Columbus Music Guide

Located halfway between Cleveland and its Roll Hall, and Cincy, the place where James Brown first gained fame, Columbus is inarguably central Ohio's premier destination for live music.

Ohio capital has spit out audio stars as varied as folk icon Phil Ochs, country singer Dwight Yoakam, garage punks New Bomb Turks, and rapper Bow Wow. These days, promising young crooners continue to emerge from area basements, garages and smoked-out vans. With names like Times New Viking, Teeth of the Hydra, and Two Cow Garage, Columbus’s freshest crop of rockers can be found perfecting their craft at boisterous venues throughout town.

Campus Clamor

The area surrounding the Ohio State University, often called the University District, predictably is littered with clubs, some of them holes in the wall, others less so. The preeminent name in Columbus clubs is the Newport Music Hall, a High Street institution that has dished up killer live music for decades. The first big act to grace the stage was Neil Young, way back in ‘84. Since then, legendary acts of all genres have followed suit, including the brightest names in pop, jazz, alt-country and hip-hop. While far from glamorous, this no-frills hall boasts great acoustics, nice sight lines and ice-cold beer. You’ll need that beer on most nights when the air conditioning proves no match for the soaring temps.

If you like your music loud and your surroundings on the nitty-gritty side, hit Ravari Room, just north of campus. Frequented by tattooed music and artist types, this dimly lit nook hosts a full roster of local and national talent. The Ravari’s popular Funkdefy nights, with its DJ-spun funk and soul platters, is as well attended as any live show. No less gritty, nearby Bernie's Distillery is a subterranean grotto that hosts raucous hardcore and punk bands.

For decidedly posher digs, head over to OSU’s Wexner Center for the Arts, an architecturally arresting complex dedicated to all matter of artistic pursuits. On tap here are local breakout bands and touring indie rock outfits whose talent obviates the need for ear-splitting decibel ranges.  

 
Short North and Arena District

The Short North presents more than a few hipster-friendly options for checking out live music. Located in the spot formerly occupied by the High Five, the freshly renovated Circus has an easygoing vibe that is winning over fans. In addition to popular weekly punk and hip-hop nights, the roomy club hosts energetic local and touring acts. About a block away from Circus is Skully's Music Diner, a remarkably sharp space that triples as bar, club and restaurant. Make your way past the restaurant to enjoy lesser-known punk, indie and hip-hop acts in airy comfort.

Though owned by the same entertainment powerhouse as Lifestyle Communities Pavilion and Newport, The Basement strives to be that underground venue where the “next big thing” gets its first big break. Boasting a dive-bar feel with battered couches, screaming sound system and diverse musical line-up, this place makes you forget that it’s anything but indie.

On the Fringe
 
Many excellent venues exist on the outskirts of town, giving music-loving townies a reason to flee. Despite a musical schedule forever shrouded in mystery, folks dig Carabar for its complimentary cover, free-flowing popcorn and forthcoming staff. But it’s the non-stop indie music that attracts the hipster crowd, whether they know who’s playing on any given night or not.

Sitting like twins on a park bench, Café Bourbon Street and The Summit (2216 Summit St., 614-261-9634) take up side-by-side residence on otherwise-quiet Summit Street. Seemingly held together by band stickers and chewing gum, Bourbon Street can best be described as endearingly dog-eared. Oddly, the bar here takes up more real estate than the stage. But the feisty experimental and garage rock bands that take the (diminutive) stage can care no less. Comparatively less amateur, with more room devoted to the tunes, the adjacent Summit typically attracts higher profile acts and the accompanying crowds.

Yes, the Alrosa Villa is the where Pantera guitarist Darrell “Dimebag” Abbott played his last note, infamously snuffed out mid-gig. But the fact that one of the gods of metal chose to play here at all should attest to this club’s cred. Hard rock bands of every stripe take to the stage here, from the barely known to the widely adored. If you “heart” heavy, hit the Villa.

Campus Vinyl

In the event you prefer your tunes prerecorded rather than live, the University District area sports a number of great record shops. For one of the most diverse collections of used vinyl, check out Lost Weekend Records. The well organized cache attracts die-hard collectors, casual music fans and those looking to unload a collection of their own.

Singing Dog Records looked to be another casualty of gentrification when its home of 20-plus years met the business end of a wrecking ball. But a short move up High Street has afforded the room to carry a wider selection, which in turn brings in more music-hungry customers. A similar fate befell Magnolia Thunderpussy, which also relocated as a result of the High Street Shuffle. Equally beloved for its well-organized CD collection as it is its clothing and ephemera, Thunderpussy is the perfect place to kill both time and budget.

Often, we don’t visit record shops with anything particular in mind – we pop in to thumb through bins and hopefully score an unexpected new fave. Thanks to Used Kids Records, the lost art of the platter perusal is alive and well. While at times chaotic and quixotic, this shop stocks one of the best collections in the region. You may have to visit a few times to score that cheery Beatles LP, but at least the odds are favorable.

Photos:

Skully's Music Diner

Newport Music Hall

Interior of Skully's Music Diner

Mangolia Thunderpussy

Interior of Magnolia Thunderpussy

Photographs by Brian Kelly - All Rights Reserved