Introducing ‘Santa Barbara Independent’ Live Music Venues

Projects develop in a myriad of different ways at the Independent, and our newest online entertainment channel — Santa Barbara Independent Live Music Venues — came together when a friend from out of town was looking for a place to perform. Despite the enormous amount of information found on our website and on the interwebs, I quickly realized there wasn’t an easy way to find out which venues offered live music in town. 

Not long after I put that idea into the “cool things to do someday” pile, I interviewed a potential intern, Tiana Molony, who was going through the master’s in journalism program at New York University. Not only did she have some knowledge of the local music scene, having grown up in Santa Barbara, she also had some understanding of both journalism and web production, and even better, she was game for diving into this special project. 

It was in the late summer of 2023 that this project really began to take shape. Now, finally, after almost a year of Tiana working closely with our Web Content Manager Don Brubaker, our Calendar Editor Terry Ortega, our Copy Chief Tessa Reeg, and our Publisher Brandi Rivera (not to mention simultaneously writing stories for the Indy and finishing up her graduate studies at NYU), we’re excited to present Santa Barbara Independent Live Music Venues, which is LIVE ON our website at independent.com/santa-barbara-live-music-venues.

Here you’ll find an invaluable tool that provides detailed information on the city’s live music venues, making it easier for musicians and music lovers to discover which places host live music, from intimate jazz lounges to bustling dance clubs playing everything from blues and jazz to rock, pop, and electronic music.

Whether you’re a band searching for a suitable stage or a concertgoer exploring the local scene, Santa Barbara Independent Live Music Venues is your go-to guide, featuring various venues, from cozy pubs to grand theaters, each offering a unique musical experience. And in addition to venue listings, the database includes information on upcoming events, contact details, and location specifics.

Not only that, but if you’re a band or a venue, when you enter your events into our Event Calendar at independent.com/events, they will automatically be added into Santa Barbara Independent Live Music Venues at the same time. And this is a living, ever-evolving document, so if your Santa Barbara County venue is not listed and you would like it to be, or if your venue is listed but needs to be updated, please email us at venues@independent.com and we’ll do our best to keep everything as up-to-date as possible. 

And our Advertising Director Sarah Sinclair won’t forgive me if I don’t mention that advertising opportunities are available at advertising@independent.com.

You can check out Santa Barbara Independent Live Music Venues at independent.com/santa-barbara-live-music-venues. We can’t wait to hear what you think.