From a Pink Floyd tribute band to dreads and reggae and a slew of country stars, Columbia has it all for music lovers coming up this fall semester.
If you’re a live music junkie like me, you are probably looking for some local music to jam to during your downtime this year. Luckily for you, downtown Columbia is a staple for local artists and is home to multiple venues where you can catch a show in whatever music scene you’re feeling. Each music locale has its own unique twist on live music.
The Bridge is a local venue located downtown on Ninth Street. It’s known as “a venue built by musicians for musicians,” according to [their website] http://thebridgecolumbia.com).They attract tons of local artists and have performances nearly nightly. The best part? Tickets to the shows are so cheap even a college student can afford them. The Bridge also has open mic every Tuesday for anyone who wants to come show their talent. Sign-up is from 5 to 7 p.m., and the event begins at 8 p.m.
You can find Rose Music Hall (formerly Mojo’s) on Park Avenue. This venue and well-known venue The Blue Note are both run by co-owners Matt Gerding and Scott Leslie.
The Blue Note typically hosts more well-known artists of multiple genres, whereas Rose Music Hall focuses more on local artists and has a maximum capacity of 200 people.
Roxy’s is on East Broadway, and it doubles as a music venue and a nightclub. To put it plainly, this is where you go when you want to dance and let loose.
If you want a more relaxed and personal experience, Café Berlin is definitely the place to go. With no more than 20 tables, you can order one of their signature cups of organic coffee while groovin’ to some local jams.
This semester, you can see oodles of artists in CoMo, including the Dirty Heads (Blue Note), Chase Rice (Blue Note), A Simple Exchange (Roxy’s) and the Steepwater Band (The Bridge). There is something for everyone’s taste.
**Bonus tidbits:**
Some of Columbia’s local talent has risen to the top. Sheryl Crow attended MU (and will be performing during homecoming this year) and received a bachelor’s degree in music composition. While in school, she performed with a local band known as Cashmere. She has gone on to sell over 50 million albums worldwide throughout her professional career. In addition, the lead singer of the psychedelic rock band MGMT, Andrew VanWyngarden, was born in Columbia and shocked underground CoMo with his “electric feel.”
While it’s not Seattle or Chicago, CoMo has great talent coming its way. With so many options for places to catch a gig, you won’t have a hard time fulfilling your inner musical needs all semester long.
