My days of going to the Bluebird 2-3 times a week are long behind me, but as I was attending a show…read morethis weekend, I realized I have never done a Yelp review, and since it's potentially the best bar on the planet, I decided I needed to correct that oversight. During my college years, a good portion of my Bloomington memories are from the Bluebird. Fantastic bands, good friends and a somewhat aggressive number of drinks were the common theme multiple nights a week. Now that I'm OLD(er) the visits are less frequent, but when the right bands are in town and my calendar isn't slammed with adulting, I still find the Bird to be my favorite place in town. The original Bluebird was about half the size it is today. Several years ago, they bought out the restaurant next door and added a large additional space, leading to a pretty big bar/nightclub with a 'bar area' that includes a nice full bar, booths and tables, and the 'live music' portion which has a big stage, plenty of room for big crowds, and a warehouse vibe that is second to none. When you arrive, you'll start to see pictures of the amazing acts that run thru the Bluebird when they're just on the cusp of being 'huge' - from REM to Miranda Lambert to Gryffin, just about every genre is represented and it's nice to say 'I saw them with a few hundred of my friends' after you give ticketmaster your kidney to pay for their giant stadium shows. Reasonable drink prices, good people behind the bar, and the best bands currently playing the area, you can't go wrong with a night at the Bluebird. I wish I was still young and able to do multiple shows every week, but for now I'll just appreciate having it in my backyard so I can attend with the mood hits . Best bar in Bloomington. Probably anywhere.

A classic IU and Bloomington live music tradition since 1973! Gotta check it out if you're ever in…read moreB-town. Such greats as John Cougar Mellencamp to Bill Monroe & The Blue Grass Boys have played there. If the walls of the place could only speak... and check out the walls for photos of the many famous bands that have played there. #TheBluebird

I've been to two concerts. George Thorogood and Blues Traveler. Both were a lot of fun and great…read moremusic.

Absolutely awesome little place. I visited here for the 1st time last night to see Buddy Guy and…read morethe entire venue was so nice. The ladies working the concession area....were really nice! I didn't get names, but the lady that served me food wore a Vivtor Olidipo Pacers game jersey. Buddy Guy was INCREDIBLE and definitely did not disappoint, his opener, Dylan Triplett was on fire!!! The parking was very organized, and the venue was easy to find. As always I have to review the bathrooms...SUPER clean!! I was surprised at how big this small place was. I was very pleased at the venue, for my first visit....and the food was delicious and the drinks were very nice.

Great little club with good cocktails and excellent service. We enjoyed playing here. Would…read morereturn, would recommend.

My girlfriend used to love The Bishop when she was in school, but after her experience a few weeks…read moreago, she won't be back. She and four friends (a group of five) walked in on a Thursday night and were told by the bartender she wouldn't serve them as a group of five because she was "the only one working." Oddly, she said she would have served them if they were a group of three and a group of two. They offered to come up one by one to order instead. They did just that--individually bought beers--but when one of her friends (a Black man) walked back outside within the rails of the establishment, the bartender followed him, grabbed the beer out of his hand, and poured it in the street. She claimed it was "past the rail," even though other groups in the exact same spot were drinking without issue. When they asked for clarification, she eventually handed another friend ~$7 cash to give back to him. The whole situation felt discriminatory, especially since the group was diverse (including Black, Arab, and LGBTQ+ friends), respectful, and well-dressed professionals. Meanwhile, other patrons were not treated this way. To make it worse, when one of them asked a simple question about whether the former owner still ran the place, another customer started yelling at her, saying "everyone knows [owner's name], that doesn't make you special" and the bartender did nothing. What should have been a normal, fun night out turned into an incredibly uncomfortable experience.

I have now been to several shows through the years at Mercury Ballroom - it is high time for a…read morereview! The pros - - no bad seat in the house, but if you're ground level general admission be prepared to stand with us plebs. Seats are for the VIPs and folks who need the accommodation upstairs. Such is life. - Mercury Ballroom is maybe the most intimate large music venues in town. Downstairs GA gets right up by the stage and even 'the back of the room' is only ~20 feet away. - Tickets here are typically quite reasonable. Watch for the $25 show promos that happen once or twice per year. - Friendly staff! - Access to snacks and beverages upstairs and downstairs. - Upstairs accessible by stairs or elevator - Coat check available. The cons - (not their fault, no stars taken) - I struggle to find a selection of great meal options pre-show right now in this theater district part of downtown. Shout-out to the pizza guys down the street for filling my belly pre-show, you're real ones!

As a guy in my 40s, I will admit that general admission standing venues are not my favorite…read more Particularly since I'm a average height. But this venue is about as good of this type of venue as you could hope for. It's clean and has a very good sound system. A lot of good acts come through. As it's true throughout the industry, ticket prices are getting crazier all the time. And there are actually options for seating that come at an additional inflated price. So you can drop a lot of money here in a very short period of time. But I've seen a lot of good shows here and will continue to do so.

Absolutely loved this venue. It is huge with ample seating, some of which cost an additional fee…read morebeyond the $5 cover charge we paid to see the band, Most Wanted preform. Band was excellent as always. It truly does look like an Enchanted Forest, with lots of trees, natural (stone seating) with a magical atmosphere. We had already eaten prior to our arrival and aren't big drinkers but they had water stations set up which was really handy. Spinellis Pizza is located in the front of the outdoor area so that is the food option. Full bar offerings located in several spots around the inside and outside areas. Street parking and a huge, free city located a block to the east. Highly recommend if only for the atmosphere.

Great venue, large selection of beers. The bands were amazing. The Enchanted forest was supporting…read morea local school for music, which is great for the community, but even more the bands were very good. Thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.

Visited on a Thursday night to see comedian Brad Williams and entry lines moved fairly efficiently…read moreand fast. Make a note to check the website for acceptable bag sizes to attend events and prepare to have bags searched upon entry. Wristbands are provided for alcohol purchases following a check of ALL attendee identification, no exceptions. We selected the nearby convenient covered parking for this visit at the Hilton Hotel on the corner of Chestnut. We paid $12 for a little over 3 hours; however, prices fluctuate dependent on events in the area. The Palace property itself continues to impress me with the aesthetic. We sat in Orchestra 2, Row E, and the stage views were excellent. Exiting after the show was fairly easy and venue holds approximately 1500 patrons.

What a spectacular building inside and out. A great place to watch a show, very comfortable and…read moreintimate, and the inside decor is simply astounding. Everyone mentions the ceiling and the faces, which are incredible, but there are so many more details to take in: castle-like doors and faux fireplaces, tile work, angelic statues and a starry sky ceiling in the main theater. Also, the Marquee Lounge is a great place to get pre-show drinks and snacks while also giving you a closer look at that ceiling.

I attended a Moth storytelling event at Headliners, and overall it was a good experience, but I'm…read moregiving it four stars because of the parking situation. I have accessibility needs, and when I arrived they told me I'd have to pay $5 cash to park (which I didnt have) in a handicapped spot. It felt frustrating, especially since I drove myself and couldn't just park farther away and walk. After some discussion (thankfully, my friend spoke up), they waived the fee, but it seems like that's the default expectation, which isn't ideal for people with mobility challenges. Also, the venue itself isn't wheelchair accessible, so that's something to keep in mind. That said, the event itself was fantastic. You should definitely arrive early because most of the seating is on one level, and if someone tall sits in front of you, you might struggle to see. There is a balcony area for extra seating, though. The bar is on the pricey side--a soft drink in a 12 oz cup is about $3--but they do offer some alcoholic beverage specials. Overall, I love the storytelling events and will probably keep going, but I hope they improve their accessibility policies in the future

Concerts here always deliver! If you haven't had a chance to listen to these legends, do yourself a…read morefavor and find something -- anything -- from them! "Nubian Woman" had me in a trance. I wish there was a greater selection of eats here, but the bagged snacks worked for the time being. Don Was & the Pan-Detroit Ensemble performed, and I mean performed. I bought their latest album. This was my first concert of theirs but not my last! Great ambience at this venue.

What used to be the Rocky's by the river is now a pretty decent music venue. I came here with some…read morefriends to see a 90's country cover band. Since this is a relatively new venue, there were some kinks. Going in, we didn't have tickets so we went to the counter to purchase. There really wasn't any direction at the door so we kind of just wandered in. We found where we could purchase tickets for the show but with the lack of direction - we could have just walked in without paying. There are multiple restrooms and they were extremely clean, even later in the night. There is a raised section with some seating. Plenty of dance space. There is also a bar with both cocktails and draft beer (mostly Upland Brewing offerings). Prices weren't bad and the line moved pretty quickly. The venue holds a pretty decent amount of people and I look forward to seeing more shows there. Not going to lie, I already have tickets to see O-Town ($20 tickets - I was NOT going to pass this up!)

Beautiful views and great venue. we had a great time.read more

Attended a show there..great atmosphere and a great selection of drinks. Food looked amazing…read more I would attend another event there. Sound system was excellent.

Zanzabar is consistently the venue for great fun - great bands, strong drinks at reasonable prices,…read moreand a crowd diverse enough for just about anyone. Service can be tricky during busy nights due to lines, but I've never heard a rude word from the staff and they are super quick!

What a great dive! I come here pretty frequently for shows and the atmosphere is always so great!…read more Most recently saw Pravus Warlord and the entire show was phenomenal! Free earplugs, strong drinks, and plenty of head banging. Genuinely the mosh pit here is always popping, and of course everyone remembers their mosh etiquette as people will help you up if you fall, and ask if you're okay if you seem hurt. I'm the friend that holds everyone's glasses and watches from the side though so if moshing isn't your thing, still come for the music and punk vibes. (I personally love watching people express themselves through moshing, I think it's such a beautiful raw expression of emotions!) The bar area has a few booths but is pretty small, but the back room where the shows are held is pretty spacious but fills up quickly. There's also a back patio! Ultimately, Mag bar is a great spot for a show, a drink, and some good ass music.

Literally every time I come, I'm standing at the bar for at least 5 minutes before I'm even…read moreacknowledged. I don't go out much but when I do, I go to the small local bars. This means that pretty much every time I've gone here over the span of at least three years, I've had the same service experience. Just tonight, I was standing at the bar for 5min and it wasn't even a busy evening. There were two bartenders there and it took so long to be even be greeted. The bartender with green/ blue hair walked up and asked what can she get me. It's completely out of character for me to say something like this, but I said "I've been standing here for a long time without being greeted" and her response was "I'm sorry. Would you still like anything?" With a stale look on her face. I ended up changing my mind and walked out. Yall have got to do better. It wasn't even a busy evening.