Iron City listed on 50 Amazing Small Music Venues across the US by Yelp & Vivid Seats

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Iron City
Iron City was recently named one of the top 50 Amazing Small Music Venues Across the US. Photo via Iron City on Facebook

In celebration of Small Business Saturday on November 30th, Yelp teamed up with Vivid Seats to highlight 50 amazing small music venues across the US. Do you know who made the cut? If you guessed Iron City in Birmingham—you’re right!

50 Amazing Small Music Venues Across the US

In March, many small music venues in Birmingham and across the United States were forced to close their doors. And while restaurants and retail shops have been able to re-open, small music venues still have a long, slow road ahead of them. Unsurprisingly, the prolonged shutdown of small music venues has affected a lot of livelihoods.

So, in celebration of these venues and their impact on the community, Yelp teamed up with Vivid Seats to highlight 50 independently-owned, highly-rated small music venues across the county. And of course, Iron City made the list. In addition, Yelp & Vivid Seats named Iron City Pizza Company as the “Place to eat”, while The Atomic Lounge made their “After-concert vibes” list.

“For decades, Alabama has been bastion of top-notch independent music venues. Through both Yelp and Vivid Seats data, we know that Iron City is highly rated and hosts an eclectic array of concerts. By spotlighting Iron City, we hope to raise awareness for the many superb small music venues that need support during these difficult times.”

Stephen Spiewak, Digital Content Marketing, Vivid Seats

Bham Now ❤️’s Iron City

Iron City exterior
Iron City Grill’s exterior on 6th Avenue South. Photo via Nathan Watson for Bham Now

It’s no secret that the Bham Now team loves Iron City. We’ve been to tons of concerts & parties at the venue—in fact, we hosted our 3rd birthday party at Iron City Grill last year. So we aren’t surprised to see Iron City get the national recognition it deserves!

Making the Most of a Difficult Year

Iron City
Who else misses big concerts at Iron City? Photo via Iron City on Facebook

It’s no secret that 2020 has been a difficult year for nearly everyone. But performing arts venues were one of the worst sectors hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. While many restaurants and retail spaces were able to open with limited capacity and social-distancing requirements, it was challenging for performing arts venues to safely re-open.

Midway through the year, the team came up with a new idea to bring live music to the people back home: Iron City Lockdown Sessions! These special performances, from artists like Taylor Hunnicutt, Bailey Ingle Josh Kinney, the Chad Fisher Trio and more were streamed live on Facebook for fans to tune in.

After careful planning and set-up, Iron City was able to re-open and host several fun events in 2020. They kicked off with the annual “A Nightmare on 22nd Street” Halloween Party—full of speciality cocktails, costume contests, live music and more. And we can’t forget when Rumours, a Fleetwood Mac Tribute Band, took to the stage at Iron City in November!

Despite the setbacks, the standout team at Iron City was able to make the most out of 2020.

Iron City Grill

Iron City Grill
Soooo many mouthwatering options at Iron City Grill. Photo via Nathan Watson for Bham Now

In addition to Iron City’s reputation as a nationally-renowned music venue, they also offer a delectable brunch menu at the Iron City Grill. In fact when Iron City Grill re-opened for dine-in and curbside back in September, they crafted an entirely new menu—and each dish was a winner! My favorite? Definitely the Alabama Cheese Grit Bowl.

Looking forward to the Future

Iron City

At Iron City, the future is looking bright. They’re closing out 2020 with the first “Funk 2020 New Year’s Eve Party!”. And if you can’t tell by the styling, the Funk 2020 New Year’s Eve Party! is going to be a 70’s-themed celebration of the year—complete with a band named “Lava Lamp”. Costumes are HIGHLY encouraged, so put together your best 70’s outfit and come celebrate the New Year.

The Funk 2020 New Year’s Eve Party! is 21+ ONLY.

In order to keep their guests and staff safe, Iron City will be enforcing several safety precautions during the party:

  • All patrons will be required to wear a mask when entering and moving around the venue.
  • Sanitizing stations will be available around the venue. Partitions are placed at the bar. Please keep your mask on when ordering.
  • Bar station and commonly touched areas will be cleaned throughout the show.
  • Iron City asks that you please maintain a six-foot distance between you and other concert-goers not in your party.

Excited to ring in the New Year at Iron City? Tag us @bhamnow with your photos!

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Nathan Watson
Nathan Watson

Senior Content Producer + Photographer

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