Washington, DC has a variety of live music clubs featuring a wide range of music including rock, punk, hip-hop, jazz, country, gospel, and alternative. Here's my list of top picks.
815 V St, NW. Washington, DC. 20001 (202) 393-0930. The 9:30 Club features local, national and international live musical performances. Tickets are required and can be purchased in advance. This club is a local favorite with four bars and the largest dance floor in DC.
3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA (703) 549-7500. The Birchmere is a 500-seat dinner-theater style Music Hall offering a variety of live musical performances of folk, jazz, rock, gospel or alternative music. Seating is general admission, first come first served. The Birchmere has a full service kitchen & a full bar.
6355 Rolling Rd., West Springfield, VA (703) 569-5940. This is a heavy metal nightclub and concert hall located about 20 minutes south of Washington, DC that attracts some big national performers.
220 N. Washington St., Falls Church, VA (703) 237-0300. The live music venue is a refurbished cinema featuring blues, reggae and jam bands. Full-service dining is available and the concert hall can be rented out for private events.
1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC (202) 337-4141. Located in the heart of Georgetown, this jazz supper club is the oldest continuing club in the country. Internationally renowned artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Grover Washington Jr., and Ramsey Lewis, have played here.
1811 14th St. NW, Washington, DC (202) 667-7960. Black Cat is a live music venue featuring local, national, and international independent and alternative music. Tickets are available in advance. There are two performance spaces, the Mainstage and the Backstage, in addition to the no-cover Red Room Bar. Performances are open to all ages.
227 Maple Avenue East, Vienna, VA (703) 255-1566. This unique coffee shop is a premier music venue presenting live local, regional and nationally touring musical performances. Shows are open to all ages and daytime performances are geared towards kids.
2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA (703) 522-8340. This small music club features a variety of live music and upscale cuisine. Seating is on a first-come first served basis.
2001 Eleventh St., NW Washington, DC (202) 299-0801. This is the largest jazz club in Washington, DC. The list of jazz legends who have played here include Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, and Thelonious Monk. Tickets available in advance.
1940 9th Street, NW Washington, DC (202) 483-5000. Located in the hopping U Street Corridor, the two-level bar and nightclub features an eclectic mix of live music by local and national acts.
