Athens Has Vibrant Music Scene, Website Says

Outside of Nashville, New York and Los Angeles, Athens has one of the best music scenes--as if we didn’t know--along with nine other smaller cities. In fact, it's the best music scene.

That pronouncement comes from Livability.com, a national website highlighting more than 500 of America’s best places to live. The site’s editors put on their list cities where music lovers can feel right at home, where there’s a number of quality music venues, independent record stores and local musicians, plus a vibrant nightlife and higher education opportunities.

Besides the larger cities, “other cities like Athens, Georgia and Concord, California, that have just as vibrant a music scene and culture as Nashville and some of the big cities,” says Livability.com editor Lisa Battles. “And these towns have produced some of the most prolific and successful artists of our time. There wouldn’t have been a R.E.M. or B-52s if it hadn’t been for the nurturing music community in Athens.”

Athens' current rising stars shine each year at AthFest, a five-day event held each June showcasing the best in Athens-based music, arts and film. KidsFest features performances and activities geared specifically toward the city's youngest residents. Athens also claims two of America's 40 Best Music Venues, according to Paste Magazine – the 40 Watt Club and The Melting Point, plus one of Rolling Stone's Best Record Stores in the USA, Wuxtry Records.

Top 10 Cities With the Best Music Scenes Outside Nashville, NYC and L.A.
Athens, GA
Minneapolis, MN
Portland, OR
Chapel Hill, NC
Omaha, NE
Cambridge, MA
Fort Worth, TX
Madison, WI
Tulsa, OK
Concord, CA