AARP Hearing Center
Music festivals such as Coachella, Jazz Fest, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, and big concert venues like Madison Square Garden, the Hollywood Bowl, Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Ryman Auditorium get all the attention when it comes to live music, oftentimes leaving smaller yet terrific destinations in the back seat.
Live music is found across the U.S., not only at big festivals and in giant stadiums, but also in smaller music clubs, theaters, outdoor amphitheaters and even people’s backyards. Here, we look at eight under-the-radar music destinations that deserve to shine in the spotlight. You may even find yourself adding them to your summer travel plans.
Tampa Bay, Florida
The Tampa Bay area is ripe with music festivals, and this month two big ones are filling the air with music: the Original Tampa Bay Blues Festival in downtown St. Petersburg, and the Gasparilla Music Festival at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park in downtown Tampa. The Blues Festival features Robert Cray, the Fabulous Thunderbirds and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, while Gasparilla has Run the Jewels and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead as headliners.
Aside from festivals, top concert venues in the Tampa Bay area include the Ruth Eckerd Hall and its incredible acoustics, and the intimate, 750-seat Nancy & David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, both in Clearwater. The Sound, an outdoor, waterfront concert venue with 4,000 covered seats and 5,000 lawn seats, is scheduled to open in July in downtown Clearwater. Among the venue’s scheduled performers are Michael Franti, the Goo Goo Dolls, Kenny Loggins and Chicago. Capitol Theatre and The Sound are managed by Ruth Eckerd Hall.
Big stadium and arena shows are Tampa Bay–bound in the coming weeks and months, too. Raymond James Stadium and Amalie Arena will be filled for Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Duran Duran, the Cure, Lionel Richie with Earth, Wind & Fire, and Madonna, among others.
Travelers are drawn to the Tampa Bay area for its 35 miles of white sand beaches, some of which have been named among the best in the U.S.; a thriving art scene; outdoor activities such as kayaking, canoeing and kiteboarding; and a growing culinary scene.
The Gorge Amphitheatre House Photographers
Quincy, Washington
About 2½ hours from Seattle is the Gorge Amphitheatre, an open-air amphitheater and lawn space between Quincy and George that boasts spectacular and endless views of the Columbia River and landscape beyond. The Gorge opened in 1986 and holds up to 27,000 fans who come to see their favorite bands hit the stage in the remote setting.
This summer, the Gorge is hosting Joni Mitchell, Brandi Carlile, the Highwomen with Tanya Tucker, Dave Matthews Band, as well as the Watershed Festival — three days of country music with Keith Urban among the headliners.
Camping is available at the Gorge during concerts. If you want to enjoy the area’s fishing, hiking, rock climbing and off-roading, you’ll need other accommodations.
