Oxford Venues

Proud Larry’s (proudlarrys.com) – The music scene in Oxford begins at Proud Larry’s.  This stage has reached legendary status in artists’ circles.

The Lyric (thelyricoxford.com) – The best “big venue” in Oxford with capacity of around 1,200 and a first class sound system.  Schedule is usually packed with great national acts.

Parrish’s (facebook) – A great smaller venue with great booking and great atmosphere/crowd.  Be sure to wear earplugs for loud bands.

Rooster’s (roostersblueshouse.com) – Music most nights of the week, usually of good quality.  The crowd is sometimes dominated by students, but that can be a good thing.

Blind Pig - Small, intimate space that’s great for up to 3-piece act.

Taylor’s Pub (formerly Parrish’s)  – A smaller stage, but the vibe at Taylor’s is always great.

Two Stick (myspace.com/twostick) – A sushi restaurant that transforms into a bar after 10 and has hosted some great shows.  Two Stick moved to the old Longshot in the fall of 2007.

Jubilee - Jubilee has changed its focus (successfully) to being more of a bar and music venue, and the music schedule has been really impressive lately.

Thacker Mountain Radio (myspace.com/thackermountainradio) – A live radio show held at Off Square Books every Thursday evening, TMR is hit or miss for good music.  Some shows make me get down on my knees and thank the man above that I’m an Oxonian while others make me wonder why I wasted an hour of my life on that.  It’s usually worth a shot though, and some of the most memorable shows I’ve seen in Oxford were at TMR.

The Powerhouse – Once was home to the Oxford Electric Company and now houses the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, serving as community arts center.  Until recently, this was an abandoned building, and it is great to see it being put to such great use.  The Artist in the Round series is getting the building off to a great start.

The Library – This is the largest bar venue in Oxford and can host bigger bands.  In recent years, as it became more focused on becoming a sports bar, the stage has become underused with great shows becoming a rarity and usually booked by Proud Larry’s.

Rib Cage - A dungeon bar downstairs below the restaurant which hosts the occasional happy hour band.

The Gertrude C. Ford Center - On the campus of Ole Miss, this is an amazing venue, but it is another underused stage in the music world.  Built in 2002, there have only been a handful of great music shows here (Lucinda Williams, Wilco, Blind Boys of Alabama, and Nickle Creek), and most of those were booked by someone other than the Ford Center management who appear to be clueless.

Volta (myspace.com/voltataverna) – A greek resteraunt with a patio that is great for Friday evening happy hour in the spring and fall.

Murff’s - A honky tonk home to the older local crowd.  They also have happy hour music on the weekend.

Ajax Diner – The town’s favorite lunch spot occasionally clears out the tables up front and hosts a music show.  It usually makes for a good show with a cool crowd.

The Levee – An 18 and up bar.

The Departed

The Longshot (myspace.com/thelongshotbar) – Was a cool honky tonk setting where the band was on the same level as the crowd, creating a feeling that the crowd was dancing with the band (only inches away).  The Longshot has closed its doors as George has decided to move on from the world of being the owner of a bar.  The Two Stick gang will be reopening the space in September 2007.