Crowded rooms, live music, a chill atmosphere and singing along with a band at the top of someone’s lungs.
It’s the kind of scene some college students crave during a free weekend.
Students might think they need to pack their car full of friends and head
to Dallas to find it. Places in and around Tyler are making names for
themselves with their memorable live music.
During the day if you walk into Clicks, a bar featuring new and old bands, off of Troup Highway and the Loop, you will find some regulars at the bar and a few friends getting competitive with a game of pool. Nothing too crowded, just one person working the bar, giving herself plenty of time to give customers some small talk. But at night, it turns into a hot spot for people ages 18 and up to listen to live music.
Different nights appeal to different crowds. On Tuesdays, they host Two-Step’n country music night and Wednesday they have karaoke and pool tournaments. During weekends they have local rock bands perform. Every night can be a different crowd, but students are sure to find some familiar faces too. Clicks offers more than just different theme nights and a bar.
“Other than the live music, which is kind of obvious, we have the biggest diverse atmosphere ever,” Nicole Whiticker, former Tyler Junior College student and waitress at Clicks, said.
To check out bands coming to Clicks soon students can go to their website clickslive.com. This fall they will have 10 Years and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus perform later in October.
If students are not looking for a loud rocking and rolling night, they can try Fresh by Brookshire’s off of Old Jacksonville highway. Fresh also has a broad range of music.
“We have free Wi-Fi and plenty of space to stretch out to study or enjoy some delicious food at our 801 Grill. Be sure to linger on our Back Patio, which plays host to special events, including live music, making it a favorite hangout for food-lovers, music-lovers and just about everyone else in and around Tyler,” Myste Snow, Sales/Marketing manager at Fresh, said.
Fresh books local talent, and this weekend is all smooth jazz on the patio. If students want to know more about what’s happening at Fresh, they can look on their calendar of events on their Facebook page.
If students are looking for a place on campus to hear live music, they can go to Venue squared, hosted by LasMascaras once a month. It is a night of performances by students, faculty, staff and Las Mascaras alumni in the Jean Browne Theater. You can find Venue on Saturday Oct. 20, Nov. 10, and Dec. 1.
Tyler isn’t the place for a night on the town like some students are used to, but it’s safe to say there is always live music to hear close by. To find live music playing in and close to Tyler go to eventful.com/tyler, and LagodelPino.com. And for tickets to concerts go to ticketmaster.com.
Delaney Bentley
Staff Writer