Houston Named ‘Worst City For Live Music’ In America By Recent Study
A Recent Study Reveals Houston To Be Nation's Worst City For Live Music
Shame on us.
In a recent study, one which we take with not just one grain salt, Houston was named the single “Worst City for Live Music” in the nation – yes, even worse than Dallas.
Clever is a real estate company that attracts ample buzz with its various lists that ranks cities in terms of education, housing, or in this case, music. Using data-driven data from the U.S. Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Indie on the Move, and Bureau of Economic Analysis, the company has ranked Space City as the worst of the US’s 50 most populous metro areas for live music.
Despite being the stomping grounds for such artists as DJ Screw and S.U.C, Lyle Lovett, Khruangbin, Megan Thee Stallion, ZZ Top, Win Butler of Arcade Fire, Narrow Head, Beyoncé – ever heard of her? – and plenty more who have pushed the needle in their respective musical genres, Houston falls flat as a live music city. What gives?
The evaluated criteria, when ranking the best and worst cities for music in America, included the following:
- Google Trends scores for 20 different terms – admittedly, this part is unclear
- Pre-COVID average concert ticket price
- Small concert venues with a 25-mile radius of downtown area
- Monthly concert outing cost
- Scheduled music festivals for 2022 in 100-mile radius
- Musicians per 100,000 citizens
- Average salary for working musicians
All taken into account, with respect to venues, events, affordability, and general interest, Houston ranked as the third worst music city in the US. Miami, it turns out, is the worst, followed by Las Vegas – evidently the data holders weren’t emo in high school.
Even worse, Houston came out to be the single worst city for live music, followed by Dallas, Detroit, Atlanta, and Virginia Beach. Of course, our neighbors in Austin landed in first place, retaining their title as the Live Music Capitol of the World (US).
The top five music cities in the US, according to the study, are Nashville, Indianapolis, Portland, Austin, and Raleigh.
What was your favorite concert experience in Houston? Let us know on Facebook!