Dallas Musicians’ Guide to the Best Local Music Venues

A lot goes into the making of a great live show. Aside from the actual talent, a great concert is also the result of good sound quality, hospitality, communication, environment — the list goes on. With so many music venues spread out across Dallas-Fort Worth, it can be tough to determine which spaces reign supreme and which are best to avoid. Whether you’re performing onstage or watching from the crowd, no one wants to end the night on a sour note.

So we consulted with the experts, Dallas’ most active live performers, to get tips on what makes or breaks a venue, and which local spots have a special place in their hearts. Here are some North Texas musicians’ favorite places to perform in Dallas-Fort Worth.

The Kessler

1230 W. Davis St.
The Kessler is a favorite of many in Dallas and was recommended by a majority of the artists interviewed for this story. According to the performers, The Kessler has it all — great staff, great crowds and an all-around great space to play.

Several musicians consider it a privilege to perform at the venue, citing its top-notch sound quality and professional staff led by artistic director Jeffrey Liles as the top incentives for their frequent appearances. The Kessler staff cares about everyone entering the space and takes extra care to curate great bills with a variety of bands playing different musical genres around Dallas.

“The Kessler Theater is probably the nicest and most hospitable while not being pretentious at all,” bluesman Jason Elmore says. “They accommodate the artists as well as their patrons equally well and are very professional with the aforementioned qualities of good communication and promotion.”

Granada Theater

3524 Greenville Ave.
Located in Lower Greenville, Granada Theater is one of Dallas’ older venues and has been remodeled and repurposed a number of times. Since being reconverted into a music hall in 2004, the space has welcomed a variety of music acts and attendees, including neo-psychedelic rock band The Orange and its frontman, Scott Tucker.

Granada is a favorite of Tucker, who gives endless praise for the space’s level of hospitality. He says the service is unlike any other in Dallas, especially in terms of backstage treatment. From buffet-style meals available for the whole band to individual artist accommodations, Tucker recommends local acts look toward headlining the space and meeting its welcoming staff.

“When you headline Granada, they treat you like Mick Jagger,” Tucker says. “Granada is extremely accommodating. [...] My dad, who was always so supportive of my career and has now passed away, one great memory I have of him there was when I finally got to headlining Granada Theater, backstage I asked for a couple of beers for me and my dad. They brought me a case. I was just like, ‘Wow, these guys are amazing.’”

Double Wide

3510 Commerce St.
Double Wide is another top neighborhood pick for many local acts. The dive bar presents artists from just about any genre, offering a little bit of something for nearly every kind of musician and music fan in Dallas.

The venue prides itself on its live music that makes folks wanna holler and its "drinks that hit harder than Dad." Double Wide should also be a top choice for Dallasites looking for a smaller listening crowd. Dallas-based musicians such as Tucker have come to love the space for its smaller capacity, as it grants artists a more intimate performance experience.

“For really small, local bands, Double Wide is the place to be,” Tucker says. “You can bring 20, 25, 30 people and everyone has a great time.”

Charlie’s Star Lounge

4319 Main St.
Charlie’s Star Lounge, just outside Deep Ellum, is one of Dallas’ top watering holes. The space has become well-known and loved by locals for its top-quality drinks, welcoming service and charming dive-bar vibes. DJ Ursa Minor says she’s played for some great people and crowds at Charlie’s. And when some patrons take things too far, she has found that the staff is great at prioritizing musicians’ concerns, security and safety — a quality that is especially important for female and queer performers.

“I’ve found that [Charlie’s] hires people that really listen to artists that will go, ‘Hey, I’m uncomfortable,’” Minor says. “If there's somebody there that's doing something we’re uncomfortable with, they will just take them out, no questions asked. I’ve found that that's really helpful versus some other places that I've played that would not do anything like that at all. [...] At Charlie’s, they care and will do something about it.”

The Wild Detectives

314 W. Eighth St.
Like any good musical artist, pianist/composer Poppy Xander understands the importance of vibes, especially when performing. Bishop Arts District venue The Wild Detectives accommodates this need effortlessly, Xander says. The bookstore-bar mashup creates a unique homey vibe, with wood interiors, walls full of books and a selection of locally sourced teas and coffees at the bar along with cocktails, beer and wine. The space also offers self-serve water, a massive plus for any parched performers.

“The real magic is in the people who frequent the place,” Xander says. “Larger-capacity venues don't have to have character to pull in crowds — they use the artists to do that. But smaller venues that can create their own scene and followers — it's spectacular.”

The Goat

7248 Gaston Ave.
Those looking to immerse themselves in the bluesier side of the local music scene should check out The Goat in East Dallas. The neighborhood club has a number of experienced blues acts that regularly display their talent onstage. Frequent performers, including Elmore, love the space for its classic blues ambiance that takes regulars back to the not-quite-forgotten good old days of funky blues joints.

“The Goat is a dive bar that is just fun to cut loose and pretend like you’re playing in a club in 1997 again,” Elmore says. “It’s got an old school funky vibe that reminds me of so many places that I grew up playing at that are no longer around.”

Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio

411 E. Sycamore St., Denton
Those looking for something outside of the city scene can head to Denton, another musical hotspot of North Texas. Just outside of The Square sits Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio, aka Xander’s “musical home.”

Rubber Gloves is Xander’s go-to favorite venue for a number of reasons. The three-stage space is run by great sound engineers and a number of bookers whose unique programming styles fall outside of the typical box. The venue’s offbeat decor also offers a rebellious but friendly and welcoming vibe for performers and attendees. While Rubber Gloves is often recognized as one of DFW’s best metal venues, Xander believes the space should be known for so much more than one genre of music.

“You can have a burlesque show going on outside, some acid hippy trippy dippy melt-your-face rock going on inside and noise set in the Rubber Room and you have yourself a hell of a bar crowd — it's like walking through an exhibit hall of performance art,” Xander says. “Also, it really truly feels like a safe space for us queers. That absolutely takes the cake.”

Harvest House

331 E. Hickory St., Denton
Another Denton joint, Harvest House is the city’s largest all-in-one venue. The indoor and outdoor space is made up of a concert venue, bar, beer garden and a coffee/juice shop that serves anything from cocktails and kombucha to smoothies and seltzers. If the venue’s versatility isn’t enough to get you out there for a music set, Minor knows some other qualities that might give other musicians the final push.

Minor has played a number of PRIDENTON events at Harvest House and commends the venue and staff for their hospitality and inclusivity for patrons and performers. More than anything, she appreciates how the venue has helped tackle one of musicians’ biggest challenges: parking. Harvest House dedicates parking spaces for artists performing at the venue, allowing them to transport their instruments and equipment with ease.

“Good parking at shows and places like [Harvest House] is like almost my love language,” Minor says. “There's almost a guaranteed chance that I'm gonna be at your establishment if I can park there easily.”