Variety Playhouse
Category: Music Venues [Edit]
Neighborhood: Little Five Points1099 Euclid Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307 (404) 521-1786
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Music: Live
- Best Nights: Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour: No
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking: Outdoor Area/Patio Only
- Coat Check: No
29 Reviews for Variety Playhouse
I love this venue, it is an intimate setting to see concerts. I saw Sia there a couple of months ago and it ranks up there as one of my favorite concerts ever. The price of the tickets is usually very reasonable ($20 - $25 each for the concerts that I have attended. The acoustics are great (unlike the horrible Tabernacle) and the seating is comfortable. The theater looks like a converted movie theater with flip-down seats. There are some spots on the sides of the theater that could be used for tables and chairs, but mostly people just stand around in those areas. There are two bars, one in the lobby and one upstairs near the restrooms, which cuts down on standing in line. I saw Gnarls Barkley there tonight and it was just as good as the other concerts I have been to at Variety Playhouse. Never a disappointment.
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A nice place to see a show in Atlanta. They kind of have a place for every type of concertgoer here. Balcony, seats in the back, weird little tiered platforms along the sides of the hall on the ground floor. I always find myself noticing the awkward vibe at shows lately. Lots of people standing around, staring at the stage in dull rapture, occasionally mouthing some of the lyrics, bobbing their heads in time (or at least what they consider to be in time), tapping their feet. What ever happened to standing room only venues like the International Ballroom? I just don't get excited at concerts anymore. Half of me thinks it's the fault of the band and the other half blames the lame crowds. I'm probably just going to the wrong shows. Anyway, hope you enjoyed that non sequitur. Go see a show at the Variety. No smoking, if you're into not smelling terrible.
Anyone ever take microbiology? I'm not referencing gross bacteria but rather, when you have to count colonies, sometimes there are just too many to count (TMTC). I realized the other night when I was at Variety for Gnarles Barkley that the number of shows I have seen at Variety is TMTC.
Variety is a great place to see a show. It is a good sized venue but not so big that it feels impersonal. You can always get up good and close (sometimes you have to elbow your way up there) but because there are no seats in front of the stage, you are always guaranteed front row access if you want it bad enough. They have a balcony in case you want to escape the craziness on the floor. They have a decent amount of bathrooms so you never feel like you are waiting too long. Variety also does not allow smoking inside but they do have a smoking patio which is really nice if you don't want to smell like a dirty ashtray at the end of the evening (I go next door after the show for that). Also, the sound is usually really good and it's small enough so you can see what's going on on-stage no matter where you sit/stand.
The only complaint that I have heard (but doesn't really affect me since I'm not a liquor drinker) is that they do not serve liquor. They have beer and wine which serves me fine. They also have snacks (popcorn and pizza) in case you are starving. The staff is friendly and (knock on wood) I have never seen an altercation break out (I'm sure it's happened but the crowd tends to be pretty chill).
The one final thing that I love about Variety is that you can by-pass Ticket-F$$$er and buy your tickets directly from Variety. I think they only have a $2 or so surcharge.
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I've seen some of my favorites @ Variety. They are booking better and better shows. For awhile they seemed to be headed in the icky jam band direction, but they are back on course! They had Mike Ness last week, Devotchka last night, X will be there with the Detroit Cobras on May 29th, I mean come on!
The venue has plenty of seating, 2 bars (beer and wine only), clean bathrooms, great views from the seats, floor, or balcony. The sound guy kicks ass (more bands need to shut up and listen to the man! he knows what he knows.). Go, go, go and grab a drink @ the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club before you do!
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Jonathan Richman (with no Modern Lovers)...5 stars.
Sparce Atlanta Crowd...1 star.
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We tend to forget our roots. We will fill Variety Playhouse for a bunch of wannabe bullshit "pop punk" bands with their MTV style and 'on empty' substance and ignore the originator.
However, better for those of us that remember to be up close and personal with a legend in this smallish sweatbox with poor sound quality, than to fight the masses for a band who will be forgotten tomorrow.
Small venue, good beer, good headliners, but too hot, with muddled sound that confuses and uninspires.
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One of my favorite places to see a show in Atlanta, and I feel like I have been to a lot of them. I have prob seen 15-20 shows at the variety over the past 2 years, and am always a little sad when I don't see anything on their schedule that tickles my fancy. A quick list of the reasons:
-Great sound: Loud and crisp when they mix it right, and the acoustics are good most everywhere in the building.
-Everyone in the venue has a great view- Because of the geometry of the place, there are no obstructed view seats (unless you're standing behind me, b/c I'm pretty tall). And you can get very close to the stage due to the general admission section at the front of the stage, where there always seems to be a lot of room.
-You can get 6 bottled beers at a time from the bar- This might sound a little boorish but if you are buying for a friend or two (or alone), not having to constantly go back to the bar is huge. They even put them in a 6-pack holder. This is one of the only places I have ever seen that does it, but it is huge.
That about does it. This is also my first Yelp review, so you can see I love the place. See you at Girl Talk in October!
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This is, by far, my favorite place to see a show in Atlanta, primarily because I've gotten old. Having cut my concert teeth in Athens, my musically-inclined hometown, I'd like to think that I can rock out with the best of 'em. Sadly, it just ain't so anymore. I can no longer attend shows that begin at 11:30 on a school night, nor can I jam front and center (without earplugs mind you), drinking tons of booze and inhaling ridiculous amounts of smoke. Those days have come and gone. Luckily, I have the Variety Playhouse to entertain my grown-up notions of what concerts should be. Recently, when I attended the Stars show, I SAT (this is capitalized for effect, folks) upstairs with the other thirtysomethings and really enjoyed a smoke-free (and alcohol-free for me) show. It was truly wonderful, perhaps one of the best concert experiences of my life. Who says getting old has to suck? Thanks to the Variety Playhouse, we can still have a rockin' good time. And, should we feel the need to relive the days of our past, we can always head downstairs where all of our favorite concert activities of yesterday (drinking tons of booze, dancing around wildly, hugging the stage, screaming all of the words to all of our favorite songs, locking our eyes firmly on the hot bassist, etc.) are well represented.
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I met Ryan when we agreed to attend a Clap Your Hands Say Yeah show here. Oh, those times when the better half was just a dear friend! So, of course, The Variety Playhouse hold dear memories for me. But beside this, and the fact that people actually LOVE this venue, I have to say I like it. And there is comfort for everyone: if you want to dance in the orchestra-front stage area, you're welcome to bump into your neighbor's tush...if you want to sit and sip beer, there you go!...you have the side tables with plastic chairs...and if you want the classic theater experience, just sit on the squeaky, metallic central chairs.
I've attended many shows here, and never been disappointed. If you hang out for a little while in the lobby after the shows, you might be lucky and meet your favorite artists...that's how I met Elvis Perkins, who I'm sure at this point doesn't have a clue of who I am, but he was pretty impressed at the fact he has a Venezuelan fan (LOL!)
One star falls off for smell...yes, it's me, aroma snob. It smells terribly bad. Sorry peeps, but I'm selective when it comes to this particular element regarding ambiance. This said, make sure you attend a show there. You'll love it!
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If the band you want to see is too big for The EARL, Variety is a great locale. Tons of room, so that even when the show is sold out you can find a good spot on the floor, on the side or in the balcony. And most of the acts that play here are great. Not much to dislike, really.
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After my first show at the Variety Playhouse, I have to say it was a good venue. They had a good beer selection and the audio for the opener sounded great, but I was sitting at a table then. This place loses a star because once the main act came on stage, I moved up to the front of the stage, and I really couldn't hear much of the audio at all. It was still a great show, but when I can't hear with what's going on, it takes away a bit of the magic.
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I love this spot. It's one of the first places that I ever saw a show-and I am continually impressed even now at 31. Check out their website or just drive through on a Friday or Saturday-you might be surprised who you might find playing there :-)
Live, Lindsey Buckingham, Butch Walker.. and many more..
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I've had so many memorable concert experiences here. Dar Williams, Josh Ritter, Shawn Mullins, Broken Social Scene, The Cardigans, The National, etc., etc. I first went to this club in high school and it hasn't changed a whole lot since.
A gem of a venue, and a lovely size for a rock show. Not overwhelmingly large, and not so small that you feel claustrophobic.
For quieter, more intimate shows, the open floor space in front of the seats is filled with circular tables and chairs where you can sit pretty close to the stage and stare lovingly up at the performer(s). In more rocking, packed-house situations, the chairs up front are nowhere to be scene and the crowd is pretty raucous and sardine-like up front, squeezing in to dance and get as close as possible to the lip of the stage. There are seats starting 20 feet or so (don't count on my math here--I'm terrible at estimating distances), but when the show's rockin', no one actually sits, so don't count on having a relaxing time in a seat where you can see. (If you claim a seat hoping to sit and watch the show, you'll be sorely disappointed when everyone around you jumps up and blocks your view.)
There are riser-like standing-room-only areas on the left and right sides of the theatre where one can watch the show comfortably while leaning against the wall or against one of the bars that separates your riser's section from the next highest or lowest. There's an upper balcony, but I've never stood up there. Getting to the front is just so easy if you're there at a pretty timely hour.
A tip about tickets: avoid those nasty Ticketmaster fees by booking through the Variety Playhouse directly. There you'll have to pay their pesky ticket processing fee, which is usually just $2 a ticket instead of the ridiculous charges Ticketmaster purchases incur. Plus you're helping the local business itself instead of the huge conglomerate! Go to varietyplayhouse.com for more information. You have to sign up for the ticketing club to be able to order online, but they don't send any junk mail (truly) and it's really worth the discount if you even go just once.
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Eh. I go either way about this place. Overall, it's probably better than most other local venues. Half of the room is filled with fixed seating, so you can relax while watching the openers, and the headliners like me if you are lazy and don't feel like feeling your feet go to sleep beneath you.
They also have an overhead balcony where you can go and look down from above though I've never been up there for very long. Feels a bit too cramped.
Their bathrooms are pretty nasty. It's a club. In the lobby they have a little concession area that's a bit more overpriced than I'd like, but at least you have the option for a snack unlike several other places.
There's a smoking area outside where all the douchey smokers can go puff, instead of making your clothes smell like a campfire when you leave. Dudes still try to smoke their weed hidden in the crowd though. I never understood that. Some people need their faces smudged.
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Great place to get baked and listen to music. I saw Donna the Buffalo here---they were NUTS! In a very good way!
Bar is cash only but they do have a fake-looking ATM if you need funds
I was elated that they serve "sissy beer" (cider)--YES!!!!!!!!!!! Nibbles also available to tame those late night munchies
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Love love LOVE the Variety Playhouse. I miss it so!
Back when I lived in the ATL (and now when I come home to visit), my friends and I would go to Variety almost every weekend, just to see who was playing. Even if we had never heard of the band, we almost always had a great time and saw an incredible show. Tickets are usually pretty cheap and its not insanely crowded, so its a good spot to check out someone you've never heard of, just for the hell of it.
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One of Atlanta's best venues - I've seen artists from Arcade Fire to Built to Spill to Dr. John to the Flatlanders. I've gone here with my parents, gone with my little brother, gone with big groups and on dates. They have amazing international acts and shitty local bands.
There is seating and standing. Balcony. Smoking "porch" (read: alley). Small with energy. PBR and Sweetwater. Love this place.
If the snacks don't cut it, go get a mondo burrito afterwards from El Myr next door.
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L'il place w/ lots of love for it. Hosts lots of independent plays and I can't help but fall for the intimate feel. Location is great since there are plenty of places to eat in the area before or after your play/event.
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This would be my favorite major concert venue in Atlanta. If someone you like is playing there, go for it. It's perfect for those slightly bigger indie bands who have too many fans to fit into somewhere like the Earl.
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It's quirky and got some personality, and better than average selection of beers to choose from as Atlanta music venues go. I agree that there are too many seats and not enough standing room though. I always prefer to stand for shows, and there must be a ton of people like me since every show I see here the decent standing room spots fill up too fast. That being said, Variety is still a good place to catch bands before they get huge, or bigger bands playing a small venue for a more intimate show.
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Certainly one of the best venues to see music in Atlanta. From up-coming to major acts, I've seen Agent Orange, Fugees, The Roots, Elliott Smith, G love, Men at Work, Camper Van and countless others. A must visit music venue. The front area is for standing/dancing and the back area, including the second balcony, offers seats.
This, Star Bar and The Point (rip) were by far one of the reason what kept L5P vibrant.
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Very sweet (as in cool) music venue. Although it provides plenty of seating for an intimate place, people tend to stand during most shows. The balcony level overlooks the crowd, but gets pretty warm because heat rises ... in case you didn't learn that somewhere along the educational road.
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For the very limited and private shows this is the place to see them. Good sound, comfortable seats, and a kickass snack bar, if you haven't seen a show her make it a point to stop by.
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Give me that Banshee Beat, Animal Collective! Variety Playhouse brings the neighborhood good times. They bring a serious array of acts. Zap Mama, Neko Case, Sean Mullens, Taj Mahal. Local and international talent and they've been delivering for decades. The Animal Collective crammed 1000 excited fans bouncing and swaying to their eclectic sound. I love that Variety is right in the heart of Little 5 Points. I love that the owner is an avid yogi and wonderful, helpful man, I love the movie theater like concession stand and balcony, the audience crammed into every nook they can breath in. Variety is an institution to be paid homage to.
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I've seen two shows at Variety: Tegan & Sarah and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.
The Tegan & Sarah show was great. No complaints. But the sound at the Clap Your Hands show was off. When the band first came out on stage and started playing, the lead singer's mic wasn't turned on. They made it through half of the song before the sound guys figured it out. Even after his mic was turned on, the music sounded garbled all evening.
That said, Variety is an intimate venue that offers concert goers the choice between sitting quietly in the middle or balcony, standing to the side or jumping and moshing up front. There really aren't any bad seats and the Playhouse books a lot of great acts.
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Great place to see a good band. Excellent sound.
Highly preferred venue.
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The Variety Playhouse is a decent place to see a band in Atlanta, but it doesn't compare to the venues in the Bay Area. I wasn't expecting many seats since the tickets read "Limited Seating." This was quite the opposite. The "standing room" was only about 1/3 of all the floor space. The fact that the venue is small and they draw the bands I actually like (which is pretty rare in the South) is the only reason they get 3 stars. I definately won't be flying back to ATL just to see a band here.
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One of my favorite venues to see a show in Atlanta. Not too big not too small. Great sound system, I wish there were fewer seats and more standing room though. Would've received five stars but they no longer allow smoking in the venue, very lame.
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i agree with the person who said "great place to get baked and listen to love music."
my only complaint is that the variety tends to get overheated and stuffy. come on, people, it's atlanta! update your A/C system!
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I love small venues, and I always try to catch my favorite bands there before they blow up too big and start playing arenas. That's one reason why I flew from San Francisco to Atlanta to see Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at the Variety Playhouse. While Clap Your Hands was great as I expected I'm not here to rate their performance, but instead, to tell you about the mediocre venue where I saw them. I guess it's not fair because I am from San Francisco, which has more than its fair share of small, intimate concert venues, but that's all I have to go on. The Variety Playhouse is small and that's about all it has going for it. Our tickets listed "limited seating available," instead the majority of the space was occuped by old theatre seats that they failed to remove when they decided to turn this into a concert hall. The light guy also had no idea what he was doing. Lights are supposed to complement the band, not annoy the hell out of the audience. Sound was decent, but I've heard better. At the end of the day it's still a small venue, and I've got to give them credit for booking Clap Your Hands. It's just average though, I've been to much, much better places.
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