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Thread: Best venues for progressive rock

  1. #1
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    Best venues for progressive rock

    replying to the thread about steve Wilson and hawkwind got me thinking about venues that have been excellent for prog rock over the years. I mentioned Friars in Aylesbury ( hometown of Marillion) it is still going strong and does feature prog rock etc. check out is history here,
    http://www.aylesburyfriars.co.uk/phasetwo.html

    so where is your favourite venue for existing and new prog rock bands

  2. #2
    Member Joe F.'s Avatar
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    There aren't any venues where I live (Seattle) that are Prog-Rock centric. We do get progressive bands coming through that play in multiple venues, from clubs to small theaters. Some of the clubs are nice and some just pure ol' shitholes.

    Focusing on the clubs

    So for the nice ones: The Triple Door, The Showbox, Columbia City Theater (it's more of a club than a theater).

    I was recently in the the UK and did go up to the Robin 2 in Bilston to catch The Watch. Looking at their website they seem to book a number of prog related shows. I thought it was a nice venue.

  3. #3
    The Variety Playhouse here in Atlanta seems to be the best place for Prog & Fusion-type of things.

  4. #4
    Outraged bystander markwoll's Avatar
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    Orion Sound Studios in Baltimore, MD
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    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    I live very close to the Sellersville theater which is in PA(about 30 minutes south of Bethlehem). The Sellersville theater which seats about 325 people is the perfect venue for prog imo. It would make a great venue for a one day mini festival. There are other good venues near me but most are too big(imo)for prog unless they are bigger name bands(ie the Keswick theater). Over the years I have seen many good shows at the Sellersville theater including the following(off the top of my head):

    Annie Haslam
    Steve Hacket
    Echolyn
    Peter Hammill
    The Strawbs
    Spock's Beard
    Eric Johnson
    Project Object
    The Security Project
    The Waiting Room (Genesis tribute band)
    Ozric Tentacles
    Knight Area

    Also, probably a few others I can't think of right now.

    Just got a ticket today to see Nektar and Wishbone Ash(Martin Turner's WA) there.
    Last edited by Digital_Man; 06-07-2013 at 04:11 PM.

  6. #6
    The last two venues mentioned are indeed really good for prog. Orion Studios and the Sellersville Theater. Also The Colonial Theater in Phoenixville, The Keswick Theater in Glenside, The Majestic Theater in Gettysburg, The Sovereign Performing Arts Center in Reading, The Sunoco Theater in Harrisburg (Whitaker Center)(love that place). I think that The Tower Theater in Upper Darby isn't anything to rave about. That's about it for this area other than Chaplin's in Spring City.

    If you ever want a "package" so to speak go to Harrisburg. Everything is connected; Whitaker Center which includes The Performing Arts Center, an Imax Theater and a Starbucks, Hilton with two great restuarants, really nice bar, indoor parking garage all connected and under one roof. If it's nice out, hit restuarant row.

  7. #7
    How about Massachusetts, NY and Connecticut, any recommendations? Thanks

  8. #8
    Steve Hackett played Sellersville, When???

  9. #9
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Tarrytown Music Hall is a nice old theater that's in the process of being restored. In the last few years I've seen Justin Hayward, Todd Rundgren, The Musical Box, and Edgar and Johnny Winter there, so they get some good bands.

    There are a couple of other NYC area venues that seem pretty prog friendly, but not ones I particularly like. Back in the day The Bottom Line was the best. I saw John Cale, Roy Harper, Camel, Gong, Pete Bardens, and The Flower Kings there. Probably a few others.

    Oh, The Knitting Factory in Tribeca was good - not sure why that disappeared. Saw Roy Harper and Magma there.

  10. #10
    [QUOTE=JKL2000;389802]
    . Back in the day The Bottom Line was the best. I saw John Cale, Roy Harper, Camel, Gong, Pete Bardens, .

    QUOTE]


    That's Awesome!!!!!

  11. #11
    NEARfest Officer Emeritus Nearfest2's Avatar
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    Mike Keneally also played Sellersville on the Guitar Therapy Tour. The Alex Skolnick Trio opened.

    Sellersville is a nice little venue, but it's a bit off the beaten path. It also has very very little backstage room, so hosting a multi-band event there, like even a one-day festival, could deem a major challenge.
    Chad

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    Member rickawakeman's Avatar
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    The Regent Theater in Arlington (MA) is home to many a NEWEars (New England Art Rock Society) show, as was the now sadly-defunct Magic Room (80 seats) in Brighton (where I saw Agents of Mercy/Karmakanic, Beardfish, D97, The Watch, among many others). Here in Western Mass, the Iron Horse is where you'll find most prog-related shows.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Nearfest2 View Post
    Mike Keneally also played Sellersville on the Guitar Therapy Tour. The Alex Skolnick Trio opened.

    Sellersville is a nice little venue, but it's a bit off the beaten path. It also has very very little backstage room, so hosting a multi-band event there, like even a one-day festival, could deem a major challenge.
    Trying not to read into this but are you guys thinking of doing a ONE - DAY fest soon???

  14. #14
    I'm here for the moosic NogbadTheBad's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rickawakeman View Post
    The Regent Theater in Arlington (MA) is home to many a NEWEars (New England Art Rock Society) show, as was the now sadly-defunct Magic Room (80 seats) in Brighton (where I saw Agents of Mercy/Karmakanic, Beardfish, D97, The Watch, among many others). Here in Western Mass, the Iron Horse is where you'll find most prog-related shows.
    Nice venue, the only problem I have with it is that Arlington is a dry town with alcohol only available in restaurants. Last showcase we ended up diving out to a Mexico place for rapid fire margheritas between sets



    Quote Originally Posted by Elephants of Scotland View Post
    How about Massachusetts, NY and Connecticut, any recommendations? Thanks
    The trouble I find with Boston is that they are either all standing (not good for a prog crowd) or seated but too big. Typically the types of bands I'm seeing are the small clubs with all standing & I live with it because the music is good. Place I'll happily go to in Boston & surrounding area are:-

    The Middle East
    Brighton Music Hall
    House Of Blues
    The Sinclair
    Club Passim
    Lily Pad
    Ian

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    I'm here for the moosic NogbadTheBad's Avatar
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    Gordon Haskell - "You've got to keep the groove in your head and play a load of bollocks instead"
    I blame Wynton, what was the question?
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  17. #17
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by progman1975 View Post
    Steve Hackett played Sellersville, When???
    I saw him there around 2010 I guess it was. It was before I moved up in that area(I lived near there for three years but I have since moved down near Philly). I'm pretty sure it was an all acoustic show but I can't remember if there was a band or just him. I also saw Jon Anderson there around the same time frame(and also Uriah Heep). The last band I saw there was King's X. I agree it's very good for a single prog show(not a festival though and yes I have changed my mind about that.).

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    NEARfest Officer Emeritus Nearfest2's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by progman1975 View Post
    Trying not to read into this but are you guys thinking of doing a ONE - DAY fest soon???
    No. Digital Man brought up the one-day festival notion, not me.
    Chad

  19. #19
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    Wow. I guess I better be extra careful with what I saw from now on. LOL. A while back when this thread was new(or relatively new)I stated something like I thought the ST would make a good mini festival. I said that as a fan and a fan only. I have seen a few shows there that had multiple bands(Nektar and Wishbone Ash and when I saw Spock's Beard there there were two bands before them)but nothing I would consider to be a festival. Depending how you want to define festival it's really just too small and not a good venue for that particular purpose imo. So yes I do take back what I said back in 2013(even though I did say "mini").

  20. #20
    Nothing can beat Spiritof66 in Verviers Belgium,
    just saw Beardfish & Neal Morse, Anglagard next week, what more can you wish??
    stage 1m high, artist entrance via public, and owner is the best mixing engineer ever!!
    other highlights are Peter Hammill, Van der graaf generator, The Watch, Flower kings,
    Layla Zoe ( Canadian blues singer layla zoe just released here live cd recorded there, live at spiritof66)
    and so many more (even Joe Bonamassa played there! he used to record Jethro Tull stuff, sadly he going AOR sometimes these days)

  21. #21
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by progman1975 View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by JKL2000 View Post
    Back in the day The Bottom Line was the best. I saw John Cale, Roy Harper, Camel, Gong, Pete Bardens, .
    That's Awesome!!!!!
    Yeah, I saw Cale twice there. Violent Femmes opened for him once and were great. But Bardens was the one where I couldn't believe it was happening. Such a great show - the Speed of Light tour.

  22. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by HermanPermentier View Post
    Nothing can beat Spiritof66 in Verviers Belgium,
    just saw Beardfish & Neal Morse, Anglagard next week, what more can you wish??
    stage 1m high, artist entrance via public, and owner is the best mixing engineer ever!!
    other highlights are Peter Hammill, Van der graaf generator, The Watch, Flower kings,
    Layla Zoe ( Canadian blues singer layla zoe just released here live cd recorded there, live at spiritof66)
    and so many more (even Joe Bonamassa played there! he used to record Jethro Tull stuff, sadly he going AOR sometimes these days)
    Herman, I love the Spirit of 66 (my own Chicago blues band has played there twice) but I don't believe VdGG ever played there. They were supposed to in '07 but the venue was much too small (all tix sold right away) and it was moved to the much larger Kusaal in Limbourg

  23. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by markwoll View Post
    Orion Sound Studios in Baltimore, MD
    Have you been drinking again. I hope not because if you fart you would have to stop the band and clear the room.

    The Lyric Theater in Baltimore is good. I saw The Lamb and Trick tours there as well as Ponty and Weather Report and Kitaro. For some reason they just don't promote that type of music there anymore.
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  24. #24
    Member Haruspex Carnage's Avatar
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    in NYC/LI i haven't had too too bad a time at The Beacon, MSG's, or Best Buy theaters...Town Hall was decent too as was The Highline way back, talking like 2008, significant because it became this completely swanky and bullshit place now...and aside from the standard pay-for-a-minimum-on-top-of-your-ticket of jazz clubs, The Iridium isn't too terrible either...haven't been to Irving Plaza in a long time too, but also ok.

    i definitely don't approve of arenas any more (Nassau Colliseum, MSG, Barclays) and absolutely loathe Jones Beach or outside venues.

    So in short, THEATERS.

  25. #25
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    The State Theater in Kalamazoo MI is my favorite concert venue any place anywhere. Very little prog there unfortunately although they have hosted King Crimson and Alan Parsons Project.

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