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The Palms
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10 reviews for The Palms
Located in a renovated opera house in a small town established in the 1880's, The Palms is definitely the place to go in Yolo County for an intimate musical experience. With bigger acts playing at the Mondavi Center in Davis, The Palms is where small gems are discovered, everything from Dan Hicks and the Licks to The Tommy Castro Band and more.
I grew up about a block away from The Palms, and even went to my senior prom when it was still just the Winters Opera House. Such a special place, in a special town. Come early, browse the antique stores, have dinner at The Buckhorn and then see a show. It's worth the drive, and if you want to make a weekend out of, stay at the Abbey House Bed and Breakfast. Wineries are popping up in the hills of Winters, and Lake Berryessa is only 9 miles away. It's a great weekend trip!
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I was reluctant to return to the Palms after lingering fears from my first experience a few years ago. During that visit I kept thinking what would happen if there was a fire or earthquake. The Palms is on the second floor of an old brick building. You get to it via a narrow staircase and enter through one standard door. That first concert may have been a sold-out crowd.
This time I took a more critical look at the venue. There are actually two staircases. The chairs are not laid out too close together, there was a center aisle and the back wall has exposed earthquake reinforcement.
Now relaxed, I was able to enjoy the music. As others have noticed, most guests seem to just sit in their seats, even when the music just screams for movement.
Before the second set I moved to the back of the room where I could stand and bop to the rhythm of the beat.
I will no longer fear returning to the Palms, though do miss the old barn in Davis. However, Winters makes for a nice out-of-town excursion.
I thoroughly enjoyed the show I saw at the Palms. The sound was great, the atmosphere was mellow and inviting. The crowd was pretty subdued considering how hard the band was rocking, but I guess when you fill the room with chairs people are going to sit in them. I would have preferred a dance floor but overall it was a great place to see a show.
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What a treat! My husband and I love to come here on a Saturday night. The venue is eclectic. We often are not familiar with the artists, but go anyway. We have never been disappointed. Sourdough Slim was a real hoot! The Palms is in a hundred year-old opera house: cozy and inviting. I am often amazed at how the audience is subdued when the artists are so energetic and passionate (how can one sit still when the music is "rocking"?). We went to see Mumbo Gumbo last night night and the Palms set a dance floor so folks could dance. This really made for a great night out on the town! I have noticed a real increase in the price of bottled water and wine. The wine selection is horrible. If they are going to charge $7.50 for a glass, they need to offer more of a selection. I also think $2.00 for bottled water is too high. Price doubled from a few months ago.
I adore, adore, adore The Palms!
About a year ago I noticed one of my Favorite Bands Ever was playing there on a random Thursday night...The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash. I can't even begin to describe how the CD "Distance Between" got me through the first few incredibly rough months after my divorce and war-refugee-like escape to Sac from LA.
Winters is an adorable little town and we had a great dinner at Buckhorn before the show, sat at the bar where we could see up into The Palms windows and the cute sound guy setting up.
After our fantastic meal we wandered across the street and upstairs to The Palms. It's hard to describe but to me it's like a really beautiful vintage high school rec-room with a bohemian flair. Chairs were set up and there was a bar in the back corner. That description doesn't make it sound romantic or grand, but it is in a way.
After grabbing a beer that I think was affordably priced I noticed the merchandise table and went over to take a look. I mentioned my little story of how much the music meant to me at a tough time and the guy behind the table said, "Yeah, I wrote those songs during a rough time." I about fainted! Here in front of me was the incredibly hot front man/writer. Being super-smooth like I am I think I bought a bumper sticker and went and hid in the other side of the room.
The show was fantastic! And the experience hard to describe but it was a warm spring evening with the windows open, the sky outside that early summer night color, a good crowd, amazing country (tad rockabilly), and just such a wonderful vibe. Which got even better when Mark Stuart said before his next song, "someone mentioned to me how much this song meant to her during a hard time and I'd like to dedicate it to her" and then he started up with "Distance Between" (or something like that, don't recall *exact* words he used.) I ABOUT DIED! And C was witness this really happened.
I think The Palms is just about the most perfect music venue possible, but I never did get to experience its previous life so I can't compare. I get so caught up in things these days I forget to look and see who is playing. Unfortunately BSOJC hasn't been back, but when they do you know where I'll be.
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This is a great place to see live music in an intimate setting. Winters is a really cute town with a bunch of old historical brick buildings. I stayed with my friend Kathy in Dixon and we drove the whole way on the back roads through walnut orchards. It was a full moon and the trees didn't have leaves and the moon lit the trees beautifully. The town is tiny but lively and functional. There are a handful of places to eat, an art coop and frame shop but not a bunch of kitchy western touristy stuff. At the Palms we saw some acoustic folk bluegrass. This is the kind of stuff to expect here. Check out their website for the calendar.
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An amazing venue for live music! Unlike most places I've been in the Sacramento area, The Palms didn't seem too crowded or too empty, the acoustics were great, the building itself is beautiful, the bathrooms were clean, and the staff was exceedingly nice.
They don't have hard alcohol at their bar, but they do have a good selection of bottled beer, a few wines to pick from, and Sierra Nevada and Budlight on tap.
Also, while the show I saw had seating set up, there was still plenty of room for dancing.
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We've been here once. That was almost a year ago, so I don't know if things have changed any.
The venue is in an old opera hall in the little town of Winters - I understand that it (the Palms) moved from Davis, so I suppose some of that hipster college 'cool' has yet to catch up with it in it's new location.
The hall itself was OK - nothing special. The acoustics were adequate. The artist we went to see (James Mc Murtry) was a sold out show, so there wasn't any tables up front like another Yelper mentioned, but as we were first in line, we got front-row seats. Didn't do us much good, though - a bunch of aging hippies decided they wanted to re-stage Woodstock, so I had to spend the entire concert with some bozo's flabby ass wagging in my face.
Speaking of being first in line - you get to stand outside, which wasn't much fun on a cold February evening. BUT...on the other hand, we were standing right there when Boz Scaggs walked up and tried to wheedle his way into the sold out show. Man, he may make decent music, but he sure is a prick when he doesn't get his way. I didn't see him inside, so either they comped him and hid him in a corner, or he had to slink back to SF unsatisfied.
Anyway, the evening was OK, and I guess we'll have to try it out again just to be fair. When we do, I'll update this review.
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The Palms was a great barn in Davis, now it's an awesome opera house in Winters! If you get in line early you can secure up-close and personal tables in the very front of the room, literally 5 feet from the band! Slim pickings on tasty vittles, the only choices are pretzels or cracker jacks but, there is an unusually large variety of wines and a few beers on tap, some imports in bottles too (i like drafts so...i can't remember). They also have bottled water and sprite, sometimes they have other soda but, don't count on it. Great place to go though! If you want something for dinner first, hit up Cody's Deli around the corner...Broccoli Soup is the best!
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Go for the music, go for the fun...The Palms is cool. Now in the old Opera House in beautiful downtown Winters. Quaint, charming and eclectic. Have a nice brew and listen to the rhythm.
