Enjoy Seeing Live Music at These 5 Reno Venues

Reno residents know this diverse and buoyant city is home to a host of exciting places to enjoy the arts. From intimate venues showcasing the best local musicians to storied theaters where you can enjoy touring acts, a live concert in Reno can make for an exhilarating and enriching night out. Here are our suggestions for great places to enjoy live music in Reno.

Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts

If you’re looking for a spot to enjoy classical music, jazz standards, musical theater, and performances from your favorite movie soundtracks, Reno’s Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts is your destination. This 1,500-seat theater is a nonprofit organization and a cultural institution in Reno committed to uplifting locals and visitors alike with music, theater, and dance. Architecture buffs might also appreciate a visit to the Pioneer Center, as the building’s mid-century Populuxe-style exterior makes it an architectural landmark in its own right.

Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts is home to the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra. Here, you can hear some of Reno’s most skilled musicians playing some of the most famous compositions in music history. It also hosts the casts of touring Broadway musicals like “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Anastasia” in the Broadway Comes to Reno series. You can also find ballet recitals here, local concerts, and Artown, a month-long music and arts festival that comes alive in Reno every July. The Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts is in downtown Reno at 100 S. Virginia St. in Reno’s happening Riverwalk District.

Cargo Concert Hall

If you want to catch a show from a hip up-and-coming band in a charming, intimate setting while also sipping on a delicious beer or craft cocktail, Cargo Concert Hall might be the place for you. Situated inside the Whitney Peak Hotel in downtown Reno, this live music venue frequently hosts indie musicians, old favorites, and events and festivals. You can find shows in all genres at Cargo Concert Hall, but if you’re a fan of rock or country, you might see some familiar favorites and exciting new acts on their event calendar.

Cargo Concert Hall also has the distinct advantage of sharing a restaurant with the hotel. If you want a pre-show or post-show bite, head to Roundabout Grill for snacks or a meal. Roundabout Grill serves appetizers like soups and salads and entrees like steak, fish, and pasta. To learn more about who’s playing at Cargo Concert Hall, visit the venue’s digital calendar. Visit Cargo Concert Hall at 255 W. Virginia St. in downtown.

Mountain Music Parlor

Maybe you prefer a quiet, crafty listening session to a raucous concert. For an intimate live music experience, head to Heritage Hall at Mountain Music Parlor. A local studio offering lessons, workshops, and instruments, Mountain Music Parlor is a haven for music lovers and a champion of the local music scene in Reno. The organization’s primary focus is American heritage music, and Heritage Hall, named for the genre, is the studio’s listening room. This cozy hideaway hosts local talent and award-winning artists playing one-of-a-kind music for a small audience.

At Mountain Music Parlor’s Heritage Hall, you might see expert mandolin and banjo players, blues guitarists, concert brass and woodwind players, and more. You might even get some face time with the talents behind legendary standards. For example, Mountain Music Parlor recently hosted the songwriter behind the darkly comedic Christmas classic, “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” Randy Brooks. Because it’s such a small space, we’d recommend booking your seats early. Mountain Music Parlor is in Reno’s Midtown at 735 S. Center St.

Grand Theater

Situated inside the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, the Grand Theater is your live music destination when you’re in the mood for something lively and lavish. This expansive proscenium-style theater seats about 2,700 people, typically a mixture of tourists visiting the Reno-Tahoe area and staying at the Grand Sierra Resort and locals who know this is a great place to catch must-see entertainment in the area. Guests love the comfortable seating, too. At Grand Theater, you can sit back and relax in plush, supportive red theater chairs.

Grand Theater hosts plenty of high-profile acts, so if you’re looking for tickets to see your favorite headliners from the radio or TV, this is one of your best bets. Here, you can catch upcoming top 40 superstars, nostalgic 80s groups, and the best in Mexican-American music. You can also find big-name comedians like Jim Gaffigan and Larry the Cable Guy and family-friendly favorites like Riverdance on their bills. With an enormous stage and expert acoustics, your favorite acts can employ top-notch theatrics at Grand Theater, so expect a show you’ll remember. Head to 2500 E. 2nd St. in Reno.

Cypress Reno

A dive bar meets a concert venue at Cypress Reno, Midtown’s welcoming local venue that captures the grit and high spirits of the local music scene. If you’re the first to hop to your feet and start dancing at a concert, you’ll feel right at home at Cypress Reno. Not only is there a spacious dance floor for moving and shaking, but there are also regular events where you can dance to live music, like line dancing nights and Latin dance workshops.

Musical acts include blues musicians, indie rock bands, soul and funk groups, singer-songwriters, and local DJs spinning fresh mixes. Cypress Reno is also a bar in its own right, with a full menu of classic and curated cocktails. Locals note the helpful, kind staff working behind the bar and the affordable, delicious drinks. If you need a break from the action to sip on your drink, you can head out to the bar’s quaint back patio and chat with friends. Cypress Reno is in Midtown at 761 S. Virginia St.

Those are De Castroverde Accident and Injury’s picks for the best places to catch live music in Reno, Nevada. Do you know about a hidden gem that hosts great underground concerts or a little-known spot to see the best touring acts? Send us a message and tell us about it. If you’re in the Reno area and are suffering from an accident or injury, our expert lawyers are ready to fight for you. To learn more, call us today to start your free case evaluation.

Photo Credit: Reno, Nevada Pioneer Theater Auditorium by IIPphotoarchive is licensed with CC BY-SA 2.0