Canal Street Tavern

I played one of my first gigs at Canal Street. It is a good place to see music if you can get over sitting in old dirty room with rickety tables and chairs. What I found surprising is coming back 15 years later, the place is EXACTLY the same… nothing has changed… same rickety tables and chairs, different bar tenders, but same bad attitudes, same pictures on the walls, lights, and even the same nasty smell.
I give it 3 stars because it is unique in that it is centered around seeing live music… the problem is, is that there really is no live music worth seeing in Dayton.

Great music venue with a long history. This is THE place to hear live music in Dayton without being interrupted.

Great spot for local live music as well as renowned touring acts.

This is a pleasant little listening room, definitely geared towards music heads as opposed to sports fiends or drinkers. One nice thing about it is, unlike many other music bars, it has lots of places to sit. My back thanks you, Canal Street! There are chairs and tables in one section, old church pews in another (I feel like I should genuflect or something), and in the back there are some rows of wooden flip-​up seats that look stolen from some school auditorium, then there are stools by the bar. Driving and parking near this place is usually easier than in the Oregon District (except when there’s some festival going on nearby). The sound is good and the drinks are good. The bar has these waitresses who can be a little aggressive about bugging you to drink — if you’re in their section and don’t have a drink in your hand they’ll pester you multiple times till you buy something just to make them go away. But they’re friendly enough, will chat with you about the show and stuff, and you can’t blame them for wanting to make a sale. I’ve been here a few times, seen some great local bands play and the sound and atmosphere have always been very good. It’s the kind of place that all ages can enjoy — it’s not all hipsters or old farts or whatever. Go check it out!

When I lived in Ohio, this was by far my favorite place to go hang out. I know, that sounds over the top, but it is true. It is small, dark, and not fancy at all, but is comfortable, inviting and it has some of the best shows you could imagine. No televisions blaring at you while you try and have a good time.
I started going to the Musician’s Co op when I was 18 and got to know a great group of local musicians and some travelers. As years went by, I saw some of the most amazing shows in that place. The staff were fun and silly and you could tell they love that place.
Great bar and nice people.

Bye bye co-​op night.

«An intimate and unpretentious concert atmosphere designed for good listening.»
Seriously unpretentious… I don’t know how they pull it off, but they do.
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like this place. Even my old lady likes it.
Before I was 18 I used to frequent their been-​going-​on-​since-​the-​beginning-​of-​time Tuesday Musician Co-​op night. You catch a lot of hilarious crap at it, but you also get some good acts. and for free. Last time I stopped through, the lady who fronts Over the Rhine was there banging on the piano.
I hope the rumors that surface every now and then, about the place moving or the owner giving up, are untrue. That would s-​u-​c-​k.