Today, we’re introducing you to Barrelhouse Ballroom, Chattanooga’s newest music venue — at a location you may be pretty familiar with.
In February, we talked about the changes coming to Market South. Now, we’ve got more nitty gritty details from Mike Monen of Monen Family Restaurant Group on the music venue opening Sept. 16.
Five Wits Brewing Co. will anchor the entire space — aka, while the music venue is called Barrelhouse Ballroom, the full name is “Barrelhouse Ballroom at Five Wits Brewing Co.” Speaking of the name, where did it come from? Beyond beer being stored in barrels, it’s derived from barrelhouse blues, a music genre that was popular back in pre-prohibition days when alcohol flowed straight from the barrel.
🎸 The music venue
The venue will feature:
- A 30 ft. stage.
- VIP Risers — during popular shows, these seats will cost a bit extra. During other shows, they’ll be open to anyone.
- ~500-person capacity (on paper, it’s more than that, but they don’t want folks feeling packed in like sardines).
- A variety of acts — because of its size, the venue is perfect for great local and regional performers, but can also attract exciting national talent. Not to name drop, but Mike Dougher (who’s been behind the talent at Songbirds and Riverfront Nights, among others) will be booking all shows and mentoring Monen + his team along the way.
- Lighting + audio components that can compete with the best in the southeast.
- No obstructed lines of sight for a clear view of the stage no matter where you stand.
🍺 The food + drink
Eggman Bagelry + Five Wits Table and Taproom will continue operating out of the Five Wits space. New to the venue will be:
- Slow Rise Reprise | The return of the Roman-style pizza will be available by-the-slice on show nights in the area where Milk & Honey temporarily dwelled.
- Another bar | Besides the Five Wits taproom, the venue will also feature a bar along the wall shared with the outdoor patio (which will come alive once more) + a new bar in the former lounge space.
- Another bathroom | If you don’t have show tix but are at Five Wits, you can still use the loo.