PHOENIX — "When you walk in the room, you really feel like you're right there with them," Phoenix songwriter Katie Mae said, gesturing to the stage. "Because you are."
Mae took to the stage Tuesday, Feb. 20, playing to a crowd of no more than 500 people. Not because her music isn't popular, but because that's how The Rebel Lounge has always been. It's small and intimate — you stand at the feet of the artist.
Billboard recently released its list of the "2024 Top Music Venues" and a Valley hangout made the cut. According to Billboard, The Rebel Lounge is a must-visit.
"Coming back here is such a treat for me," Mae said. "I've seen some of my favorite artists perform here before I was even a musician."
The Rebel Lounge, located near 24th Street and Indian School Road, is iconic in a way that many under-the-radar venues can be. For decades, it's been a tour stop for bands on their way up.
"Everyone played here from Nirvana to Metallica to Fall Out Boy to The Black Keys," owner Stephen Chilton said. "[It's] the first place a lot of artists play."
Chilton took over the venue nine years ago, naming it the Rebel Lounge. The venue was founded in 1979 and was originally the home to the bar The Mason Jar.
"It's pretty great to see where it's come after eight years," Chilton said.
In February, Billboard named the Rebel Lounge one of the top music venues in the world, with the likes of the O2 arena, the Sphere, Madison Square Garden and Red Rocks.
"And you know...then us," Chilton said, chuckling.
Billboard named The Rebel Lounge the best music venue under 500 seats and cited its long history of being a tour stop for bands as they traveled through the Southwest.
Mostly, they're bands that haven't broken into the music scene yet, or possibly never will. But they've all been on that stage — from one-hit wonders to rock gods.
"These spaces are so important," Chilton said. "Every artist you see in an arena started in a venue like this."
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