Brainerd
* Featured venue: The Comedy Catch.
* Phone number/address: 3224 Brainerd Road. 622-2233.
* What it offers: A stage for local comedians and national touring acts to make with the funny.
* He said: "We feature national touring, headlining comics that our customers are able to see in a warm, intimate environment and meet and greet after the shows. That's all for a price comparable to a movie." -- Michael Alfano, owner
* Other hot spots: Bud's Sports Bar (5751 Brainerd Road), Chattanooga Food and Drink (5647 Brainerd Road), The Electric Cowboy (5600 Brainerd Road).
North shore
* Featured venue: Tremont Tavern
* Phone number/address: 266-1966. 1203 Hixson Pike.
* What it offers: Local acts often get their start performing at the tavern's popular open-mike night before graduating to larger venues' stages.
* He said: "It's a true neighborhood bar. Even though we have people coming from a wider area, it's supported by the people in the North Chattanooga/Riverview area. Every night you go down, you'll see people you know coming down to eat some great food and experience good beers from all over the world. A lot of the people playing there are from the community as well. It's all about the community." -- Dustin Choate, owner
* Other hot spots: Ziggy's Hideaway (607 Cherokee Blvd.), The Lowdown (306 Cherokee Blvd.), Mudpie Restaurant (12 Frazier Ave.).
East Brainerd/Hamilton Place
* Featured venue: The Palms at Hamilton.
* Phone number/address: 6925 Shallowford Road No. 202. 499-5055.
* What it offers: Happy-hour drink specials with nightly music (karaoke and live) inside and out on the patio.
* She said: "We're not just nightlife. We're a restaurant, too. That makes us unique. We have dinner, outside dining and three lounges. After 9 p.m. the music kicks in, and the place becomes something else entirely." --Louise Gray, owner
* Other hot spots: Chattanooga Billiards Club East (110 Jordan Drive), Fanatics (7601 East Brainerd Road), Spectater's Sports Bar and Grill.
From jazz bars to underground rock clubs, there's a stage for almost every musical taste within walking distance of one another in downtown Chattanooga.
That the city has so many venues and clubs packed into such a small area is a feather in the city's cap, said Mike Dougher, who manages Rhythm & Brews (221 Market St.) a club that attracts many big-name national touring acts to Chattanooga.
"Chattanooga is extremely safe, in my opinion, and you can wander around from place to place and not drive," Mr. Dougher said. "I deal with out-of-towners every day coming in to see our shows, and they love that they can get a room, walk two blocks, get a great meal at any of a dozen restaurants and then walk over to our venue to see a great show without getting in a car.
"It's a huge selling point for Chattanooga."
Rhythm & Brews itself is connected to a popular downtown restaurant and brewery, Big River Grille & Brewery (222 Broad St.).
In recent years, established bars and clubs like Rhythm & Brews, Blue Orleans (1463 Market St.) and the Chattanoogan hotel's Foundry lounge (1201 Broad St.) have been joined by newcomers like The Terminal Brew House (6 E. 14th St.) and JJ's Bohemia (231 M.L. King Blvd.).
The Market Street Tavern (850 Market St.) is another newcomer to the area with nightly live performances ranging from Appalachian music to regional rock bands.
The Tavern has helped fuel the local music scene by offering a stage where area musicians can build an audience among patrons attracted by the promise of entertainment without a cover charge.
"When we first opened, we were trying to develop regional bands coming in, but as time passed, we realized our bread and butter are local bands," said Market Street Tavern co-owner Dustin Choate. "Since then, we've dedicated ourselves to supporting them more than anything else."
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Casey Phillips has worked as a features reporter in the Life department for three years. He writes about entertainment, young adults, animals and people of interest. Casey hails from Knoxville and earned a bachelor of science degree in journalism and a bachelor of arts in German. He previously worked as the features editor for Sidelines at Middle Tennessee State University. Casey received the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists Award of Excellence for Reviewing/Criticism in ...
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