Indianapolis has several really cool venues for live music (and a few crap ones). I have a soft place in my heart for Tufty Clough's Radio Radio, a Fountain Square live music spot since 2001 and absolutely one of my favorite places to hear live music in Indy. Radio Radio is a 21 and over, general admission concert venue that offers table and lounge seating on a first-come/first-serve basis with the rest being standing room only (or sitting in my case, eh?). They offer full bar service and have specialty craft cocktails at select shows. Radio Radio is only open during shows with doors opening an hour before the first act is scheduled to play. It's a smoke-free facility, though it's my understanding you can smoke out back. Radio Radio has a really killer vibe with a weaving together of style, substance, retro, and probably a few other things. I don't get to Radio Radio nearly enough, but every time I go I'm like "Man, I need to come here more often." There are free parking lots in various locations around Fountain Square along with street parking in spots. Curb cuts are plentiful in Fountain Square, though it is an older part of the city so there are occasional sidewalk cracks. The front entrance is perfectly accessible and the venue itself is fairly solid, though the "Standing Room Only" shows can be a challenge. My understanding is they'll try to work with you with advance notice, though I have to be honest and say I've never had any difficulties as without exception I've found Radio Radio crowds to be respectful of wheelchair users when they show up. I've always been able to see, though I do typically arrive early just to make sure. Radio Radio's sound system was updated a few years ago and the sound is extremely awesome now. Acts range from local bands to up-and-coming regional and national acts or bands with more of a cult following. Concert capacity is right around 250. There's also this incredibly beautiful winding bar. Employees are friendly and helpful, drink prices are fair (especially for music venues), solid craft beer options, and I just love this entire vibe. It is worth noting that Radio Radio does not do food. If you don't know David "Tufty" Clough, he was the longtime bassist for Toxic Reasons and also for Zero Boys. He was also one of my first artist interviews when I was in college (so, yes. I'm a longtime fan). He also used to own Broad Ripple's Future Shock. This is an awesome venue and one of the better mid-sized options here in Indy. If you've never seen a show, I highly recommend it. read more

Radio Radio - The Radio Radio Sign. - Music Venues Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Fun space! Great live music venue. Mostly standing room but some seating. Old times bar. Great ambiance.

Best place in Indiana to see live original music! Friendly bartenders! Great craft beer selection!! read more

This has long been one of my very favorite music venues in Indianapolis, as it was non-smoking before the ban went into effect across town. Tufty is a Zero Boys legend around town and friend to all. Radio Radio has a very reasonable door entry for top quality shows and a beautiful interior. There is always ample staff, led by Roni, serving quality drinks at a fair price, with Tufty is generally behind the sound board. One of the only places that you can step outside the back door for a smoke or chat with friends and run into one of the headlining acts. I've seen Jucifer, Shonan Knife, Local H, Meat Puppets and met Patrick Carney (of Black Keys) with his band Drummer and numerous local and regional acts here as well. read more

Radio Radio - Music Venues Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

After moving back to Indianapolis, a friend of ours invited us to join him at Radio Radio for a Carbon Leaf concert. $10 - how could we pass on a $10 concert. I had never been to Radio Radio, and from the very beginning, I was impressed - and it just kept getting better. For starters, parking was a breeze. It is in historic fountain square and there was enough street parking that our cost to park was $0. When we walked in, it seemed like it was designed by someone who wanted to encourage people to gather and have fun. It was crowded (concert and all), but we found a corner spot that the entire group (8 of us in total) could sit, enjoy the concert and still have fun together. The bar is full service, but I stuck to the craft beer - they served up some fine Indiana made brews. My wife had wine and said they had a great selection. One thing I discovered while we were there - Radio Radio is closed on Sunday. But this concert was on a Sunday evening. Carbon Leaf had a tight schedule and could only play Indy on that day. Radio Radio opened just for the concert. They deal was - bar profit went to Radio Radio and all the concert ticket money went to the band. That is way cool - thank you Radio Radio! read more

Radio Radio - Music Venues Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Radio Radio has become a force for the local music scene in Indianapolis as well as one of the most beautiful venues in the city. If you are seeking a dive, college cover bands or foam dance nights - this is not the bar you are looking for! Owner Tufty, from his own musical beginnings, has created a quality place for quality acts both local and national. Rock, jam, funk, blues, goth, alt-country and punk all get fair hearings here! The sound system is top notch and I'm sure the musicians that play there that do smoke, don't mind going outside to do so - there is a level of respect here in that regard and it has been well-earned. It is gorgeous and spacious - why would you want to foul that up with smoke? I like to think of Radio Radio as Indy's own CBGB's (RIP) after an Ultimate Makeover. Beautiful inside and steeped in music history and local flavor. Radio Radio is a class act. read more

Radio Radio - Quite possibly the most beautiful bar in Indy... - Music Venues Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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Radio Radio has always been a fantastic place to see live shows in Indianapolis. They support local music, but they bring in touring acts as well. My suggestion is to arrive early enough to grab a small table up front so that you don't end up getting stuck on the wrong side of a pillar. Although sometimes there's no way around it when the bar fills up quickly. Food isn't served here, but there are PLENTY of places nearby within walking distance to enjoy some niblets beforehand. Radio Radio has a solid choice of local craft brews on draft, as well as a full selection of well drinks. I love their lighted bar. It is quite the work of art! I've always had really pleasant service here by all of the bartenders too. One thing I've always loved about this venue is how clean their women's restroom is. It's well-lit, sparkling clean, and always smells fresh. I know it's a simple thing, but it's greatly appreciated. I'm not sure why, but it seems that we go here most when the weather is cold, because most of my memories of this place are ones where I've got my purse, big coat, scarf, hat, and gloves with me. If you're a woman and you've had to manage all of that in a bar bathroom, I know you feel me right now. Radio Radio has hooks on the stall door on which to hang your extras. And if you need to drape something over the stall, it's fine because it's so clean here! If you've never attended a concert in a small, intimate venue, I strongly recommend you do. And Radio Radio is a perfect place to do it. read more

Nice bar, very clean, but bartenders are tasked with busing tables and they throw away any drink that seems unattended. I paid 7 bucks for a cocktail in a tiny cup, and a bartender threw it away while I was watching the show. Then they took my wife's 1/3 full, $3 dollar bottle of water and tossed it while we were watching the show. I told the bartender, and he remembered grabbing it and told me "it was half full." Only when he saw me frown did he offer to make us another drink, which I declined, BECAUSE I'M THERE TO WATCH THE SHOW NOT BABYSIT MY DRINK. I missed most of a song dealing with this. Will not be going back there, and will be telling my friends about this incident. read more

I've now seen 13 shows here, at least that's what my Yelp check-ins tell me, and have been generally impressed by this venue all-around. For a long time, this was one of the only non-smoking bars in Indy, but now of course all of them are. One of the owners is a musician, and you can tell a lot of care went into making this place what it is. It's very cool looking inside...and even as a girl alone I feel safe hanging out here (I came to their NYE show alone one year...ain't that just the saddest thing you've ever heard?). The sound quality is consistently good. Service at the bar tends to be pretty quick and they've never messed up our tabs. They have Bulleit bourbon. They have local craft beers on draft. The bathrooms are clean and well-stocked. Just some of the bands I've seen come through here: J Roddy Walston & the Business, Heartless Bastards, Pokey LaFarge, White Rabbits, Houndmouth, and tributes to The Band, Elvis, and Johnny Cash. I keep hoping that one day my wildest dream will come true and Scott Miller & the Commonwealth will play at Radio Radio with Slobberbone. Or Langhorne Slim. I'd love to get down to Slim's songs at RR. Earlier this year I witnessed one of the sweetest things I've ever seen: A man with Down Syndrome celebrated his 50th birthday at Radio Radio. Bigger Than Elvis (Tufty's [he's the owner] band) played the guy's favorite songs, he was out on the dance floor all night in his party hat and fancy outfit, and he even got to get up on stage and sing along with a few songs. This venue has heart...no matter what Justin Townes Earl thinks. read more

Radio Radio has always been rad, but the recent upgrade to the sound system has made it one of my favorite places in Indy to see live music. They've also got a great bar with fair prices (not inflated "club" prices!) They also book a lot of great local and national bands, so keep an eye on their website for gigs. read more

I'd say 3.5 stars. It's a tough call. Everyone raved about the sound at this place, how it's SO GREAT. Looking around, you can tell they put a bunch of money into the acoustics of this place so it makes sense that it would sound good. Maybe it was just the guy mixing the sound the night I was there but man it wasn't anything I'd call great. It was tinny and harsh on the ears. I'm not talking loud, any music venue is loud. This was just bad. On a positive note, there's lots of seating, plus 2 large areas with couches up front. No smoking = fantastic. The decor is funky retro mixed with modern elements and I really like the lighted bar. Plenty of seating and lots of space up front for shows. They have pretty good beer selection on tap. BUT I took off points because I asked for water - I got a bottle of water. I said, "oh no - sorry, I just wanted tap water." I was told "we aren't doing that tonight." I'm still confused as to what that even means. The water in the bathroom worked. But seriously, ever hear of designated drivers - hello? Not a good idea to force those people to buy water - because they won't. If they need it, give it to 'em. It costs all of about 5 cents for the ice, water and cup. read more

Went to Radio Radio awhile back with my husband and a few others to see the Shelby County Sinners play. I was impressed with the place overall. There was another band that played before them, can't remember for the life of me the name, that played bluegrass style music, with a bit of a rock and roll feel to it. They were amazing. The sound and acoustics in this place are great. No weird echos, no screeching speakers. Just awesome, loud music. The music is good, the beer is good, and the staff's friendly. (Though I did get the wrong beer when I asked for an Osiris, but no big deal.) Prices are fairly reasonable, and pretty standard I'd say. Around $5 or so for Sun King on tap. The atmosphere is casual, comfortable. Tables near the stage and several large couches near the front. It's clean, classy, the sort of place I'd love to take someone from out of town to impress them. Places like this are helping to make Fountain Square a destination. The fact it's non-smoking makes my heart pitter-patter. I'd definitely come back. read more

I wish I could accurately debunk what I was told before I came here: "The drinks are overpriced." Alas... Hopslam was on tap & I couldn't tell you how much anything was in dollars. In sense though... Hopslam on draft makes a lot of sense. I rarely go to concerts -- at least, relatively... all my friends seem to go once a week. This was my first show here, and it was Heartless Bastards. There's plenty of bar space to accommodate the crowds ordering drinks through the night. There's plenty of varied vantage points -- from bar stools with table tops, to standing with table tops to an open standing area toward the stage. I could definitely see that if you were in the back and you really wanted to see the band you could be missing out, but that means you should've found your way up front. I stood in the front like a little fan boy and I loved it. I remember a fistful of months ago people were worried about parking in Fountain Square. If you're driving... I've never seen Prospect Street not (double negative!) have some spaces... like ours... right in front of the venue. I find myself going to concerts that are in pretty divey venues or bars... this might have been the first show I've seen in a clean establishment in a few years... I liked feeling like a washed, normal citizen of music -- just this once. read more

Radio Radio is a special place. It is your rich uncle's swanky basement that he only opens up to the public when he wants to. The best band you've never heard is playing here soon. read more

Radio Radio has to be my favorite place to see a show in Indy. Yes, it's comfortable, roomy (if it's not sold out), and has friendly staff. But even better is that it's a non-smoking venue, so I can go home not reeking of cigarettes. They let you smoke out back, which is cool, because sometimes it can get too hot inside and even a non-smoker like me needs a break from loud music and sweaty scenesters. They book great bands, with a mix of local and national acts hitting the stage. Drinks are reasonably priced, and Fountain Square is the place to be (until the Broad Ripple folks find it). I recommend it. (NOTE: the "has tv" I checked refers to the fact that, while they do have tvs in the place, they're not tuned to ESPN or Fox News or somesuch nonsense. They are usually playing unusual videos, surfer movies, or Betty Page loops) read more

one of the best live music scenes in Indy. Intimate setting great to get up close to a favorite singer or group. small but diverse beer selection, with a full bar. Small venue, so get there early if u want to sit, it gets crowded fast read more

Hands down one of the best music venues in central Indiana. Great and I mean a fantastic sound system, knowledgeable owner and staff. The most beautiful bar top in town which makes me surprised to see this in the catagory of 'Dive Bars', this place is definitely not. Watched our band Cyrus Youngman and the Kingfishers play here for the Elvis bash, it was a great time. read more

Radio Radio is in the heart of historic Fountain Square. It has an Art Deco decor and the bar was rescued/recycled from the Planet Hollywood restaurant that is now defunct. It is usually only open 2-3 nights a week because it is first and foremost, a live music venue. The owner, who is a musician himself, took care in ensuring that the acoustics and sound system was more than adequate for the venue. The 3 foot raised stage is a perfect platform and the audience can still get close to the band and not feel disconnected at all. The staff are usually quick but often seem under-staffed for the more popular shows. The beer and spirits selection is very good and will accommodate most patrons. Another overlooked but somewhat important feature are clean bathrooms. Usually a rarity in music venues, but the staff is good about cleanliness which is refreshing to most. The bands that come through here are of a better quality but without all the hubbub of a large act. You can interact with the musicians before or after the show and it adds a nice personal touch. If you are going to see a band, this would be one of the top venues to see them at. read more

Retro-cute venue, very clean, sound is passable but not great with the caveat that we were way in the back at a super packed show. Most lasting impression: the "in-flight" size and price of beverages. They also made my vodka tonic with sprite, which was a shortcut, I felt, not forewarned by the extraordinary amount that I paid for this child-sized plastic cup of drink. read more

Radio Radio is a nice venue/bar located in Fountain Square. The staff is polite and the bar tenders are fast and attentive. I've only been there a few times, but thoroughly enjoyed myself each time. As far as the bar goes, it's pretty standard stuff here. Like most bars in the area they have a selection of domestics, imports, and local craft beers. Mainly just a small selection of taps and a slightly larger selection of bottles and cans. The room itself is large with plenty of tables. As a venue Radio Radio really shines. With a fairly large stage and nice open room, this is a great place to see bands in Indianapolis. The sound here is solid, with a decent PA, and while the acoustics here aren't perfect, they are more than adequate. You can usually catch a decent show at a decent price here. read more

Cool bar and excellent venue for live music. The talent brought in is top-notch and from all genres. While you pre-game before the concert and sip on some beverages, make sure to check out their tv screens for Bollywood hits with captioning. They don't serve food (unless the $0.50 bags of chips count) but they do across the street at Revolucion. Great people working and quick service. read more

Man I f-ing love this place. LOVE! Cool bar, great people, awesome bands, low-key and chill when you want to hang and hyped up and jam-packed when you really want to experience a band. One of my favorite things to do at the end of the week is enjoy a band here and they have so many cool events here that I'm always on the look out to see what they have on their schedule. Drinks: 4/5 - Not bad selection. Typical prices Music: 10/5 Service: 5/5 Location: 5/5 read more

Best live venue in Indy. The tickets prices are great and you're close enough to the stage where you can see the band and appreciate the performance. (Going to a huge venue to pay a ton of dough to watch a band play on a jumbotron is not for me.) Sometimes Radio Radio is able to book up-and-coming bands that you can see before the bands make it big and charge enormous money for tickets. Another plus is that the crowd is usually a cool, approachable group that is easy to talk to. read more

This is a great example of an excellent small music venue!!! I recently went here to see one of my all-time favorite groups, Carbon Leaf, turns out they aren't normally open on Sundays but made an exception since Carbon Leaf could only come through Indy on that day. Awesome. Such a good choice, it really brought a perfect crowd. We got there early to check out the place and have a drink and sat at one of the tables while we waited. We decided to stand for the actual concert and surrendered our table to a nice group of people. That was something totally worth noting, the people that come here really want to be there, likely love music as much as you do and are not jerks to each other. Standing room for the concert is pretty small but I like it that way here! Also, no crowding and shoving and it was easy to see the stage. On top of that, nice big bar, hard working bartenders and reasonably priced drinks! They were also a good strength and worth what I paid. I was pleasantly surprised by my tab total at the end of the night! Hooray, that hardly happens, haha. I would DEFINITELY go back here if a band I want to see comes around again. Heck, I might even just go on a whim. read more

It's the size of this small venue near Fountain Square that matters. Nor is it the run-of-the-mill beer selection (okay, they do carry Bloomington's Upland--but who doesn't in Indy?). It's their uncanny ability to book amazing, under-the-radar bands. I saw the Spinto Band here on a particularly stormy Friday night in early June. The power went out, and the venue's small space became an asset. The band played an unplugged set with fans gathered around seated Indian style. There's no better venue than the one that's small enough to let you ask your stupid question, but big enough to book the good bands. This is it. . read more

The SXSW folks rolled through town this week to promote the Interactive conference (yay, www.sxsw.com). The party was here, which frankly was not a place I'd ever been. Who goes to Fountain Square? Apparently, the rockers. I loved the inside of the place. Couches in the front. Little bar along the side. Stage and some high top chairs in the back. Definitely has the Indy Lounge feel to it. There were a couple big televisions on the wall rocking music documentaries, which was badass. While I don't drink and rarely see music anymore, if I was going to chill out at a small indie venue...I'd do it here. read more

Really nice place to see a show in Indy (Fountain Square area). It's cozy (250 capacity), very clean & modern, the sound is good & they do a nice job attracting intriguing talent in for shows. Start times can be a little on the late side, but I guess I'm getting old. Oh, and it's "no smoking"... which given the state of smoking at clubs in much of the rest of the country, I'm sort of amazed Indy is still battling over this. These guys are already proving the non-smoking rule isn't killing their business. read more

Just off Fountain Square, Radio Radio somehow straddles the lines between retro hip and dive bar. It's frequented mostly by local art students, punks, and hipsters. It's a large bar and probably one of the nicest small music venues in Indianapolis, with a solid sound system and an elevated stage at the back of the bar big enough for a good-sized band. read more

This is a great small venue for music. Recently saw Delta Spirit there and had a great time! The crowd was great, there was enough room to breathe, and it sounded great. I have been here a few times before to see bands and I have never been disappointed. The only downside, it took a long time to get a drink. I would definitely recommend this bar to see a band or just for a drink. It has a lot of personality. read more

Unbeatable original talent at a first-rate local music venue. Radio Radio offers an excellent performance space for great local, emerging, and original talent -- rock, blues, jam bands, bluegrass, you name it. It's clear (visually, anyway) they've had some professional acoustic engineering enhancements, though it isn't obvious if you're even halfway back. The beer selection is pretty good, especially on draught; the bartenders are cool and attentive. Non smoking is a huge plus. There seems to be plenty of seating, including a small sofa lounge in the back. One thing to note: they're not usually open if they don't have a show, so check the calendar. While not everyone likes all types of music, odds are you're always in for a top-notch show. read more

Radio Radio - you have some great shows and lineups. I recently came here to see Shiny Penny and Bear Hands a couple years back. Like most venues in Fountain Square, it's LOUD so prepare your ears for that. This venue doesn't have anything that stands out to me as a venue. Decently priced shows, decently priced drinks and specials, and good lineups overall. You'll most likely find yourself attracted to the bar that's beautifully lit up. But (at least in my experiences), be ready to wait a few minutes before you're served as they don't have tons of bartenders whenever I'm there. My friend also recently purchased 2 drinks under $10 the first time. And again the second time. But the second time, they made her buy more drinks because of a "$10 minimum" even though it didn't apply the first time. We were a bit confused by this. Overall, a good venue. If paying at the door, bring cash!! read more

Rad music is played here. There is no smoking. There are cheap cans of Pabst.....there is also good beer on tap. I have been here 5-6 times and I always end up saying how cool it is. There always seems to be a good seat. This is a Fountain Square gem....and the humans running the operation are a great batch. read more

One of the best venues to see a concert in Indy. Located in Fountain Square near theatre. Good acoustics and no bad seats. There is a good mixture of artists. The price for a show is very reasonable and you can buy tickets in advance or at the door. Decent tap list and whiskey selection. read more

Radio Radio - Kansas Bible Company - Music Venues Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

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One of the very best music venues I've been too, and top two in Indy. The same great people that own the fantastic taco bar across the street poured their passion into radio radio as well! Friendly Fun Unique Intimate Good drinks Great bands! read more

Torn to say that the venue itself is okay, but the owners really do pull the rating down considerably. Patron? Sure it works, but Hi-Fi is nicer. Bands/Artist? Don't waste your breath to play here. Don't get me wrong the owner does it right. If I was a washed up want to be baseball player who could buy his own team and stadium to still play whenever I wanted, I would do it in a heartbeat. But truthfully... Tufty as an owner is grumpy, terrible at communicating, and generally not a nice guy. If you find yourself in the area, and want to support your local venues (musician or patron) the revitalized Fountain Square area has a lot to offer. Might I suggest finding a bar stool or seat in an establishment with a staff and owner that treats everyone like family, and not one that treats you like a number/just another dollar in the pocket. read more

haiku review - never heard of them? they play here. add PBR- hipster nirvana read more

This is one of my favorite places to watch a show. They consistently bring in a wide variety of quality acts that I'm happy to see for the usual 10-15 dollar price point. They bring in not just music, but burlesque, and comedy too. It's a comfortable venue with standing room in front of the stage, pub tables and stools in the middle, and couches and cocktail tables in the back. Drinks here are usually satisfying stiff, and the beer selection ranges from mass produced lagers to hoppy IPAs to coffee-like porters.The only thing that annoys me is that bar service can be, well, annoying depending on who is (or who is not) behind the bar. A good bartender knows that you have to work the entire length of the bar. When you have 30 feet of customers all bellied up to the bar, you can't just constantly pivot back to the same spot. read more

As a St. Louisan, I've only been to Radio Radio once, but I really enjoyed it and look forward to returning. It's a very intimate venue in an area with several restaurants and local flavor (and a comic shop pretty much across the street!). It was pretty clean and smokefree, so I definitely enjoyed that aspect. The stage was the perfect height - not flat on the floor, but not so high up that you have to cran your neck. I'm not an acoustics nerd or anything, but I thought the sound was pretty crisp here. I'll definitely hit up Radio Radio the next time one of my bands are scheduled to play there; I'll take a cozy, clean venue that's just four hours from STL anytime! read more

Simply put, other than huge national acts that are selling arenas, if you want some sweet blues rock such at The Greenhornes(Half of The Raconteurs) or anything oozing 10 lbs of soul in the downtown area, this is it. Besides the White Rabbit across the street, bands such as The Greenhornes, Hacienda, Delta Spirit, The Whigs, and a ton more wouldn't have a place to go. The drinks are fairly priced, and the environment is super cool. Most of all, the sound is always amazing at this place. Someone has spent some real time dialing this place in. If you pay this place a visit anytime in the near future and see a curly haired wonder dancing around to some serious blues rock, its probably me. You should join me, ill turn my charm on and even buy you a cheap drink of your choice. read more

This place rocks! Literally! I spent the entire evening of Tonic at Radio Radio! I love this place! The staff is super professional. They keep the place clean. Although we did have a momentary issue with plumbing in the women's bathroom, they handled it quickly and neatly. All the ladies waiting in line were good sports about it. The bands they book here are phenomenal! I have no complaints and lots of good memories. Oh, and some new friends as well! Woohoo for Radio Radio! read more