ArtFRONT

ArtFRONT's Venue Reviews

~R.

~R

Barking Legs Theater

In addition to the larger concert halls Chattanooga is home to one of the most intimate venues for some of the more intelligent audiences and performances in this region of the country. Originally designed as a theater for modern dance performance, Barking Legs has developed a community awareness and loyalty. Local arts minded fans have been heard to say, "I try to go to see all the shows at barking legs." I have been amazed at full house crowds attending performances of poetry readings by students at the local university to multimedia theatrical productions & exquisite musical performances that may be "over the heads" of the mainstream popular music listener. For example the recent Andrew Bird concert packed the venue and had people sitting on the floor, literally at the feet of this dazzling performer.

Barking legs Theater holds appx. 175. There is a PA and a dimmer system with 16 channels available and a central spot for a video camera set up. Beer & other beverages can be purchased in the lobby before a performance, and thank God there is no smoking inside. The merchandise counter is in a spot that everyone has to pass by.

http://www.barkinglegs.org/Music/index.html

Chattanooga's Memorial Auditorium

is an excellent civic concert hall with a capacity of 3,866 seats in the main auditorium, and a smaller upstairs community theatre with a capacity of 1,012. It has gone through two major renovations and upgrades to it's acoustics & amenities and has been host to many of the biggest names in entertainment throughout it's long history. A complete description of the auditorium with photos can be viewed at this link:

and a detailed listing of all the technical, acoustic and theatrical equipment and amenities can be seen at: http://www.chattanooga.gov/showplaces/memorialtechspecs.htm

Chattanooga’s Historic Tivoli Theatre

Often called the "Jewel of the South," the dazzling Tivoli Theatre has been at the center of Chattanooga's cultural scene since 1921. Completely renovated and expanded in 1989, it combines the best of 1920's baroque elegance with 1990's state-of-the-art facilities and technology. The Tivoli has hosted concerts from blues to bluegrass and classical to country; plus dance, opera, great American films and the best of Broadway. With its ample stage depth and first-rate backstage and rehearsal facilities, the Tivoli can accommodate virtually any type of musical or theatrical production.

FEATURES:

• Seating: 1,762 total (1,012 orchestra, 78 loges, 624 balcony, 24 upper boxes, 24 lower boxes).
• Floating oak stage, 44 ft. curtain line to rear wall.
• Proscenium opening: 47'8" wide by 26' high.
• New dressing rooms: Four star dressing rooms with spacious vanities, good lighting, private baths with showers, and comfortable furnishings. Two chorus dressing rooms with showers and all amenities.
• Rehearsal room (60' x 31') with mirrored walls, ballet barre and floating wood dance floor. This room is also equipped with lighted make-up mirrors and can be used as additional dressing room space.
• Beautiful "green room" with kitchenette. This multipurpose room can be used for press conferences, receptions, or as a show office.
• New hydraulic orchestra pit; can be raised to stage level to create a thrust stage.
• State-of-the-art sound and lighting systems.

The Tivoli’s history & photos can be viewed at: http://www.chattanooga.gov/showplaces/tivolifacts.htm

Complete Technical specifications can be viewed at http://www.chattanooga.gov/showplaces/tivolitechspecs.htm

LaMar's

Another Intimate venue, LaMar's has become a "cult" fixture in the local indie music scene. A surprising number of the bands which are played on local college radio have played here, including Cat Power, Dressy Bessy & Ladybug Transistor, Songs Ohia, Superdrag and others who escape my memory. Nearly any local band can get a gig here as well.

LaMar's is a hotel on Martin Luther King Blvd. with a bar that has the reputation of fixing some of the strongest liquor drinks in town. Because of this it is quite the smoky hangout, which sometimes is detrimental to the performances since the patrons spread out between the bar, restaurant area and the performance space, which are not in the same rooms but are connected by a hallway. It is also quite the social scene with well lubricated versions of the local "sophisticated indie crowd" gabbing away at each other, often during the sets and right under the noses of the musicians. During the "Songs Ohia" concert the crowd was largely milling around, many with their backs turned to the musicians. After a very short set, the unsmiling band members packed up their gear and left while the chatty drinkers seemed oblivious that the party had ended. Also the crowd tends to thin out early due to the fact that even the hardcore cigarette huffers can't seem to handle the toxic gas chamber they have created for very long without having an asthma attack.

Nevertheless LaMar's has a sort of creepy charm to it. The acoustics are not the worst in town. The dingy wallpapered decor gives the feel of a smarmy lounge & the layout, a cube shaped banquet room with high ceilings and small balconies and a tiny stage allows a close up experience.

There is currently a clique of indie aficionados who are booking some pretty interesting shows here and their comrade who DJ's the very same music every night on the influential WUTC 88.1 radio show gives these shows plenty of on-air promotion. Even so, expect a smallish crowd, 60 or maybe 80 on a big night, since LaMar's is still a local in-crowd secret of sorts.

I suggest that any band who wants to play here develop an onstage presence that demands the audience pay attention. Slightly aggressive wouldn't hurt, although the small space doesn't need overpowering volume. Just remember, despite the thrift-store fashion show, these people are drunk and they all know each other, so the band needs to be able to capture their attention. I'd suggest playing at a level slightly above the audience’s ability to croak through the smoke at each other. You'll need your own P.A. and a sound guy, unless You're impressive enough to get a local promoter to spring for it, if You think it's necessary in this small space. And unless You can really dazzle 'em expect to wrap up the show before everyone splits in pursuit of cheaper beer and fresher air elsewhere in town.

Chattanooga, Tennessee is at a major interstate crossroads with I-75 connecting to Atlanta and Knoxville intersecting just south of downtown with I-24 to Nashville and I-55 to Birmingham. Atlanta and Nashville are each a two hour drive away. Knoxville is slightly closer and Birmingham approximately 3 hours. In addition New Orleans is a seven hour drive, Chicago Detroit and Washington DC are each approximately 10 hour drives. and there are dozens of venues that touring performers can reach within just a couple hours drive from Chattanooga. The local municipal airport connects to most of the major hubs in the east including Hartsfield International in Atlanta, Charlotte & Memphis and offers intermittent non-stop flights to Chicago & Daily Round Trip flights to & from New York City. Detroit and the western U.S. is accessible several times daily from Nashville's Airport.