Get funky with the best live music in Little Rock!

Check out our top picks for the best live music venues in Little Rock! From jazz clubs to rockin’ bars, there’s something for everyone!

The best live music venues in Little Rock

Little Rock is known for its great live music scene, and there are plenty of places to catch a show. Here are our picks for the best live music venues in Little Rock.

White Water Tavern

This should be your go-to stop for rowdy live shows, whether it’s punk, metal, experimental noise or good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. The tavern also hosts regular DJ nights featuring local and touring talent.

Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack

Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack is a great place to enjoy live music in Little Rock. This venue features a wide variety of musical genres, ranging from rock and roll to country to blues. The chicken shack also has a full bar, so you can enjoy a cold drink while you listen to the band.

Cajun’s Wharf

Cajun’s Wharf is one of the most popular live music venues in Little Rock. The venue features a variety of local and national acts, and has a reputation for being one of the best places to see live music in the city. The venue is also known for its great food and drinks, and for its friendly staff.

Midtown Billiards

Located in the heart of downtown Little Rock, Midtown Billiards offers a wide variety of live music seven nights a week.
With two large bars, a restaurant, and a stage that hosts everything from local bands to nationally-touring artists, Midtown is the perfect place to catch a show.

The best live music genres in Little Rock

Rock, punk, metal, folk, and jazz are only a taste of the genres you can findLive music in Little Rock. This city has a vibrant, ever-growing music scene that has something for everyone. If you’re looking for a night out on the town or a new favorite band to follow, check out the live music scene in Little Rock.

Rock

When it comes to live music, there’s something for everyone in Little Rock. From rock to country to blues and everything in between, the city has a thriving live music scene that is sure to get your toes tapping. Here are just a few of the best live music genres in Little Rock:

Rock: For fans of hard-hitting guitars and head-banging tunes, Little Rock’s rock scene is sure to please. Check out venues like The White Water Tavern and Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack for some of the best live rock music in the city.

Country: Love twangy country tunes? Little Rock has you covered! Head to Midtown Billiards or Club Level for some of the best live country music in town.

Blues: If you’re a fan of the blues, you’ll be right at home in Little Rock. Check out The Bootleg at Crocketts or King’s Live Music for some of the best blues tunes in town.

Jazz: Little Rock is also home to a thriving jazz scene. For some of the best live jazz music in town, head to venues like Afterthought Bistro & Bar or Cajun’s Wharf.

Blues

The blues is a genre of music that originated in the African-American communities of the American South in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Blues references to blue notes and the phrase “blue notes” originate from the melodic style of jazz, which incorporates bent or flattened notes. The deep, guttural sound of the blues was originally created by using slide guitar and was later adapted to other instruments such as piano and drums. The blues has since been absorbed into other genres of music, such as rock and roll, jazz, and hip hop.

Country

Live music is a big part of the culture in Little Rock, and there’s something for everyone. Country is definitely one of the most popular genres here, and there are plenty of great places to catch a live show. The Handlebar is a great spot for country music lovers, with nightly live music and a dance floor that’s always packed. If you’re looking for something a little more low-key, The Watering Hole is perfect for enjoying some great country tunes while relaxing with a cold beer.

Jazz

Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, United States. It originated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and developed from roots in blues and ragtime. Jazz is seen by many as “America’s classical music”. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, jazz has become recognized as a major form of musical expression. It then emerged in the form of independent traditional and popular musical styles, all linked by the common bonds of African-American and European-American musical parentage with a performance orientation. Jazz is characterized by swing and blue notes, call and response vocals, polyrhythms and improvisation. Jazz has roots in West African cultural and musical expression, and in African-American music traditions including blues and ragtime.

In the early 1910s, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, and other pioneers took the new style to cities such as Chicago and New York. Their creativity was influenced by earlier brass band music, Haitian dances, Spanish Folk music (especially Flamenco), minstrel shows from the White community (especially Blackface minstrelsy) as well as their own African heritage. The popularity of jazz continued to grow throughout the 1930s Swing Era with big bands playing in large dance halls like the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem NYC.