Best Live Music Venues Near Flint, MI

A night out with live music is a perfect way to shake off the stress of the workweek and enjoy some of our area’s historic venues. There’s always something for music lovers of all kinds. Here are some of our favorite spots to enjoy live music.

Capitol Theatre

Image via Flickr by thezenderagenda.com

Flint’s Capitol Theatre was built by architect John Eberson in 1928. Over the years, it’s undergone historical restoration, including the terracotta ornamentation on the building’s exterior. Further restoration has also recreated the interior ceiling, which looks like an open sky. The outdoor marquee and signage have also been restored, and the lighting and acoustics have been upgraded. All of this attention to detail means the best sound and experience for live shows.

Seating for concerts is on the main floor or the balcony, and every seat has a great view of the stage, along with excellent sound. The Capitol Theatre is host to acts like comedy duos, ballet companies, solo piano artists, traveling musical theater performances, dance troupes, and Flint music faculty concerts. Each performance is impeccably produced to showcase the talent.

Flint Local 432

For over three decades, Flint Local 432 has hosted thousands of bands for audiences of all ages. It’s one of the longest-running venues of its kind and part of Red Ink Flint, a nonprofit organization dedicated to youth exploration of the arts, including music, performance, electronic, and visual mediums. Its mission is inclusion and providing a space for young people of all ages to experience the music scene they are often excluded from because of age restrictions.

The music venue started as mainly a punk rock club, but it has expanded over the years to host bands of all kinds of musical styles: indie, rock, metal, hip-hop, and more. They have always tried to bring both regional and national bands to the stage. The historical roster includes underground favorites like Fugazi and Superchunk.

The space is also open to other kinds of artistic expression like theater performances, puppetry, film, dance groups, and the spoken word. In order to provide a safe space for young people, the club is strict about allowing no alcohol or drugs on the premises.

Sherman’s Lounge

Sherman’s Lounge has been a Flint fixture for 50 years, hosting local bands and serving drinks and food for a fun night of enjoying music and good company. Sherman’s has a full-service bar, and the kitchen is open until 1 a.m. most nights, serving bar snack favorites like jalapeno poppers, fried mushrooms, loaded tater tots, chicken wings, pizza, sandwiches, and salads. There are drink specials every day, and happy hour from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday.

Live music acts include country, rock, and much more, with a dance floor and an excellent atmosphere for letting loose and having a good time.

The Whiting

The Whiting is a 2,043-seat theater presenting traveling Broadway shows, live music, comedy acts, dance troupes. It is home to the Flint Symphony Orchestra and the annual Holiday Pops concert. Built in 1967, the building underwent a renovation in the late ’90s to restore the building to its former glory, inspired by European theaters and modern advances in sound and lighting.

In the lobby, “The Golden Sun” sculpture hangs suspended from the ceiling. It’s a 7-foot diameter golden sphere commissioned in the late ’60s from artist Harry Bertoia. The Italian-born Bertoia came to Michigan when he was 15 years old and learned metalworking and jewelry-making and was commissioned for multiple sculptural pieces around Detroit over his lifetime.

The sculpture stands as a beacon to the artists and guests who come to share in the live performances together.

Flagstar Strand Theater

The Flagstar Strand Theater in Pontiac is a multi-use space for concerts, meetings, or weddings. The showpiece Grand Theater is a 900-seat venue with two balconies, a private VIP box, and stunning period architecture that’s been lovingly restored. State-of-the-art acoustics and lighting mean the performances are rich in sound quality and beautifully lit. Once a month, from May to October, the music goes outside. The historic marquee becomes the stage and people enjoy the live music from the street below.

Before the show, concert-goers enjoy drinks from Charlene’s Theater Bar, adjacent to the beautiful lobby. The curved wooden bar is a gorgeous piece in its own right and is surrounded by tables and chairs, perfect for a relaxing beverage before, after, or during intermission of all ticketed performances. It can also be rented for private parties and small gatherings with live music.

The second floor of the theater can host up to 250 people for a standing event and 110 seated, with a full-service bar and access to the smaller Donor Lounge with large windows overlooking downtown Pontiac. It can be set up for any type of event, from an intimate wedding to a live music party reception.

The Crofoot

The building known today as The Crofoot was built in 1830 as part of Pontiac’s burgeoning downtown building boom. It was renovated in 1882 by Michael E. Crofoot, who made it his business home for many years. It’s the oldest commercial building in the county and has housed meat markets, barbers, lunch counters, photographers, tailors, and attorneys over its long and storied history.

The Crofoot Ballroom is a wide-open space with excellent acoustics that hosts up-and-coming musical acts along with veteran performers. Often there are multiple shows per week, and the venue presents a huge variety of musical styles. Seating is general admission and guests typically stand for the entire concert. There is some limited seating available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The venue can always accommodate special seating requests in advance. Most shows are for all ages.

The venue also presents musical acts in the Pike Room, a smaller venue with a bar that’s also general admission with standing room. Outdoor events are presented in the festival grounds outside the theater.

Whether you want to see the symphony or hear a local band, that’s our list of great venues in and around Flint. Did we miss any? Feel free to contact us and let us know where you like to enjoy live music.