Night Prowl: Five joints shaking out live music in Bangkok

NIGHT PROWL Bangkok is a natural haven for the beatnik lifestyle and a good old indie rock show. Or synth-head electronica, wub/dub, thrash or pretty much whatever puts the chili in your som tam. In fact, the city’s bar scene is strumming with live guitarwork on any night of the week. While some of the talent may be questionable, even the most mumbled-through English lyrics start to sound pretty good after a few cheap beers. That’s what the following venues are all about, 100ish-baht cover charges and drinking ice bucket-and-bottle style. And the music, of course. Bangkok’s got a few well-known live music dens, including Cosmic Café, Adhere and Café Democ. But for those who are looking for a new nest, here’s five live music venues that may tickle your fancy:

 

1. Harmonica @ Ozono

Harmonica is one of the few indie music venues located right downtown – though try to find it from Sukhumvit 39 and you’ll probably wind up cursing and awkwardly backing the taxi up around side sois. A better way is to enter Petchaburi 38/1, where Harmonica is something of an outlier tucked beneath a cat café and pet shops in the dog-friendly Ozono shopping center. Despite this, Harmonica’s probably the coziest spot on the entire lot, reminiscent of a hipster’s living room with walls plastered in vintage records covers. The owner Put has a soft spot for folk acoustic (he performers under the solo moniker “Wednesday”) but Harmonica also lines up lots of international acts, always with an eclectic local warm-up, whether stoner rock or punk. 

Ozono 307 Petchaburi 38/1. BTS Phrom Pong or Saen Saep station Italthai.

 

2. Play Yard by Studio Bar

If Harmonica’s a living room, than Play Yard’s the beatnik’s basement. We mean this in the most loving way possible –retro-grunge furniture, Power Ranger dolls and decapitated mannequins make Play Yard seem like the quarters of a buddy camping out next to the storage at his parents’ house. But when it comes to live music, Play Yard’s got the best line-up bar none. There’s something going on every night: Monday’s are reserved for retro covers, oldies and onwards, Tuesday’s tweak out acoustic rock, the weekends are a rock ‘n’ roll free-for-all and nine times out of ten, it’s Thai bands on the roster. 

Lat Phrao Soi 8. MRT Phahon Yothin.

 

3. Jam!

This café/art gallery by day mellows into a restaurant/bar as the sun goes down, with live DJs and bands keeping the pace. Jam’s tastes are eclectic, from media artists mixing Chinese classical instruments and ambient noise, to upbeat rock and folk. In fact, this space is literally a feast for the senses with walls displaying rotating collections of contemporary art and an easygoing “pub grub” menu including fish and chips and burgers. At the very least, check our Jam’s Cult Movie night on Wednesdays – the venue gives clues via Facebook and the first person to correctly guess which film is showing gets a free glass of Vino. And proprietor Dhyan Ho is one swell guy.

41 Charoen Rat Soi 1. BTS Surasak.

 

4. Moonstar Studio 8

If you’re an indie rock fan, you’re probably already well acquainted with Moonstar Studio 8. This venue hosts a steady stream of big-name international acts every year, including The Whitest Boy Alive, Deadmau5 and British rock darlings The Vaccines just last year. Crammed in between warehouses and studios for rent in Lat Phrao, Moonstar Studio 8 is big enough to pack a few hundred sweaty bodies in, but somehow holds onto an intimate vibe that venues like Bitec Bangna lack.

701 Ladprao 80 (Soi Chantima). MRT Thailand Cultural Centre.

 

5. Ramkhamhaeng 65

Leave it to the local college bar scene on Ramkhamhaeng 65 for the last word on live music. The soi is packed with teeny bars offering cheap booze and live music, catering to students from nearby Ramkhaemhang University. Start out at Fun Fact, for some Thai food and beer towers then wander up and down the strip to WANT, Relax or any of the other watering holes. You’ll hear Thai folk tunes and token international covers (Wonderwall, anyone?) floating all the way in between. End the evening slightly cross-eyed, people watching over a bowl of noodle soup.



Reader Interactions

Leave A Reply


BECOME A COCO+ MEMBER

Support local news and join a community of like-minded
“Coconauts” across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Join Now
Coconuts TV
Our latest and greatest original videos
Subscribe on