Dallas doesn’t have the same reputation for live music as Austin, but finding a great show around town is not hard. The DFW area has dozens of live music venues, ranging in capacity size from 50 to more than 20,000. If you prefer smaller crowds when catching a live show, make sure these cozy Dallas concert venues are on your radar.
Good Records
This Lower Greenville music hub is primarily a record shop, but hosts free live shows from time to time. With a maximum capacity of 75, Good Records’ shows are as intimate as they come.
The Prophet Bar
Talented local musicians and the occasional national sensation take to the stage at this Deep Ellum nightlife hotspot. Housed in the space where the Gypsy Team Room thrived for so long, The Prophet Bar has a well-loved feel that’s very fitting for live shows with no more than 350 guests. It’s a short drive from the Uptown Dallas apartments at AMLI Quadrangle.
Dada Dallas
With a capacity of 400, Dada Dallas hosts shows about as large as those at The Prophet Bar. Acts here range from bluegrass to hip-hop to metal. The sound system is excellent, and the bar menu standard.
Hank’s Texas Grill
North Dallas residents flock to Hank’s Texas Grill for savory burgers and nachos every day of the week. On Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, they also show up for the live music. The outdoor stage and intimate covered seating area, alongside a full bar from which you can easily see the stage, make Hank’s a great place to catch a show. This McKinney concert venue is a 15-minute drive from AMLI at the Ballpark.
Love and War in Texas
Not only does Love and War in Texas have one of the most creative and memorable names of any Dallas concert venue. It also has one of the most impressive stage and seating areas. A massive wooden stage that opens onto a spacious covered patio at the Plano location makes it easy to stay cool in summer and warm in winter.
The Kessler Theater
The Kessler Theater prides itself on providing a quality live music experience. Artists like to play here, and fans love to watch. The layout is great. The bar selection is outstanding, featuring several local craft brews and complex craft cocktails. While The Kessler Theater can feel like its hopping, a capacity of 300 keeps shows here from getting very large.
Trees
Another Deep Ellum concert venue, Trees has a reputation that few other music venues in Dallas can hope to ever match. For more than 25 years, music lovers have crowded the gently-sloping, standing room floor, entranced by the music they love. Some of the acts you’ve probably heard of that have had their moment on the Trees stage include Nirvana, The Flaming Lips, Daughter, Nick Jonas, Snoop Dogg, and The Wailers. Trees is a 10-minute drive from AMLI’s Uptown Dallas apartments.
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