Who doesn’t love music? There is something magic about melody and rhythm that speaks to people, uniting them across every genre. The pulse of the South beats with musical destinations of international stature and influence. Rock and country, bluegrass and hip hop are just a few of the sounds coursing through the blood of these lyrical cities. ConventionSouth sings the praises of some of the best places for groups to get in the groove and make meetings a hit.
The Shoals, Alabama
The recording studios of The Shoals region—which includes the northwest Alabama cities of Muscle Shoals, Florence, Tuscumbia, and Sheffield—have drawn music royalty, including Cher, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Paul Simon, Bob Seger, and The Rolling Stones.
Muscle Shoals is known as the “Hit Recording Capital of the World.” The city shot to fame in 1961 when Arthur Alexander recorded the hit “You Better Move On” at FAME Recording Studios. That song launched the Muscle Shoals Sound, a blend of country, soul, rock, gospel, and R&B.
FAME still operates today, along with Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, founded in 1969 by a group of studio musicians known as The Swampers. Both have become popular tourist attractions that offer tours. Other studios in the area include Cypress Moon Studios in a building where Etta James, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jimmy Buffett, and others have recorded. Wishbone Studios has worked with country music superstars such as Kenny Rogers, George Strait, and Hank Williams, Jr.
The Alabama Music Hall of Fame in Tuscumbia celebrates the state’s musicians and musical heritage. The 12,500-square-foot exhibit hall displays memorabilia from inductees, who include Tammy Wynette, Hank Williams, Lionel Richie, and W.C. Handy. The collection highlights country, gospel, blues, rock, and bluegrass acts. Rental space includes the museum atrium and the outdoor grounds.
“The Muscle Shoals area provides an excellent place to meet, network, and play,” says Susann Hamlin, president and CEO of the Colbert County Tourism & Convention Bureau. “One-of-a-kind attractions like the coon dog cemetery, Dawson Distillery, and the Rattlesnake Saloon create great memories.”
Owensboro, Kentucky
There’s good reason the fourth most populous city in Kentucky is officially nicknamed the Bluegrass Music Capital of the World. Bluegrass music originated in Kentucky, and Bill Monroe, known as the “Father of Bluegrass,” was born in nearby Rosine. The Ohio River town of Owensboro houses the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum with 9,000 square feet of active exhibit space, the inductee room, and a collection that includes a banjo played by Pete Seeger. The hall is home to the Kentucky State Fiddle Championship and produces the annual Romp Festival, a multiday international bluegrass music festival. Live music frequently takes place on an outdoor stage and at the 447-seat Woodward Theater. Several indoor and outdoor spaces can be rented, including the hall itself and a 4,000-square-foot event room, and group tours can be arranged.
Beyond bluegrass, the Owensboro Symphony has been a music staple in the western Kentucky town for more than half a century. Live music venues in the area feature a wide variety of sounds, from Appalachian music to country, folk, and Kentucky metal.
The main meeting space is downtown’s Owensboro Convention Center. With nearly 102,000 square feet of space, the facility offers a 44,000-square-foot exhibition hall, multiple ballrooms, and the 8,900-square-foot Kentucky Legend Pier set over the Ohio River.
Denton, Texas
“Music is part of Denton’s DNA,” touts Discover Denton. The Texas college town has its musical roots in jazz, but Denton’s music scene covers myriad genres, with live music almost every night.
Situated within the Dallas-Forth Worth metroplex, Denton is the birthplace of five-time Grammy Award-winning American jazz fusion band Snarky Puppy, which was formed by students in the Jazz Studies program at the University of North Texas (UNT). Indeed, the well-respected College of Music at UNT contributes to Denton’s musical clout; the school was the first to offer a degree in jazz and is considered among the top programs in the world.
“The charming city boasts a dynamic and thriving music culture that’s as diverse as it is lively,” says Emily Bain, director of marketing for Discover Denton.
The popular Andy’s, located in an 1877 building on downtown’s historic square, has a concert venue, hand-crafted cocktail lounge, and underground bar and is available for private events. Dan’s Silverleaf and Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios are two of the area’s most iconic music venues. And the city is peppered with theaters and concert halls, including the 1,074-seat Margo Jones Performance Hall at Texas Woman’s University.
Annual events include the Industrial Street Pop Festival (known as “Geezerpalooza”), Denton Arts & Jazz Festival, Make Music Day, and Denton Blues Festival.
Denton Convention Center has 70,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space and an adjoining 318-room Embassy Suites by Hilton. Altogether, the city offers more than 2,500 hotel rooms.
“Denton’s unique blend of vibrant music scenes and versatile meeting spaces make it a top destination for any group,” Bain says. “Denton offers a range of one-of-a-kind venues coupled with a welcoming and friendly community, making it an ideal locale for successful events.”
Shreveport-Bossier, Louisiana
The famous Louisiana Hayride country music radio and TV show originated from Shreveport, a northwest Louisiana town along the Red River. And that’s just part of the area’s rich music history.
“Shreveport-Bossier is home to a storied and diverse musical heritage,” says Stacy Brown, president and CEO of Visit Shreveport-Bossier. “The stage of the beautiful Art Deco Municipal Auditorium catapulted Elvis, Hank Williams, and Johnny Cash into international stardom. Elvis’ lead guitarist, James Burton, still lives here. Lead Belly was from our area. Former governor Jimmie Davis lived in Shreveport when he wrote ‘You Are My Sunshine.’ In more recent years, Shreveport natives Kix Brooks, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Jordan Davis have climbed the charts. Shreveport-Bossier’s music scene is thriving.”
Called the “Festival Capital of North Louisiana,” the Shreveport-Bossier area hosts more than 60 annual events, such as Mardi Gras celebrations, Highland Jazz & Blues Festival, and Let the Good Times Roll Juneteenth Festival celebrating African American culture with soul, gospel, hip hop, and R&B performances. The area also has a wide selection of live music venues, including J.O.S.H. Lounge (standing for jazz, old school, and heritage).
Several top casino-hotels are located in the Shreveport-Bossier area, such as Bally’s Shreveport and Horseshoe Bossier City. The Shreveport Convention Center is a state-of-the-art multipurpose facility with more than 350,000 square feet of space.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa has a sound all its own. The Oklahoma city is the birthplace of the Tulsa Sound—a music style pioneered by Leon Russell, Jimmy Markham, Roger Tillison, and JJ Cale mixing blues, country, rock, and swamp pop. Tulsa guitarist Paul Benjaman is expanding on the sound and frequently plays at The Colony and Mercury Lounge, two longstanding popular local music venues.
Two museums dedicated to folk music heroes sit side by side in the Tulsa Arts District. The Woody Guthrie Center honors the Oklahoma native, singer-songwriter, and social activist with exhibits and an archive dedicated to his life and legacy. The entire center is available for private events, as are three individual spaces. Next door, the Bob Dylan Center opened last year. Memorabilia and an archive consisting of more than 100,000 items tell the story of Nobel Prize-winning musician Dylan, who holds Guthrie in great esteem. Both centers are across from Guthrie Green, a public park offering a stage and music performances.
Not far away is the historic Cain’s Ballroom, built in 1924. Through the years, the iconic performance and dance hall has hosted musicians Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, and Tex Ritter and is most closely associated with Bob Wills, known as the “King of Western Swing.” The venue—with its classic silver mirror ball and four-foot neon star lighting the maple dance floor—is available to rent.
Tulsa offers several meeting facilities. Cox Business Convention Center recently completed a $55 million renovation and offers more than 275,000 square feet of event space. BOK Center has several event spaces, including a multipurpose arena with nearly 20,000 seats. The recently upgraded Mabee Center is a 105,000-square-foot facility with an arena that can seat 10,154.
Kansas City, Missouri
The jazz legacy of Kansas City in western Missouri was born in the 1920s and continues today at more than 40 area nightclubs that feature the smooth sound.
The American Jazz Museum in the 18th & Vine Historic District (known as the “Jazz District”) spotlights the uniquely American music through interactive exhibits, films, and education programs. The museum’s Blue Room offers performances every Friday, Saturday, and Monday and on select Thursdays.
Across the street from the museum is the renovated 1912 Gem Theater with its acclaimed “Jammin’ at the Gem” music series. Many venues offer live jazz and other music genres, including the intimate Phoenix and the iconic Green Lady Lounge. Don’t miss the late-night jam sessions at the Mutual Musicians Foundation Building, a National Historic Landmark. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is in the same building as the jazz museum, and the acclaimed Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque is just blocks away.
The architecturally stunning Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is the home of the Kansas City Symphony, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Kansas City Ballet. Its city views and acoustics are outstanding. The center’s event space includes two performance halls, a glass atrium lobby, and seven other unique spaces.
T-Mobile Center has been recognized as the eighth-busiest arena in the country and has hosted such names as Elton John and Garth Brooks. Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, provides open-air space for artists like Guns N’ Roses and Taylor Swift.
The “City of Fountains” offers more than 36,000 hotel rooms. The 800,000-square-foot Kansas City Convention Center complex is connected to major downtown hotels. And earlier this year, Kansas City International Airport opened its new $1.5 billion single terminal.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is a hotbed of music culture with deep roots in hip hop, Southern rap, and gospel music. The capital of Georgia has a thriving music scene and hosts dozens of festivals in parks throughout the city, some of which are free. Among the top events are Music Midtown, BeREGGAE Music & Arts Festival, Atlanta Jazz Festival, ONE Musicfest, Atlanta African Caribbean Fest, and Shaky Knees Music Festival.
The area is a cornucopia of live music spots—many of which offer event space—from large venues such as Mercedes-Benz Stadium drawing international music acts to small clubs like Red Light Café. Other well-known music venues are The Masquerade, Tabernacle, Terminal West, Variety Playhouse, Vinyl (part of a larger venue called Center Stage that includes Center Stage Theater and The Loft), and Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint (with both a downtown and an airport location). Among the best places for outdoor music are Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood and Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park.
“There is no shortage of places to hear all genres of music in Atlanta, from intimate listening rooms to world-class entertainment venues,” says William Pate, president and CEO of the Atlanta CVB.
Atlanta’s prime gathering space is the Georgia World Congress Center, with 1.5 million square feet of exhibit space. The center is part of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s 200-acre campus, which boasts it is the largest combined convention, sports, and entertainment campus in North America. More than 13,000 hotel rooms are nearby. Early next year, the campus will welcome the new 976-room headquarters hotel, Signia by Hilton Atlanta Georgia World Congress Center.
“Our hope is that convention attendees will explore our vibrant music scene and the multicultural music opportunities it offers,” Pate says.
