Live Music Concert Venues in Beverly, MA

Beverly, Massachusetts sits on the coast of Massachusetts just north of Boston. Not as steeped in famous history as its neighbors, Salem or Gloucester, Beverly has still got that northern New England seacoast charm. With a thriving downtown and a growing arts scene, including a yearly festival, Beverly also has plenty to offer fans of live music at a variety of venues catering to diverse musical tastes.

The North Shore Music Theater (Dunham Rd, (978) 232-7200) has, of course, plenty of off-Broadway versions of famous and beloved Broadway shows. According to its website, it’s the largest non-profit theater in New England. But it also hosts celebrity concerts during the summer months. Acts in the past have included folk favorites Peter, Paul & Mary, The Beach Boys and even Jethro Tull.

The Pickled Onion Bar & Grille (355-357 Rantoul St., 978-232-3973 ) describes itself as “the hub of Beverly social life.” Located in downtown Beverly on one of the town’s trendiest streets, the venue has live music Friday and Saturday showcasing local bands and solo performers. There’s also an open mic night Thursdays for all comers. There’s no cover charge and the music plays from 9:30PM half past midnight. The Pickled Onion serves more than pickled onions with menus for adults and kids and a special pizza menu. Other eateries featuring regular or occasional live music in Beverly, MA. include the Organic Garden CafÃ?© & Juice Bar (294 Cabot St., 978-922-0004). Another venue is Yanks Restaurant (technically in Beverly’s Farm, 717 Hale St., 978-232-9898) which has live jazz for patrons on Friday and Saturday nights.

Other eat/listen-to-live music venues in Beverly include Kitty O’Shea’s (298 Cabot St. 978-927-0300 a small, Irish-themed pub which has live music several nights a week in the form of local rock acts and Cracker’s Pub (104 Cabot St, 978-922-8909) and The Northern Grind Coffee House (200 Rantoul St., 978-922-9288.

Beverly is home to several colleges including Endicott College (376 Hale St. 800-325-1114) which is located on along the Beverly shoreline and features beautiful, cliff-side views of the ocean. It also provides a venue for live music with the 550 seat Wax Center Auditorium and the 2200-seat MacDonald Gym. These venues bring live, touring bands, usually college/alternative rock acts to Endicott for college sponsored concerts. Some are closed to the public, but many are open to outside fans including those from other area colleges.

Gordon College (2555 Grapevine Rd, Wenham, 978-927-2300) is located in nearby Wenham, MA. Gordon offers live music frequently including quite a bit of classical music including operettas, symphonies and an ongoing classical music series featuring “nationally known” performers. There are also visiting jazz musicians and performances by college and local ensembles. The two main venues for live music at Gordon are the Phillips Recital Hall, an “intimate” 125 seat theater and the A.J. Gordon Chapel.

Don’t let the lack of witches or George Clooney movie sets keep you from exploring live music in Beverly, MA. There are large and small settings for many genres of music.