From weekend nights at Northgate to a study session in the Memorial Student Center’s Flag Room, or an evening drive with friends, the Bryan-College Station area offers many places to enjoy live performances in an enjoyable atmosphere. Here are the top four places to go enjoy live music events in town.
Grand Stafford Theatre
Located on South Main Street in Downtown Bryan, this historic theatre devotes itself to its community by hosting live events with professional and developing artists, sponsoring Science and Innovation Lectures and hosting their Foreign Film and Dining series to support Heritage Preservation. Jose Quintana, president of AdventGX, an organization that helps historic areas such as Downtown Bryan become lively centers of culture and community, said their mission is to create a diverse culture and preserve the history of the community through various genres of live music.
“We have had amazing artists play at the Stafford during the last seven years,” Quintana said. “St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Judah and the Lion, Colony House, Two Tons of Steel — just to name a few. We have also hosted European, Australian and South African bands. Our venue, due to its historic relevance and great sound system, has become a ‘place to play’ when in Texas. We go out of our way to provide a great experience to our visiting artists.”
Kathryn Farley, communication senior, said she likes the different variety of music and unique experiences Grand Stafford provides.
“Everything, from the people that go there to the venue itself, has a very chill and comfortable atmosphere,” Farley said. “It’s not something you’d really expect to find in the middle of Bryan, but I love what they are bringing to the music scene here.”
POETS Billiards and Bar
With lip sync battles, free pool on Thursday nights to available to anyone who owns an Aggie Ring, Wednesday night dart tournaments, adult themed trivia on Mondays and Tuesday and open mic nights, this local bar located on South Texas Avenue tops off the list with live music performances held every Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday night.
John Wine, owner of the bar, said various performers will come display their talents from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
“It’s pretty relaxed,” Wine said. “It’s nothing too crazy and nothing too showy. We try to get a lot of local talent to come through. There’s singer-songwriters and a lot of people that do covers. It might be tad more on the country side, but for the most part it’s popular, new covers. Occasionally, we’ll also have some bands from the Houston or Austin area come in and play as well.”
The Village
For those hunting down local talent, this lively cafe on West 26th Street in Bryan hosts Singer-Songwriter Night on Thursdays starting from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Kristy Petty, Class of 1998 and owner of the establishment, said it’s an honor to bring a new flare of experiences to the community while working alongside gifted performers.
“We have been doing Singer-Songwriter Night for almost nine years,” Petty said. “It is our opportunity to add to the music community here, to give local songwriters a place to try out new material in a safe and welcoming environment. The host, Joey Mcgee, is a wonderfully talented musician and mentor, as well as, an encouraging part of the experience.”
Revolution Cafe and Bar
Located on South Main Street in Downtown Bryan, Revolution Café and Bar is home to an eclectic lineup of performers. Audiences come in early and pay a $5 cover to listen to local bands and solo artists develop their sound. Rola Cerone, owner, said she loves to witness the development of community among artists.
“There’s such a shortage of venues in this town, so we kind of branch out and host a variety of different music because artists might not have the opportunity somewhere else other than places like Austin,” Cerone said. “One thing that’s cool about Open Mic Night, which kind of happens several times over the years, is that a lot of bonds will kind of form and some people who might play solo the first round will then play a duet the second round and eventually bands will form. It’s cool to see a networking place for musicians.”