Alabama has its houses of the sacred, destination-worthy venues where live music fans should see at least one show if they get the chance.
They range from beautiful/historic (for example, the Saenger Theater in Mobile) to infamous (see The Nick rock bar in Birmingham) to lively (hello, Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville).
Alabama is also home to many clubs, halls and arenas that may be less hallowed, but are still well known and often well run.
Today, however, AL.com wants to shine a spotlight on some other live music hotspots.
Below are what we think are five underrated music venues in Alabama. Of course, these aren’t the only underrated venues in the state—it’s just a way to get this conversation started.
The historic Princess Theatre opened in 1919 as a silent film and vaudeville theater in Decatur, Alabama.(AL.com file photo/Glenn Baeske)
PRINCESS THEATRE
112 2nd Ave. NE, Decatur, www.princesstheatre.org
The Princess Theater is the place in North Alabama where you can catch future Grammy winners like Larkin Poe and Molly Tuttle, as well as roots music legends like Los Lobos and Steve Earle. Having started as a horse stable in the late 1800s, the Princess was transformed into an Art Deco theater that showed films and stage productions, and later into its current form as a vibrant performing arts center.
Marley, the first pop star in the UK.Photo by Emily Rose Bennett | MLive
Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center at Auburn University
910 S College St. Auburn, gogecenter.auburn.edu
Since opening in 2019 on The Plains, the Gogue’s 1,200-seat theater has built a reputation for excellent sound and elegant comfort. The facility also features a 3,500-seat amphitheater. Concert bookings are brisk and diverse, including names like Jason Isbell, Herbie Hancock, Rosanne Cash and Ziggy Marley.
Lou Gramm. (Photo by Jason Davis/Getty Images for IEBA)Getty Images for IEBA
OXFORD PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
100 Choccolocco St., Oxford, Learn more
Want to hear Foreigner hits like “Jukebox Hero,” “Hot Blooded” and “Double Vision” performed live by the guy who originally wrote them? Then catch Lou Gramm’s show Oct. 11 at the Oxford Performing Arts Center. In recent years, the OPAC has attracted a compelling mix of artists to central Alabama, including soul singer Mavis Staples, ex-Eagles guitarist Don Felder, ’90s hitmaker Joan Osborne and powerhouse vocalist Melissa Etheridge. AL.com’s Mary Colurso says the Oxford Performing Arts Center “lean[s]toward classic artists, but the program is still nothing to sneeze at.”
The band Black Pumas.John Kuntz, cleveland.com
Druid City Music Hall
1307 University Blvd, Tuscaloosa, druidcitymusichall.com
This place has had a few lives. Among them was Varsity Music Hall, which hosted artists like String Cheese Incident, Morphine, and a young Derek Trucks in the late ’90s. Before that, it was College Station, where the likes of Phish played. Since relaunching in 2015, Druid City Music has brought ahead-of-the-curve acts like Lainey Wilson, Red Clay Strays, and Black Pumas to T-Town.
THE PEOPLE’S SPACE OF MOBILE
78 St. Francis St., Mobile, facebook.com/ThePeoplesRoomMobile
The Peoples Room doesn’t hold many people. This auditorium only seats about 40 people. Still, AL.com’s Lawrence Specker says, “The lineup is insanely diverse. So far this summer, there’s been the expected singer-songwriter stuff, as well as jazz, country and even metal. It’s also a place that’s open to established veterans and unknown young artists, locals and nationally known visitors. It’s a great place to meet someone.”
