Love Live Music? These Cafes Have The Best Gigs In Town

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An open mic session, or the best of homegrown talent, Kolkata’s cafes, restaurants, and pubs have stepped up and nurtured the live music scene in the city in a big way. Many places in town today host solo or band performances by local artists at their space. Here’s a list of places where you can take both your taste buds and ears for a ride!

Trincas

This place needs no introduction. Trincas’ association with music began over six decades ago and is still going strong. Popular personalities and bands like Benny Rozario and his band, Molly and Eve, Usha Uthup, and others have performed here. People would dress in their best attire and attend a live music evening. It was a whole ritual! The magic of this place escaped no one. So, it’s only ideal that Trincas had to be the first one on this list. They host live music gigs every day from 6 PM to 10.45 PM. On weekends, you can enjoy live music in the afternoon as well from 1 PM to 3.30 PM and then again in the evening.

Skinny Mo's Jazz Club

Skinny Mo’s is probably the city’s only live music venue, which opens to the public only for concerts. The club predominantly hosts jazz gigs but there’s always a change once in a while. From local musicians like Bodhisattwa Ghosh to international artists including George Brooks, and Grammy Award-winner Jakob Dinesen have performed here. They also hold vinyl listening sessions from time to time, which you should definitely not miss. Keep tabs on their social media handles for the details.

Abar Baithak

In the mood for an authentic Bengali-style adda? Abar Baithak is the perfect place for you! Decorated with Feluda aesthetics and hosting regular Sunday music gigs, this quaint little café makes for a perfect Sunday brunch visit. Make sure to cosy up to some very interesting board games while you gorge on their tasty preparations and groove to the music.

Zee's Coffeeshop

Does the slow spin and the crackling sound of vinyls and discs still enchant you as it did years back when they were readily available? Then, you’ll love this! With two rare Technic 1,200 turntables in the house and several rare vinyl records to Varun’s collection, drop by on Sundays to catch popular city musicians like Reevu Wangdi, Saptarshi ‘Sammy’ Bhattacharya, Josh Mukherjee and others bring in their music of rock, funk, jazz and hip hop and spin the vinyls. 

Hard Rock Cafe

Another favourite place for live music has to be Hard Rock Cafe. They host gigs from Wednesday to Sunday every week. The gigs cover genres like pop rock, indie pop, classic, and regional music. They also host tribute nights to iconic singers and musicians from time to time. It’s English Classic Rock every Wednesday and Thursday and Indie Pop from Friday to Sunday. Regional gigs happen once a month. Popular artists like Jisshu Sengupta, Papon, and Shibani Kashyap, as well as bands like Euphoria, Indian Ocean, and Cactus have performed here.

Deck 88

We absolutely love Deck 88—soothing ambience, amazing food, and the perfect setup to enjoy live music gigs in the city. A rooftop bar located inside The Astor Hotel, Deck 88 hosts live music gigs every Thursday and sometimes on Sundays as well. The gigs cover most genres of music and feature local artists as well as those outside of town. Sometimes they host sundowners on Sundays from 4 PM to 6 PM, which we definitely suggest attending.

Raasta Kolkata

This Park Street pub hosts some really kickass gigs featuring both solo artists and band performances. They host live music gigs every Sunday during brunch hours as well as every Thursday evening. It’s mostly Bollywood and some international numbers. Definitely worth a visit, we think!

Terminal_11

If you are looking for a café that is part library and part concert venue, Terminal_11 is the place to go! Albeit a bit on the expensive side, the frequent live music performances and the delicious food, makes going to Terminal_11 a must for food lovers, music lovers, and book lovers alike. The musical evenings range from sarod recitals to percussive guitar performances, so missing out on this one would practically be a sin!