A great small venue! I was here this past weekend to listen to a band called Metz (a friend of mine is a fan, so I tagged along). If this is your first time, you must purchase a membership card, which is $3 I think. Metz had two bands opening for them, so plenty of music all night. Bar was good as well.
Review Source:Fun little venue for live music.
We went to see Truth & Salvage Co. Â We got there around 9, in time to see the 2nd opening act. Â I like the set up - the small area at the front for merch, the bar area decent selection, and then the stage and surrounding room, with elevated benches in the back. Â We'd eaten a large meal, had several pints, and it was later than I was used to being awake, so I curled up in the corner bench and took a short nap between acts. Â Sound was louder than I'd prefer, but they do sell earplugs at the bar for the old folks like me.
$3 membership, as required by NC law, but at least it's good forever (or as long as you keep up with the paper membership card).
$3 membership, not sure for what exactly. To me, it's not a good enough venue to be exclusively needing membership. The show I went to was free (excluding the membership price), but I would feel bad for people who actually had to pay ticket prices on top of the membership price.
The bar is cash only (come on, it's 2012....every dive bar I've been to in NC will take at least VISA). They do offer an ATM but of course, there's a $2.50 fee associated with it.
So I basically paid $5.50 in order to get cash to purchase my drinks. If I could have opened a tab I could have used that money for my drinks instead! With that said, the drink specials were good and what I would expect for a smaller venue, and the bartender was nice.
I'm not going to go out of my way to go back unless there's a band I really want to see playing there....and even then, I'll check to make sure they don't have any more NC dates so I could go to a more accommodating venue.
They have great bands coming through, but a very poorly maintained "database" (read: excel sheet) of members. Â Another negative, they are cash only.
I went one night and didn't have my membership card and I knew I had one. Â They looked me up in their excel spreadsheet (which they didn't have when I got my membership a couple of years ago) and couldn't find me. Â I pay another $3-5 for a new card. Â I come home and my original membership card is right by the door, where I put my keys. Â So yeah, not a comprehensive "database" of members.
Drinks are a bit over-priced, ok selection, but honestly, I just go for the music. Â Sometimes it's filled with the UNC frat-hipster crowd and I feel old. Â Bathrooms are usually well maintained and they do have big water jugs out. Â I don't think anyone gets drunk as it's live music, not a club. Â Plus $$$ drinks. Â It gets very hot temperature wise for popular bands. Â They need better fans.
Haven't been here since "membership" came into play (just thinking about that makes me laugh), but I've seen a slew of really cool shows at the 506... including the Drive-By Truckers twice & both times there were 40 or less people in the place.
Reminds me a bit of the Mercury Lounge in NYC in it's layout... narrow bar in front, small performance space in back. Sound is pretty good even for louder stuff.
I've frequented most of the venues operating in the Triangle area dating back to the mid 90's through a couple/few years ago, and this is the one I found the most enjoyable. It's imperfections are what rock 'n' roll is all about. Maybe it's just the bands I've seen & the time of year I've been there, but the draws always seem surprisingly thin on UNC students.
I recall membership being required at certain establishments in NC (dates back to the early days of the Blue Horn Lounge when the owner explained it to me when I played there), and I think that's kind of ridiculous unless it really does help these places financially vs.just being another bookkeeping nightmare for them to track.
$3 "membership fee" when you enter, and a bit of attitude with that! Way to get my evening off to a bad start.
Otherwise this venue would have been very cool; it's intimate and. Nothing else to rave about, the bartenders were ok. The crowd was moderately into the band, but more into each other: Lots of teenagers making out. What is this?!
You didn't come for special froo-froo drinks. You came to see the band. Be happy they are here, because someone in the band might overdose and you'd never be able to see them again! (Yikes, hopefully not!)
There's decent prices on basic drinks and beers. You want wine? I have no idea if they have it, but I'd never order wine there. Get a beer! Sheesh!
506 hosts all kinds of bands, from your old-school punk to your local hip-hop to your pretentious indie rock.
You have to go, just to say you've been.
I would only ever go here again to see a great band. Luckily, when I went I did see a great band, so it made this lame venue not so bad. First off the $3 membership fee for... no reason at all. The best part was, when purchasing my tickets on-line they seem to forget to tell you about this fee.
The alcohol selection is rather limited and when I ordered a Jameson on the rocks, it came in a plastic cup with no ice. Their best beer was New Castle (which is ok). There is not really any snack items to get here, however there are plenty of eateries near by.
There is rather sparse seating. It gets really hot when crowded. The hot water in the bathroom doesn't work. But at least they have free water!
A grimy, unpretentious dive music venue in Chapel Hill. Â It does require a membership card, which costs a few bucks. Â It's a small, intimate venue, and I've been to shows where I was one of only two people in the audience, and been to shows where I was a packed sardine. Â Sometimes a violent mosh pit develops, so if you're a small female like myself, you may want to bring your helmet and elbow pads...or strategically place yourself outside the circumference of the mosh pit.
The bartenders have always been friendly and efficient, and the crowd is unique. Â Lots of misfits. Â I feel at home amongst them, and can dance like an enraged, electrocuted maniac without judgment.
I've been a resident of North Carolina for a while now, maybe a year and a half. Â In that time I've frequented the triangle as if it were my home and have found myself at the Cradle and Motorco on multiple occasions, all while forgetting about little Local506. Â That was my first mistake.
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of finding myself here on two occasions. Â I was nervous at first, wondering what it would look like, if the sound was of decent quality, if the bartenders were going to be cool... Most of all I worried I wouldn't find the venue... the gaggle of smoking hipsters helped me out with that one. Â Finally, I was there.
The venue itself is great. Â It's small. Â Like, SMALL. Â I didn't have trouble on a slow night seeing Miniature Tigers or a sold out night seeing Neon Indian. Â Both shows sounded great and I left the latter feeling as though it was one of the best live performances I've ever seen and I attribute a lot of that to the venue.
Aside from the dark, cave like feel... the bar is stocked with a great beer selection. Â I don't pay too much mind to alcohol and they very well could have had a full bar, but I was more interested in Number9 and Red Stripe and slightly taken aback by the tall boys of PBR... Â lol.
Come here, listen to some tunes, get your dance fix on.
I am a HUGE fan of Local 506! They are at the top of the list with Cat's Cradle and Kings. Â They bring such great shows through the area!
Yes, it's a little dingy, a lot dark and some acts tend to draw some sloppy college kids... but as far as I'm concerned that's all part of the show! And while this shotgun bar's layout affords an intimate and personal experience, if the crowd is off...well...
Last show I was at, I had dumb girls yelling about boys & bags over my shoulder through the main band's set and at another point there was a 5 foot tall 'bad-ass' guy fist-pumping a finger-gun and yelling 'buck, buck, buck' and 'GO HAAARD!' at regular intervals...very special...but you know what? I put my big girl pants on and moved on up in the crowd to a better spot and enjoyed the rest of the show.
Another tactic to avoid this special kind of concert-goer is to get there when doors open and perch on one of the nice tabled seats that line the sides of the venue. Very good idea if you're there as a couple or are wearing unfortunate shoes. My plan is to buy some serious platform gothed-out stompin' boots! That'll show those tall dudes and dangerous-dancers!
PS - Andrew W.'s tip about earplugs is essential. ESSENTIAL.
PSS - $2 PBR tallboys...
Local 506 is a GREAT little spot for local indy rock acts out in Chapel Hill. Â Dark, small and a bit mysterious, it pulls in a young, mixed crowd looking for good music. Â You'll definitely see quite a few beards and plaid shirts here. Drinks are reasonably priced, they've got seating around the edge of the main room and acoustics are really solid. Â They play it loud here, but I've rarely heard any distortion or feedback, kudos to their sound man. Â Let's just say that you can do far worse than Local 506 for some live music. Â Smaller than the Pourhouse but just about as cool, Local 506 rocks it hard. Â Pass me over a PBR...
Review Source:Cat's Cradle and Local 506 share a bit of music monopoly in Chapel Hill/Carrboro. While I wish more shows would go through Raleigh, the drive out to Franklin Street isn't that bad--and there are different restaurants to try out there!
Owner Glenn Boothe is livin' the dream at 506. You can tell he's figured everything out--the venue doesn't try to be more than what it is. The drinks are mixed perfectly, and there's good, local beer on tap. Someday I'd like to run my own music venue, and I'd find it pretty hard to do it better than 506.
Yeah, it's cash only. But there's an ATM in the place, so this is a moot point. Unless, you're broke and live on credit card. If that's the case, you probably shouldn't be going out for music and drinks anyway, right?
There's a lot of really good shows that run through here. Sure, there's the hipster scene (as Christina describes), but I'm looking right now at the upcoming schedule and it turns out the Hip Hop & Love Tour is stopping by too (headlined by Murs). Pretty awesome.
Tip: Go early and grab a table along the side wall. Ignore that advice if it's a Japanese dance party (which is also on the schedule).
Sound is good, though I'm glad I had my earplugs. You can grab some earplugs at the bar if you haven't invested in a nice pair (which I highly recommend).
506 has style. Loud and dirty style.
506 is smaller in comparison to it's down street competitor venue, The Cat's Cradle, although this size works for this venue. There's not a bad seat in the house and it makes shows much more intimate.
I love the fact that there is ample seating surrounding the main stage floor space so if people want to get a drink and rock out while perched atop the side wall seats you're more than able to.
Like Cat's the door and bar are CASH ONLY. An ATM is kindly placed inside for your cash needs but if you want to avoid ATM fees, come with money.
Unlike Cat's, to get in you will need a membership ($3 sign up). Unlike some places in Downtown Raleigh one person with a membership will *not* get your friends in with you so be prepared to drop the $3 at the door if you don't have a card. A friend asked if you could take a picture of the card and carry it on your phone for re-entry instead of carrying the actual card and they said this was A-OK. According to Andrew R's review they also have a list of members on hand at the door if you forget your card. Smart cookies!!
Drink prices are terribly reasonable -- a well drink cost me $4 on a Saturday night while a pint (Shotgun Betty - local beer FTW!) ran around $5 (according to my in-head breakdown of prices based on 2 pints and a well). If I'm wrong, please correct me.
They do sell ear plugs for $1 and I advise picking up a pair if you don't have your own already. The music can get LOUD (which music is supposed to do obviously) but you don't have to walk out ears ringing to enjoy a good show!
The one thing that blew me away here were the acoustics. Absolutely stunning. I strongly recommend this venue for a band. Especially a band you absolutely love because you'll get to see more of them, on and off stage.
This place is tiny and simple so there isn't a bad spot in the house. Â It's a perfect place to see an intimate show.
You do need to buy a "membership" to get in the door ($3) and the bar is cash only. Â They have some local beers on tap which made me happy. Â It's street parking only, but I've never had an issue finding a spot. It's mostly standing room with some seating built in against the walls. Â It can get hot since it's so small so keep that in mind, even in the winter months.
The staff has always been nice. Â I've forgotten my membership card but they've never complained since they have the list on a laptop at the door.
This place was alright I guess. They charge a crappy membership fee so you get ripped off for an extra 3 dollars a ticket if you have never been before (total b.s.). The band we saw was really great, but the venue was super super hot. Beer wasn't cheap either. Like I said.....the place is ok. I would only ever go if a great band was there. No reason to go otherwise.
Review Source:Keeping it simple, and that is alright!
Local 506 is the place to see your favorite local, regional, national, and sometimes even international acts up close and personal. And I do mean up close and personal.
The venue itself is pretty small, which is excellent, and it does have somewhat of a dive-bar feel (which is even more excellent).
As mentioned in some prior reviews, where you situate yourself is obviously key (as it is at any music event). If the club is crowded, it can get pretty hot and loud up front (which isn't necessarily a bad thing) whereas it can be difficult to see in the back where the club narrows from the main room towards the bar. So somewhere towards the back of the front area or into the middle area is probably your best bet for purposes of seeing the band and being comfortable overall. Â There is also a small amount of bench type seating on either side of the main hall and in the back, which can be an excellent option if you are not on the tall side (and I am not!).
The staff is super nice as whoever is manning the door or working the bar is usually up for striking a conversation pretty readily. The beer selection isn't the best in the world, but it's decent enough. Plus since it's a membership bar, you can get your choice of mixed drinks as well.
Important Points:
1) It is a membership bar, which means you pay a once in a lifetime fee of $3 to obtain a membership card
  -I've heard that people have gotten a hard time if they've shown up without their membership card, but my girlfriend actually had her wallet (and membership card) stolen before a show and the staff was more than willing to let her in without her card
2) Cash only bar (but there is an ATM)
3) Street parking or Chapel Hill lot parking
I am all about small venues. Â I am all about dive bars. Â So you can bet...I am all about Local 506. Â Recently, attended a show here - for a rock&roll legend.. shocked to see this kind-of square footage hosting such an event! Â Shows represented here range all over the music spectrum, majority being traveling indie/alt genre. Â
If you're like me -- you are anti-large venues b/c they tend to lose the intimacy/experience of seeing an artist you respect live... Local 506 retains this quality with its dive bar feel... I love it.
Important info: Cash only bar, $3 membership fee at door (regardless of pre-purchased ticket), pre-pay parking lot across the street is free after 8pm
Local 506 has heart...heart and a penchant for booking good music even if it wont always draw a huge crowd.
Some things you should probably know:
-If you are towards the front it can get a bit heat & noise intense but if you are towards the back the long narrow flow of the space can sometimes make it difficult to see if you aren't super tall. Find some middle ground and enjoy an awesome, likely off-the-mainstream show.
-There is generally a cooler of water by the restrooms. You don't always need to shell out for the bottled water at the bar.
-You need to buy a membership, but i think its $3 and as long as you don't lose the card it's a one time fee.
-The willcall line can get longer than the line to buy tickets.
But you know what, it is an awesome venue and I have driven a few hours on a work night more than once to come see some stellar shows. Check the dang schedule, y'all.
We really enjoyed our visit at Local 506! Â We saw Sean Lennon when he came to town in early January. Â The doorman attempted to get us in out of the cold as quickly as he could and there was a free coat check available! Â
It's a great small, intimate venue. Â Seating is available around the perimeter, provided you get there earlier enough on busier nights. Â Local brews are available on tap for reasonable prices. Â
Keep an eye on their schedule and check out a band that suits your fancy!
Totally a must-go bar if you are into live music. I've been to the 506 twice for shows, once packed, once pretty empty, and it's got a good feeling to it everytime I'm there. Membership kinda stinks the first time you go, but blame the lovely NC Legislators for that one. This bar is dark and divey, and just fantastic. The acoustics were excellent and the music was great. They have a wide variety of beers, from Schlitz to Magic Hat and everything in between. The servers go with the look, thery just kinda blend in and they are good for beers, but I wouldnt go much fancier. Still, this place ROCKS!
Review Source:If you want to rub up against your favorite emo artist after drinking a round of pints while watching the basketball game, this is the place to do it. In the front you can watch basketball and drink to hearts content with members of Spoon or Clem Snide or that local folk singer who's name you cannot remember or whoever the hell may be hitting up the show at Local. And in the back you can sing along with the set and laugh at their stupid jokes. It's a ball.
Review Source:Local 506 is a place that oozes old-school Chapel Hill rock&roll character, the kind that's steadily slipping away. For a venue of a relatively small size they always have a great schedule of underground bands & performances. If bands aren't big enough to play the Cradle..then they're probably playing the 506. There's also tons of great local bands that play here. Local 506 has really filled the niche that disappeared whenever Go! studios closed.
Here's a few tips for an enjoyable 506 evening.
1. Yes, its a membership bar..annoying
2. Cash Only bar, but there is an ATM if you want to pay the fees
3. Do not get the large beer that's always on special. It's like drinking out of a bucket.
4. The door guys and bartenders are too cool to function..so treat them with equal disdain and you will have a more successful evening.
There is not a pair of jeans in my three dresser drawers skinny enough to rival what the band members were wearing the other night. And I couldn't have felt more out of place in my wide-legs and pointy-toed pumps. But I was there to support a buddy of mine, and in that sense I fit in just fine: yes, I too was a groupie... much like many of the other audience members, half of whom were notably of the high school set. And just when I thought the jeans on stage couldn't get any skinnier, I was astounded by an even greater fashion feat. Homegirl on my right was wearing....:footie pajamas: I mean, kudos for keeping comfortable while headbanging at 10pm to your favorite band, but srsly?
Back to the bar though. I'll admit I was taken aback at the $10 entry fee ($7 cover, $3 member charge). Bringing it full circle though, I was there to support my buddy so I choked it up and made a mental note that he owes me a drink next time we're out. The 506 has a bar in the front; it's cash only but it does sell liquor. The room opens up to the main event, with a stage at back. It's one of those super dark places, to mask out the lack of decor (and the build-up of grime?). But it's also one of those places where that's okay. It's just a really chill place to hang: a bench down the left and right sides, but other than that you're going to be standing. Which is the real way to support a band anyway. And even though I've never been a huge scene kid, I have to admit I got pretty swept up in the wild-arm-flailing, hair-swooshing, screaming action of it all. Got to love that kind of energy and passion...and the ability to do it all while wearing the tightest pants imaginable.
I recognize that those of you who live in the Triangle area may read certain aspects of this place and find yourself saying "well, sure, I knew that already," and who knows, perhaps you did. If we get to that point soon you'll know, in which case perhaps I could have just asked you what Local 506 was like but then we'd each be spared the singular pleasure of this account, and we wouldn't want that.
I digress. Here's what I can say for sure: this narrow live music venue seems to book solid bands (as opposed to, say, liquid or gaseous ones) and though I didn't make the drive from Raleigh one night to Chapel Hill with a keen sense of where in the world I was going, I was only too happy to find this music lover's hamlet on my ultimate agenda. Here's me raising a glass to happy accidents. In the mean time, there are plenty of chances to raise glasses here too: a nice and thorough selection of brews (local and otherwise), a few on tap, giving way to a stage in the back of the joint where the act du jour can pop up and let 'er rip. For those of you who have been to Austin, a little like a somewhat smaller and marginally less sketchy Emo's that books the same quality of acts. So nothing to sneeze about. Besides, you wouldn't want to sneeze anyway: you just might miss something good.
Local 506 is my savior. Â Staying in Chapel Hill for 3 weeks and not knowing anyone would have amounted to misery had it not been for the sonic gems adorning this place. Â
It's one of those charming divey bar/venues where the beers are "middle of the road" and the touring acts are on the cusp of getting noticed by someone you wish hadn't noticed them. There are clever flyers and band stickers decorating the place. Â Capcom by the bar. Â And the bartender is friendly to boot!
What more do I need to say? Â Nothing better than catching a good band play in an uncrowded venue, drinking a Two Hearted Ale and it all costing $15.
Local 506 is a good winter-time venue. Â In the warmer months a crowded show is murder here as there does not seem to be any sort of ventilation whatsoever. Â
I saw Johnathan Richman here a few years ago in July or August, and it was - of course - packed like crazy. Â We were pressed up against a wall for two and a half hours pouring sweat and breathing clouds of smoke... Â I kind of spent the whole time just wishing I could get outside.
There's a fine line to be walked between divey and just plain crappy. Local 506 is having some trouble with its footing.
If you want to catch the band before they were the darlings of Chapel Hill, just hang out here a few nights in a row and eventually you'll be in at the ground floor with someone that's going places. Â Really, that's the best thing that the Local 506 has going for it.
There's a steady stream of fantastic acts, most of them local, that come through as 506 has kind of established itself as Chapel Hill's proving ground. Â Unfortunately, I don't know that it's set up very well. Â Typically a band, no matter how talented, will sound uneven with various pieces overpowering the others. Â I suppose that's a relatively small price to pay (well, that and the ticket price, natch) for catching a good act now rather than after the cool kids have already moved past their buzz.
I go back and forth on how I feel about local 506. They get some awesome bands to play there, some slightly less awesome local bands, and the cover is always pretty low. That's said, the place is exceptionally tiny. As someone who's not exactly a fan of being crowded into a small open room with a bunch of people she doesn't know this is not really the place for me, especially when I'm going to see a band that's going to pull a crowd.
Review Source:Local 506 is the perfect place to catch independent bands (local or otherwise) in a divey yet intimate setting. There is a $3 membership fee, but I believe they admit guests 18 & up for most shows (of course they'll mark your hands with Xs if you're under 21). Most tickets are under $20, and some shows are even free. On most nights you can smoke in the bar area, but they also put on some shows that are completely non-smoking (by artist request, I assume). Parking sucks, but if you can't grab a metered spot I'd suggest the public pay lot beside 411 West. Â As William mentioned, a lot of the acts that perform here haven't hit it big yet so they really strive to impress and entertain the entire crowd. I've seen some of the highest-energy shows of my life here.
Review Source:This club gets the best small acts of any of the clubs in the area. There's a (one time) membership fee to be paid at the door (stupid NC liquor laws) but once you get inside you can expect the finest in small clubs.
I've seen several bands here over the years, and many of those bands have moved onto bigger and better things like the Cat's Cradle and Lincoln Theatre, but it's always a much better experience at the 506.
All in all, one of the best music venues in Chapel Hill.
The last word in Chapel Hill dive bar/music venues. Â This place makes the Cat's Cradle look like Madison Square Garden.
The venue is tiny in every way, it's dirty and dark and creepy... Believe me, this is the beating heart of the American music industry. Â Without venues like this, we would be truly lost. Â The bands that come here are hungry, and often quite good (it can be really hit or miss, though).
In order to see shows at Local 506, you have to be a member (it's less than $5 though). The venue hosts local bands from the Triangle area, and that's about it. The space is relatively small and the stage is hard to see, so I only come to see my friends' bands when they play here. Otherwise, I tend to stay away from Local 506.
Review Source:I loves this place! Very casual and intimate. Great music and affordable entry prices. I just saw Gary Jules a few weeks ago and Bell X1 there recently. Drinks prices are pretty standard, but they do allow smoking in the bar area. It can get pretty hot around the stage, so dress like it's going to be 90 degrees.
Review Source:This is a great spot to go hear Indy bands from around the country, the world & right here in our backyards. Â I've heard some great local flavors play here, as well as, most recently the band "Saraffenland" (which means 'the land of milk and honey'). Â This is a great band from Denmark, showcasing their talents. Â They used all sorts of instruments, from the horn & saxophone to tambourines, and of course drums & guitars. Â The Local 506 is a dark place, painted in all black, kind of a dive that's ran in a professional manner.
Review Source:Local 506 is an eclectic bar that manages to attract a wide variety of consistently high quality musical acts to Chapel Hill.
The bar itself isn't overly impressive, but it's not the booze that draws big crowds. It seems that week after week Local 506 manages to draw truly good music despite unimpressive facilities.
The crowd tends to be a mix of students, locals, and die hard fans of whoever is playing that night. Acts are local and national, and mostly good.
There is adequate space for seated viewing perched above the main crowd area where things stay very lively. The music, combined with a full bar should make for a great night out.
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