Rockwood Music Hall is located on 184 Allen Street, Manhattan, between E Houston and Stanton Streets. It lays within the circle of venues in the Bowery (roughly between Houston, A, Delancey Street, and Bowery), which includes Piano’s, Cake Shop, Arlene’s Grocery, Mercury Lounge, Bowery Ballroom and others.
Rockwood Music Hall is actually three spaces, right next to each other on Allen. The north-most one is just a small bar space; it is the one to the south that is the Stage #1 (the two are linked through a door by both space’s bars). The entrance to Stage #1 is a phone booth-sized foyer that opens to the left. The concert space is small, with an even smaller stage to the right – and made smaller by the piano on it (if a band has a drummer, they may have to set up on the floor). Surrounding the stage are small tables and chairs, tightly packed and a little haphazard, giving a ‘coffee house’ vibe. There’s some space to stand behind them, though that’s also the route to walk in the place. The bar lies along the wall to the opposite of the entrance, from the street to the small entrance from the other space, and past that is a one-person bathroom.
Stage #2 is the south-most space, and is larger and deeper – there are still tables and chairs, but they are not as closely clustered together. After some steps down from the door, there is a bar to the right of the door, the stage to the far side. While larger than the stage at Stage #1, the stage at Stage #2 is still not very large, and is, like in Stage #1, in the corner, not taking up a full side. While all the shows at Stage #1 are free, some of those at Stage #2 are not (though tickets are still only ten-fifteen dollars. There is also a much smaller Stage #3 below the two main stages.
Rockwood Music Hall is one of a group of low-end venues in the Bowery – small, lesser facilities, cheap drinks, etc. In fact, it’s lower & smaller than Cake Shop, Piano’s, or even Living Room, to the point where virtually all shows there are free (though there is a sometimes-enforced drink minimum). The ‘coffee house’ vibe & space naturally lends itself to singer/songwriters, but ones you’ve never heard of (save during CMJ, and even then, only somewhat). And if there is someone people have heard of, the place gets packed. Location & price might be right, but all else isn’t.
Capacity: 70 (Stage #1), 300 (Stage #2), 64 (Stage #3)
21+
Address:
184 Allen Street (Between E Houston and Stanton Streets)
By Subway:
QRO Coverage:
-Wallis Bird, January 12th, 2022 – photos
-The Lone Bellow (Stage #2), February 6th, 2020 – live review
-Wild Moccasins, with Adam Treavis & The Soul and Mike Tedesco, June 7th, 2019 – Wild Moccasins photos, Adam Treavis & The Soul photos, Mike Tedesco photos
-Coyle Girelli, May 2nd, 2019 – photos
-Cloud Castle Lake (Stage #1), February 6th, 2018 – photos
-The Sound Scope Quartet, March 29th, 2016 – photos
-Josh Winstead, March 12th, 2016 – photos
-Sleep Thieves (Stage #1), with Rocket & The Ghost (Stage #2) and Nat Osborn Band (Stage #2), October 17th, 2015 (CMJ) – Sleep Thieves photos, Rocket & The Ghost photos, Nat Osborn Band photos
-Hundred Hounds (Stage #2), October 16th, 2015 (CMJ) – photos
-Son Little (Stage #2), with Hooton Tennis Club (Stage #2), Caitlin Mahoney (Stage #3) and Fraser A. Gorman (Stage #2), October 13th, 2015 (CMJ) – Son Little photos, Hooton Tennis Club photos, Caitlin Mahoney photos, Fraser A. Gorman photos
-Gracie and Rachel (Stage #2), June 28th, 2015 – photos
-SOAK (Stage #3), March 15th, 2015 – photos
-Genevieve (Stage #2), February 3rd, 2015 – photos
-Caitlin Canty (Stage #2), January 21st, 2015 – photos
-The Field Effect (Stage #1), October 24th, 2014 (CMJ) – photos
-Invisible Familiars (Stage #1), with She Keeps Bees, Sons of an Illustrious Father, and The Family Crest (Stage #2), October 22nd, 2014 (CMJ) – Invisible Familiars photos, She Keeps Bees photos, Sons of an Illustrious Father photos, The Family Crest photos
-Amy Speace (Stage #3), September 18th, 2014 – photos
-LP, June 6th, 2014 (WFUV event) – photos
-Jeff Campbell & Megan Stankard, October 17th, 2013 (Stage #1) (CMJ) – CMJ coverage, photos
-Ducktails, with TEEN, The Chevin, San Fermin, and Jade <3 & Blind Benny, May 11th, 2013 (Stage #2) (Downtown Music Festival) – Ducktails photos, TEEN photos, The Chevin photos, San Fermin photos, Jade <3 & Blind Benny photos
-Josh Elkes (Stage #2), with Belle Mare (Stage #1), May 10th, 2013 (Downtown Music Festival) – Josh Elkes photos, Belle Mare photos
-Matt Hires, May 2nd, 2013 (Stage #2) – photos
-Wake Owl, February 22nd, 2013 (Stage #2) – photos
-Kaki King, September 11th, 2012 (Stage #2) – photos
-Young Unknowns, September 8th, 2011 (Stage #1) – photos
-Smoke Fairies, June 21st, 2011 (Stage #2) – photos
-Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, with Turner Cody, Twi the Humble Feather, Kyan, Bing Ji Ling, Project Trio & Bandanna Splits, March 28th, 2011 (Stage #2) (Tummy Touch Records showcase) – Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players photos, Turner Cody photos, Twi the Humble Feather photos, Kyan photos, Bing Ji Ling photos, Project Trio photos, Bandanna Splits photos
-Caithlin de Marrais, February 24th, 2011 (Stage #2) – photos
-Hannah Georgas, November 10th, 2010 (Stage #1) – photos
-Au Revoir Simone, with Jaymay & Drug Rug, October 23rd, 2009 (CMJ) (Stage #1) – CMJ coverage, Au Revoir Simone photos, Jaymay photos, Drug Rug photos
