The question I’ve been asked the most after the tour has been: “Which venue was your favorite?”.
There are different ways to value and evaluate a venue but to me it’s a combination of things. If I did the tour again, my opinion might be different. Also, if I was enjoying the show from the audience and not working I might select other venues. However, the following are the ones that have stayed in my mind the strongest, for several (and different) reasons, in no particular order.
1. Piere’s, Fort Wayne, IN
- Biggest and most professionally run venue on the tour
- Security
- Parking space behind the venue
- Stagehands
- Plenty of room to set up merch
- Craziest fans
Piere’s in Fort Wayne, IN
Piere’s in Fort Wayne, IN
Piere’s in Fort Wayne, IN
Piere’s in Fort Wayne, IN
Piere’s in Fort Wayne, IN
2. Sunshine Studios, Colorado Springs, CO
- Friendly staff
- Super engaged crowd
- Underage people allowed
- Big venue with character
- Genre appropriate venue
- Roomy backstage area for gear
Sunshine Studios, Colorado Springs, CO
Sunshine Studios, Colorado Springs, CO
Sunshine Studios, Colorado Springs, CO
3. Diamondz, Jerome, ID
- 3 green rooms
- Venue cat
- Dick room (see the pictures and you’ll know what I’m talking about)
- Screen for artist art on stage
- Friendly and welcoming staff
- Thorough advancing
- Underage people allowed
- Surprising fan reaction
- Laundry facilities
Diamondz, Jerome, ID
Diamondz, Jerome, ID
Diamondz, Jerome, ID
Diamondz, Jerome, ID
Diamondz, Jerome, ID
Diamondz, Jerome, ID
4. Hawthorne Theater, Portland, OR
- The most intimate venue on tour
- Thorough advancing
- Welcoming audience
- No merch fee
- Vegan restaurant only a couple of blocks away
Hawthorne Theater, Portland, OR
Hawthorne Theater, Portland, OR
Hawthorne Theater, Portland, OR
5. The Original Bar and Nightclub, Minot, ND
- Best merch sales on the tour (even though there was minimal space)
- Gated space for gear
- Catering
- Plenty of space for parking
- No merch fee
The Original Bar and Nightclub, Minot, ND
The Original Bar and Nightclub, Minot, ND
The Original Bar and Nightclub, Minot, ND
The Original Bar and Nightclub, Minot, ND
Do you have experience in these venues?
Current right now: Metal Christmas Playlist
Erika's Rock Universe 
Even though I am not in this business, it was an interesting read! Cool to hear about this job, what you look for and what makes venues good 😀 Thnx for this post!/Sarah Kitchen
LikeLike
Hi and thanks for your kind words! I’m glad to hear that people outside the industry enjoy reading my blog too. 🙂
LikeLike