Eddie’s Attic

Since 1992, Eddie’s Attic has been metro Atlanta’s premier listening room — an intimate, 177-seat upstairs space in downtown Decatur built around original songwriting and a near-sacred quiet-during-the-set etiquette. Founder Eddie Owen set out to create a room where the artist-audience connection came first, and it worked: the venue’s weekly open mic and semi-annual $1,000 Open Mic Shootout have served as an early launching pad for John Mayer, Shawn Mullins, Sugarland, Collective Soul, The Civil Wars, Justin Bieber, and Crystal Bowersox, among others. The venue hosts roughly 600-700 shows a year across genres, backed by a patio bar and restaurant for pre- and post-show drinks and light food. Now owned by Alex Cooley and Dave Mattingly, it remains a cornerstone of Decatur’s identity as a music town.

Why go

Eddie’s Attic is Decatur’s home for singer-songwriters, best known for its long-running open mic, which has launched acts including John Mayer and the Indigo Girls. It’s been named Atlanta’s Best Acoustic Music Venue multiple times by Creative Loafing and was inducted into Atlanta Magazine’s Best Nightlife Hall of Fame in 2009.

Good to know

• Sits right on the Decatur town square, an easy walk from the Decatur MARTA station.
• Shows are typically seated and often sell out in advance.

Nearby

• Decatur neighborhood guide.
• Star Community Bar for a livelier night afterward.
• Variety Playhouse in nearby Little Five Points.