels. In addition to hosting jazz musicians from Dallas and across the country, The Balcony Club has a sizeable drink menu with plenty of wine, beer and cocktail options as well as some low-key speakeasy vibes (it’s tucked away and easy to stumble across by accident) that will make your date feel all the more dangerous and exciting. There’s no kitchen, so grabbing food elsewhere is a requirement. Given the ample options in the surrounding Lakewood area and nearby Lower Greenville, that shouldn’t be too much of a chore.

Ruins
2653 Commerce St.
Ruins is the definition of dinner and a show. The Mexican restaurant has a damn good enchilada, and an even better showroom. The small, back-room venue is one of the best spots for an intimate date. What the venue sometimes lacks in sound quality, it makes up for in good vibes. Another low-commitment spot, the Deep Ellum gem is optimal for a post-show bar-hop, too.

Echo Lounge & Music Hall
1323 N Stemmons Freeway
Some people fancy being a little fancy, and that’s okay. The Echo Lounge & Music Hall, an often underrated venue, is swanky, clean and a really fun time. The lounge frequently hosts artists who offer livelier, more laser-filled shows. This space is a little off the beaten path, but it’s slick and attracts a fun crowd ready to dance. So bump and grind down at the Echo Lounge.