OPEN BARS (5)
World Café Live
🇺🇸Philadelphia, United States
Nonprofit independent venue opened 2004, named after WXPN's NPR-syndicated "World Cafe" radio show. Two stages: 650-capacity Music Hall and 300-person Upstairs Live. Has hosted Billie Eilish, Alabama Shakes, Hozier, Brandi Carlile.
World Café Live
🇺🇸Philadelphia, United States
While better known for folk and jazz, World Café Live also books indie rock and alternative acts, especially in its upstairs "Upstairs Live" room.
The Bitter End
🇺🇸New York, United States
The oldest continuously operating rock and roll club in New York City, having opened its doors in 1961. Founded by Fred Weintraub, the club began as a coffeehouse during the height of the Greenwich Village folk boom. A pivotal moment in its history involves Weintraub personally chipping away the crumbling plaster of the interior to reveal the red brick wall underneath—this wall became the venue's visual signature, the iconic backdrop for thousands of performances and album covers over six decades.
The Troubadour
🇺🇸Los Angeles, United States
Opened in 1957 by Doug Weston, The Troubadour functioned as a community center for the Laurel Canyon folk-rock set. It was famously the place where The Eagles' Don Henley and Glenn Frey first met at the bar, leading to the formation of one of the best-selling bands in history.
Bowery Ballroom
🇺🇸New York, United States
While lacking the decades-spanning history of the Fillmore or CBGB, the Bowery Ballroom represents the perfection of the modern rock club. Opened as a music venue in 1998 by the team behind the Mercury Lounge, the venue set a new benchmark for mid-sized concert halls. The building dates to 1929, constructed just prior to the Wall Street Crash. The renovation in the late 1990s preserved the Art Deco grandeur and 24-foot ceilings while engineering the space specifically for amplified music.
CLOSED BARS (9)
Frankenstein’s
🇺🇸Portland, United States
Popular NW Portland dance/music venue active 1971-1972. Later became Sack's Front Avenue. Hosted Portland bands including Brown Sugar, Seafood Mama, Sunnyland Band, Holy Modal Rounders.
Bijou Café
🇺🇸Philadelphia, United States
Opened October 4, 1972 in space formerly housing Showboat jazz club (where Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie played). Capacity 250-300. Hosted U2's first Nashville appearance (December 1980), Miles Davis, Barry Manilow, and comedy from John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner.
Fillmore East
🇺🇸New York, United States
If CBGB was the gutter from which punk emerged, the Fillmore East was the cathedral where rock ascended to high art. Opened by promoter Bill Graham on March 8, 1968, at 105 Second Avenue in the East Village, the venue was the East Coast companion to Graham's San Francisco operations. The venue, formerly the Commodore Theater (a 1920s Yiddish theater), retained its ornate architecture, providing a dramatic proscenium setting for performances. Graham revolutionized the concert industry here, treating rock musicians as serious artists and introducing the famous "triple bill" format.
The Main Point
🇺🇸Philadelphia, United States
A suburban folk club with national renown, The Main Point hosted both folk luminaries and rock/folk rock acts. The venue is remembered for intimate performances by legends like Bruce Springsteen and Jackson Browne before its closure.
The 2nd Fret
🇺🇸Philadelphia, United States
The city's premier folk club in the 1960s, The 2nd Fret also welcomed folk rock pioneers like James Taylor and Joni Mitchell before experimenting with rock acts—though it remained best known for folk.
Fillmore West
🇺🇸San Francisco, United States
Bill Graham's West Coast flagship from 1968 to 1971. Originally the Carousel Ballroom, it was briefly operated by a collective of local bands—including the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane—as a "musical laboratory" and social experiment before Graham took over. This venue was the physical embodiment of the San Francisco Sound.
Pandora's Box
🇺🇸Los Angeles, United States
Located on a triangular traffic island at Sunset and Crescent Heights, Pandora's Box became the flashpoint for the Sunset Strip Curfew Riots of 1966.
The Trip
🇺🇸Los Angeles, United States
Located in the former Crescendo jazz club, The Trip was short-lived but impactful. Hosted The Velvet Underground and The Byrds during the crucial 1965-1967 period when the Sunset Strip was becoming the epicenter of rock counterculture.
The Bottom Line
🇺🇸New York, United States
A celebrated showcase club in Greenwich Village on the NYU campus. The Bottom Line became known for its high-quality sound and for hosting legendary performances, especially by singer-songwriters and rock acts on the rise. Seating ~400, it had a cabaret-style table setup.