Elkton Music Hall — Local services in Elkton

We recently moved from VT to Frederica, DE, and I fretted a bit about finding performances of the music/artists I like (acoustic singer/songwriter, folk, etc.) in intimate venues. I heard about Elkton Music Hall because of the John Prine tribute, and we bought tickets immediately!

My first impression was that the Music Hall is exactly what I left behind in VT and am so happy to find here. It's a bit of a drive from Frederica, especially when you're trying to avoid weekend tolls, but easy to find and well worth it. There are lots of little restaurants in the immediate vicinity and parking was a cinch. It's obvious that the venue will be the focal point in an arts and entertainment "district."

The inside is bigger than you realize from the outside. As you walk through the first room towards the stage there's a good-sized bar tucked up against the left wall. I don't drink so didn't avail myself of the opportunity, but it was doing a bang-up business all night!

The JP tribute was a seated show and there was plenty of room to sit without being elbow to elbow with the person next to you. If the show is a standing show with room to dance, there's space to accommodate that easily as well. The sound system is excellent and there's not a bad seat anywhere so you can see and hear everything with no issues.

As for the JP tribute show, it was *excellent." We really enjoyed getting to hear such a large group of local musicians. Most of the song choices by each artist were fantastic especially because some were the more "obscure" options. The first half of the show was made up of multiple single/duo performances, and the second half was the "Not Ready for Prime Time" band. I couldn't say which we liked better!

Side note: it's hard to pick a favorite performer, but the female backup singer who got to step forward and sing "I Just Wanna Dance with You" was outstanding. We were so glad she had her chance in the spotlight.

The only downside all night, which had absolutely NOTHING to do either with the performers or the Music Hall itself, was that the entire row of people behind us spent the entire night talking loudly to each other up and down the row. Because the room is so intimate we heard everything, none of which was related to the music. It's beyond us why you would buy tickets to an event and then pay no attention to the performances -- why not go out to a bar and do your chit-chatting there?

Anyway, the overall experience was fantastic. We will definitely return soon -- and of course the John Prine tribute will hold a regular spot on our calendar. We're in a new development and plan to recommend to all of our friends that they make the drive to see a show or two.

Thanks for opening such a great spot and for showcasing local and...

A wonderful sort-of-secret hidden gem of a place. What a fabulous addition to this tiny MD town! It's a wide open room with a bar basically situated inside the door, empty space for seating or standing depending on the show, and the stage directly opposite the doors. It's a very cool vibe painted in all black with great mood lighting. The bartender is really, really good and very friendly as is the rest of the staff. I've been there several times and always enjoyed the show no matter the artist. There's a heavy lean toward the country/folk/blues genres and loads of tribute bands. If you're looking for anything that really rocks you'll have to look elsewhere. That's my only dislike. They have well known acts as well as up and comers, but you really won't get anything harder than classic rock tribute bands. They have to cater to the population around "these here parts", and that's apparently not something on which they spend money. While I find that extremely disappointing, it forces me to broaden my musical horizons and experience a show that I otherwise would never see.

So the only reason I give it 4 stars is the rare appearance of...

This venue is absolutely wonderful. I've been here both as a performer and as a patron, and it's a real pleasure to create and listen to music here. The staff is really great, the sound is really good, the seating is flexible depending on who's playing, and the drinks are tasty. Free parking, too!

The folks who book the bands do a truly great job of scheduling a wide variety of artists, so there is truly something for everyone.

The space is cool and inviting-- I think it used to be a Model T car dealership in the early 20th century, and I love how they kept some of the historic character touches in the current building. (The ceiling!)

As a performer, the venue takes really good care of the artists. The green room upstairs is very comfortable and cute, and there's a second green room downstairs if the stairs leading upstairs are too much.

Give these folks your business! It's so rare to have an independent music venue that isn't owned by LiveNation/Ticketmaster... it's time to make live music a priority again. You...