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The Birchmere

The Birchmere is a concert hall in Alexandria, Virginia, that features rock, blues, bluegrass, country, folk, jazz, ethnic, and comedic performers. Its main room seats 500 and provides dinner service, making for an intimate space, with tables only a few feet away from the stage. The location also features a bandstand with a bar and a dance floor. Owner and manager Gary Oelze opened The Birchmere in 1966 as a restaurant.

Address

3701 Mt. Vernon Ave.

Alexandria, Virginia

38°50′25″N 77°3′41″W / 38.84028°N 77.06139°W / 38.84028; -77.06139

Gary Oelze

concert hall

500

April 4, 1966 (1966-04-04)

Plan for expansion[edit]

During the redevelopment of downtown Silver Spring, Maryland, a plan was developed to build a second Birchmere site, slated to be an $8 million, 800-seat venue.[6] After years of negotiations, the deal was rejected on July 25, 2007. At the time, Birchmere management claimed that Montgomery County officials breached a contractual agreement with the music venue,[7] but these claims were disputed by the developers and government officials who denied any contractual obligation for development.[6]

recorded their Live at the Birchmere album on April 5, 1983.

The Johnson Mountain Boys

The recorded two of their live albums, Buy Me, Bring Me, Take Me, Don't Mess My Hair in 1990 and Gabby Road in 1997, at the Birchmere.

Four Bitchin' Babes

also recorded their live album there.

Riders in the Sky

recorded songs from their album Recently at the Birchmere on February 21, 1994.

Dave Matthews Band