529

Didn’t give it 1 star because they’ve booked bands that I actually wanted to see. But I can’t go with more than 2 stars because I have gone there to see bands I wanted to see and couldn’t actually SEE them. It gets so shoulder-​to-​shoulder packed in there that you can’t move anywhere to get a view even if you wanted to. It’s like the only person in there having a good time is the 6’7″ guy standing in the middle and the people who don’t give a damn about the band to begin with.
So herein lies the problem. I went to a show one night and I was waiting in line and got all the way to the door where the door guy was and he stopped the line because the fire marshalls showed up randomly. So the door guy uses a little click counter to keep the head count as he lets people in the door. But he explained to me that he really only uses it for appearances in case the fire marshalls check in on them like that. They just need to see that he’s using it. He said that they were already over capacity at that point and was trying to roll his click counter back in case the marshalls came over to check the count.
So if they break the law that’s their business. But it also ruins the show for those of us that wanted to see the band. You’ve now let so many people in that you have already ruined the show. You’re already over capacity and you have a line down the block and they all got in.
The place is already a closet. Why not redesign the stage area? The whole merch area is just wasted space during the actual show. And take a couple minutes to check with tour managers and gauge the attendance numbers from previous tour stops. That will give you a real good idea whether you can handle the capacity. That is if you actually care about your patrons.

The woman who runs the sound board is awesome! The «bouncer» is pretty abrasive.

Overall this is a great bar but there was one HUGE error. The female bartender reused my pint glass pressing where my lips had been on the tap. If I had strep throat or any other sickness anyone who drank from the tap would get sick. I’ve worked in bars for twenty years. This is a health violation that is unforgivable.

Did I give this shithole a ONE STAR review the last time? Yup. I sure did. I’ve been to this place 5 times and every time I go I say to myself, «Why the fuck do I come here?» This last time I was there I can honestly say will be the LAST time. The girl behind the bar who looked like she’d rather eat glass than get me an over priced beer and a 10 dollar cover to see three bands? If I’m going to pay that kind of money it’s going to be in a good room with good people. This place just needs to go away.

Great bartenders and even better music!!!

Small, loud and cheap. Epitome of EAV. Also — the walk up window that’s open during events for «beer to go»!

Oooooooh, you wanted a quiet place for a PBR? 529 is probably not the bar/​venue for you.
Yeah, it’s cool that you and your hip friends can drink outside and order from the walk-​up, but it’s the musak venue I am after. Go take a look at your suburban walk-​in closet, and then add a bunch of amps, and gear. Now? Let’s mosh in your closet.
529 is the epitome of what a small, personal venue is meant to be with cheap beer, no-​nonsense venue, and the queen of all gay-​bars next door. Make my musak loud, my Kilt Drafty, and get sweaty with a bunch of dudes (no, not Mary’s). Local music, local beer, and the location are what keep me coming back to this hole.

This place was just ok for me. I came in with some friends for a cocktail. I decided to try a Cosmopolitan and the waiter tried his best for me. This place is a local dive. They have a venue for their free comedy called 420. When I came in the whole bar was enjoying their drinks and watching a Harvey Keitel movie. Everyone here was very friendly especially the bartender/​waiter/​owner Chris. I had a nice time.

This place only gets 2 stars because of the bands that play here. Door guy didn’t have any change. Like they hadn’t anticipated someone paying with 20’s, I guess ??? Had to stand out there for 15 – 20 minutes for someone to go get some. The layout is kind of awkward for bands. It’s «nut-​to-​butt» trying to squeeze through the narrow bar area on the way to the restroom, so be prepared to get acquainted with a few strangers. Atmosphere is pretty much, filled with High Life/​PBR drinking hipsters. Be prepared to be ignored unless you dress like an asshole.

Nice venue for release parties. It would a great night watching my boys drop an album «Sons of Heaven»

I like the cozy feel of the bar, and the fact that they have a stage where they regularly hold shows of all varieties. They also have a closed in patio area with a walk up window that I love. Overall, one of the better places to hang out in East Atlanta.

My positive experience at 529 reinforced something in my mind — sometimes, reading a lot of reviews on Unilocal is NOT the most accurate way to judge an establishment before actually going in person. I went to a show/​Halloween in April party last Thursday and had a good time. Yeah, it has a weird layout with the bathrooms on the left (and a nuisance if you are standing in between the doors — you can get knocked from both sides if they open at the same time) and the stage on the right, but even though it looks small, you can probably pack 50 people inside for a good show. I thought the sound was good and the energy palpable. The drinks were cheap, there was lots of parking and the smoke was tolerable. Why the fuck are people complaining so much?

Has some promise, but probably my least favorite place to see a show in Atlanta right now. The last two shows I saw had muddled sound. The layout is a cluster as you have to walk by the front of the stage to get in the main room. People at the front of the show don’t like to give their hard-​earned real estate up to passerbys… kind of a problem. Getting to the bathroom is near impossible if people are standing at the bar. Affordable drinks, but super smoky.
Finally, haven’t been to a show where the headliner went on before midnight. Fine for a weekend, but staying until 2am on a Tuesday? Dude, I know we’re in EAV and it’s ironic to have a job, but most people still have one.

529 is fastly becoming one of the better venues to see small acts… it has downfalls but good music, beer and a great divey atmosphere can fix anything.
The bar is, um, slender. It’s a little tight to get around the bar. The stage area is alright and when they open the space next door it really opens up.
Only 2 if those single person bathrooms so be prepared to wait in line. And, there’s not much space between the bar and the spot in front of the bathrooms so prepared to be cramped.
The bartenders rock and are fast! They do a good job considering I can barely hear myself talk and but they can hear my order somehow…
They also have an outside area which is good during the warmer months. I couldn’t tell exactly, but it looks like you can order drinks and sit in this little patio area. The bar has a ‘drive-​thru’ window so I think that is what it’s for.
This is a great place to see a band… AND, they have a lot of local shows and national touring acts that don’t quite fit into The Earl or the Masquerade.

I have mixed feelings about this place. First the not good. When I went, back in 2010, the layout was really cramped both at the bar and on the side where the performance space is. I’ve seen some other reviews that say they’ve expanded, I’m not sure what the status of that is at this point. Anyway, really cramped, zigzaggy layout. At the time, it was really treacherous actually moving out of the performance area to the bar. It almost seemed like a potential fire hazard.
I believe I ordered a beer when I was there, and it was less than some other spots so that was nice. 529 had only been open a couple months at most by that time.
Now for the good. I have really strong, positive memories about the show I saw here. Kid Stuff and some others opened for Future Islands. The Kid Stuff performance was WILD. I was not expecting to experience a mini-​rave before seeing Future Islands, in that way it was like 3 shows in one night, well worth whatever I’d paid for admission. This might have been the 1^st time Future Islands played Atlanta, and they were phenomenal. The lighting wasn’t the best but they put on a grand performance. Sam, their lead singer, was animated and every bit the front man. The shots I got from the show weren’t exactly what I’d hoped but I did manage to capture the spirit of that night in some of them.
So, to me 529 definitely has potential as a live music spot, I hope they do continue to expand and make the place a little easier to navigate, if so they will soon be one of the best places to see live music in the city.

529 might have beat out The Local as the smokiest place in Atlanta. I still don’t think I’ve recovered.
Apparently the expansion was temporary, as when I arrived they had placed a bunch of plywood along the side of the performance space. Not exactly high-​end up in here. They also had an incredibly annoying bright green light shining through the space, interrupting our ability to get in to the live music mindset. Must have been even more annoying for the performers.
I like the little patio outside, I like the $ 5 strong cocktails, and I like the fact that I accidentally left my debit card there and they held on to it. However, they *never* pick up their phone so don’t expect to get in touch with them that way.

529 has now opened up and expanded on the inside. The venue is a lot larger (about two times the size).
Still one of the best places to check out free or cheap shows in Atlanta with some great national and international acts coming through. There are now two sets of bathrooms as well.

hmm I’m teetering between a 3 and 4.
Layout: This is probably one of the weirdest laid out bars in atlanta I’ve been to. Very strange, counterintuitive, and who the hell planned it? Its like, you walk in, and there’s a long skinny bar. and further down the bathroom door is RIGHT THERE. and to the right there is the music venue, with pews? on the sides. What’s going on with the stage? And the patio is a triangle thats bursting at the seams onto Flat shoals. Literally I’ve seen people hanging off the rope onto the street. I think. These are the reasons I’d give it a 3.
Why I give it a 4.
Because at heart i’m a music lover. and cheap drinker.
529 showcases so many new and upcoming bands, its really nice to see local talent yet to be jaded by the industry.
Plus a walkup patio window for the bar. Our asian female bartender was really nice.
The ‘cover’- I paid $ 10 once, but I think its worth it to support local music.

While the shows and sound for this place seems pretty rad, the GIANT cloud of smoke sort of hurts the overall feel of the place.
Likes: the outdoor area, the bands featured, the crowd, the time shows start (roughly 10−11pm).
Dislikes: bar tenders’ attitudes and the cloud of cancer in the air.

While the sound of the place is great, there are some things that keep me from giving a stellar 5-​star review:
1. The management or sound guy bump shows to later times. I actually played a show here once and we were supposed to go on at 10. We weren’t allowed to play until 11:30. Mind you, all the «customers» were outside sitting at the tables. On top of that, when you go to see bands the same thing happens. I went to see a band on a Saturday night, and I don’t think it started until 1.
2. There’s only one women’s bathroom. And it breaks down. A lot.