Country, bluegrass, rock: The 5 best live music clubs, bars in Central Kentucky
Despite COVID casualties like Best Friend Bar (now the Fishtank) and Cosmic Charlie’s, Central Kentucky’s live music scene continues to thrive.
Lexington and the surrounding counties have indoor and outdoor venues, big ballrooms, quaint little listening rooms and everything in between to catch a show. Each has their own quirks and personalities, but all of them share the common note of music.
Whether it be a brewery, amphitheater, nightclub, local restaurant, bar or arena, the region has more than enough venues to feed even the fiercest music lover’s appetite. Here is a list of the best live music clubs in Lexington and the surrounding area and a guide of honorable mentions. Use this list of local places to see music acts if you are in the mood for country, bluegrass, rock and everything in between.
Top live music venues in Lexington, Central Ky.
Al’s Bar, 601 N Limestone St., hosts live music three to four nights a week including Thirsty Boots every Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. Music moves between inside (150 capacity) and out (100 capacity) depending on the season. The bar, which came under new ownership and received a facelift in 2019, also features free pool and foosball seven days a week. Al’s also hosts an occasional pop-up kitchen, which you can keep up with by following their social media. Facebook.com/AlsBarLexington.
Austin City Saloon, 2350 Woodhill Dr., has been serving up authentic, Kentucky fried country music for 40 years. The bar features music Thursday through Sunday and has played host to country stars like Keith Whitley, John Michael Montgomery, Toby Keith, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan along with local up-and-comers over the years. With a capacity of 300, there’s more than enough room for you to kick up some dust with your best Texas two-step too. AustinCitySaloon.com/Lexington.
Bluegrass Barrel House, 701 E Irvine St. in Richmond, brings a little bit of Nashville to Kentucky with it’s honky tonk decor and the country music it hosts. BBH has live music five nights a week starting with music talk show “Overtones Live” on Tuesdays, an open mic on Wednesdays and live bands Thursday through Saturday. With room for 200 inside and another 500 on its patio, BBH also features plenty of TVs to watch the big game. They also have a game room with pool, darts and Golden Tee golf and serve pizza from its kitchen. BbhRichmondKy.com.
The Burl, 375 Thompson Rd., has quickly become the heartbeat of Lexington’s burgeoning Distillery District since it’s launch in July 2016. It’s 350 capacity, shotgun-style room (and 1,200 capacity outdoor configuration) plays host to some of the region’s top artists across all musical spectrums anywhere from three to six days a week. Its also gained a reputation as one of the nicest music venues in the southeastern U.S. with it’s amenities for both patrons and performers including a retro game arcade, a food kitchen (serving everything from juicy burgers to Korean corn dogs) and a spacious green room visiting artists adore. TheBurlKy.com.
The Twisted Cork, 3344 Partner Pl., has long hosted one of the biggest open mics in Lexington every Sunday despite it having a capacity of only 50 people. The liquor store and bar regularly hosts live bands the other six days of the week inside it’s cozy confines like Austin City Saloon namesake Greg Austin every Monday and Brother Smith the first Wednesday of each month. The Cork also has 86 varieties of wine available to enjoy alongside it’s top shelf tunes. Facebook.com/TwistedCorkLex.
Honorable mention: Live music guide
Abettor Brewing Co, 128 N Highland St, Winchester. AbettorBeer.com.
Azur Restaurant & Patio, 3070 Lakecrest Cir #550. AzurRestaurant.com.
The Barnyard, 10005 W Highway 36, Sharpsburg. TheBarnyardVenue.com.
Cocktails TOO, 130 W Tiverton Way #195. CocktailsBarAndGrill.com/Home-Cocktails-Too/.
Clubhouse, 385 S Limestone St. ClubhouseLex.com.
Creaux, 301 W Short St. CreauxLex.com.
Elixir Downtown, 249 W Short St. ElixirDowntown.com.
The Elkhorn Tavern, 1200 Manchester St. BarrelHouseDistillery.com/Elkhorn-Tavern.
The Fishtank, 500 Euclid Ave. Facebook.com/TheFishtankLex.
The Green Lantern Bar, 497 W Third St. Facebook.com/The-Green-Lantern-Bar-183595498351037.
Gypsy Run Brewery, 131 N 4th St, Danville. GypsyRunBrewery.com
Henry Clay’s Public House, 112 N Upper St. Facebook.com/HenryClaysPublicHouse.
J Render’s Southern Table & Bar, 3191 Beaumont Centre Cir. JRendersBbq.com.
Lexington Opera House, 401 W Short St. LexingtonOperaHouse.com.
Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center, 300 E Third St. LexingtonLyric.com.
Manchester Music Hall, 899 Manchester St, ManchesterMusicHall.com.
Meadowgreen Appalachian Music Park, 303 Bluegrass Ln, Clay City. MeadowgreenMusicPark.com.
Moondance Amphitheater, 1152 Monarch St. Facebook.com/MoonDanceAmphitheater.
My Old Kentucky Foam, 194 E Main St, Georgetown. Facebook.com/MokyFoam2017.
Patchen Pub, 153 Patchen Drive #29. Facebook.com/PatchenPub.
Proud Mary BBQ, 9079 Old Richmond Rd. ProudMaryBbq.com.
Renfro Valley Entertainment Center, 2380 Richmond St, Mount Vernon. RenfroValley.com.
Rupp Arena, 430 W Vine St. RuppArena.com.
Slainte Public House, 320 E Main St, Georgetown. Facebook.com/SlaintePublicHouse.
Shaker Village Of Pleasant Hill, 3501 Lexington Rd, Harrodsburg. ShakerVillageKy.org.
Sig Luscher Brewery, 221 Mero St, Frankfort. SiglLuscherBrewery.com
The Stave, 5711 McCracken Pike, Frankfort. Facebook.com/TheStaveKentucky.
TeeDee’s Bluegrass Progressive Club, 266 E 2nd St. Facebook.com/TeeDeesBluegrassProgessiveClub.
Tipsy Cow Bar, 401 Outlet Center Dr #165, Georgetown. TipsyCowBar.com.
Wildcat Willy’s Distillery, 31 E Broadway St, Winchester. WildcatWillysDistillery.com.
Wildside Winery, 5500 Troy Pike, Versailles. WildsideWinery.com.