On a good night at Woodlands Tavern, the band is deep into the second set, the jam has wandered somewhere nobody planned, and the room has stopped checking phones. It is a neighborhood bar first, but it has been booking live music since 2009, and the setlist archives show what it does best.
Who plays here
Dopapod has more logged setlists here than anyone. Pink Talking Fish, Turkuaz, Keller Williams, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Spafford and The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band have all played the room more than once. Jam bands, funk, bluegrass and roots rock make up a big share of the calendar, with indie, country and local showcases mixed in.
If that is your lane, the tavern is one of the most dependable rooms in town for it. Bluegrass and roots bills here often turn up on our country page, and the rest usually lands on rock.
Two stages and a bar
Woodlands has two stages, so a touring act can be on the main stage while something smaller plays in the second room. The main room holds a few hundred people. There is draft beer, pub food, a pool table and a patio, which makes it easy to show up early and stay late without feeling like you are killing time. Columbus Alive named it the best bar for live music in 2018.
It is not a theater and does not try to be. Expect a bar crowd, plenty of regulars and a band close enough to read the setlist taped to the floor.
Getting there and parking
The tavern is at 1200 West Third Avenue in the Grandview Heights area, a quick hop from Route 315 and Fifth Avenue.
- The lot out front is small and shared with other businesses, and some spaces carry limits for those businesses in the early evening. Read every sign before you leave the car.
- There is more parking around back, and side streets pick up the overflow on busy nights.
- From campus or the Short North it is a short drive or ride west. If the show runs late, plan the ride home before the last set.
Quick tips
- Ages and start times vary by show, so check your ticket.
- Tickets for the bigger touring names can go fast in a room this size.
- Want pizza with your music on the same side of town? Natalie's on King Avenue pairs dinner with live music.