A lovely 400 seat capacity venue complete with a loft that features tables and chairs. From the street, the space is available for lease, but on the backside it's all business. The wife and I were in town and had come to see Not Quite Brothers (Iowa) which have a phenomenal mixed set list that covers more decades than their age would suggest. In fact, I'm pretty sure the majority of the crowd were older than the band. Regardless, a good time was had by all. I'm pretty sure this Saturday night show was wrapped up and had a bow put on it by 10 or 10:30pm. I would totally come see a show here again and would totally see NQB again. One interesting thing to note about NQB, is that once they hit the stage, they played non-stop until they were done, no breaks, came back for an encore set and done \m/ read more

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We have a great time every time we visit high noon saloon. We usually sit in the very small seating section upstairs but occasionally get down right to the band on the floor. This time we opted for upstairs seating and went downstairs to grab a couple of drinks just prior to the show starting. The beverage service is generally prompt even though at times there can be a long lines. The biggest joy is hearing these small bands perform and hoping for them that they make it to the big time! read more

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I've been to this venue a handful of times now, and it's always a fun spot to catch live music. The space isn't huge, but that actually makes the shows feel more personal, and you can get a good view of the stage from pretty much anywhere. I usually grab a drink before the sets start, and even when the lines look long, they move quicker than expected. The bartenders are friendly and keep things flowing. The sound quality has been consistently solid at every show I've been to, and it's a great place to see smaller artists up close. Parking in the area can be a little hit or miss, but that's pretty normal for the neighborhood. Overall it's a reliable, easygoing venue that always makes for a good night out. read more

Been to eight shows over the past three months, and this feels like a very different vibe than 2023. They're bringing incredible groups in every month, staff is friendly, place feels safe. The music quality is awesome. There are plenty of places to park around the neighborhood, and shows start on time. Really appreciate the acts that they're booking. It's become a Madison meme to complain about live nation/FPC stranglehold on five big venues: Breese Stevens, Sylvie, Orpheum, Majestic, high noon. I give one star for the ticket fees and the high drink costs. But I'm not gonna hold that against this venue. read more

High Noon Saloon - March 2025 armchair boogie - Music Venues Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I have attended five concerts here - I forget to check in with the excitement of the gig! I don't know if this qualifies as a hidden gem or I am just lucky that artists I like are at the High Noon level or choose it (Jack White). This is a place you can roll up on a weeknight and have a good time. I encourage you to check it out for yourself. Buy tickets in advance or do day of show if you are a risk taker, but this is a place you want to try. Deduction based on the gentleman outside the door. The wanding security peeps apply the scan differently to different people. Based on what I would be speculating but I see some people get none and some get a very thorough screen. Let's see if we can start being friendly and polite and welcoming while doing the check instead of with a sense of superiority. read more

I went to a New Year's Eve concert here and had an amazing time. The venue itself is pretty modern with kiosks to pay digitally for drinks at the bar. This really helped with ordering and paying during a loud concert. The sound was great, the band was great, and we would be thrilled to come back to another concert at this venue. read more

High Noon Saloon - My wife sitting on the floor between bands - Music Venues Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Had a great time and dealings with the Venue Manager it was an awesome experience. Being a small business owner myself I feel customer experiences are important for returning customers. Wonderful job!! We will be returning and bring friends for another great night. read more

High Noon Saloon is a solid venue. Tickets are always reasonable, and we've been to several enjoyable shows here. Drinks are reasonably priced, and there's a nice variety of craft beers to choose from. Parking is alright; it can be a bit tricky trying to find somewhere in the neighborhood and Madison has the most specific parking signs to navigate, but it's free so there's that. The sound system seems to be good, and the venue is definitely more on the intimate side, size-wise. The balcony section up top is a nice option, but it's fairly easy to see the stage, even from the back. A nice bonus - they sell ear plugs at the bar for $1! read more

Great spot As a smaller venue for bands, employees are pretty lay back crowds are usually quite cool. Have an excellent time when I saw Faith Hills Have Eyes, release album, and a Nirvana Tribute evening was pretty cool. Parking is a bit of a bitch though. read more

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Terrible - the price for 1drink is most awful no wonder why they pretty much cavity check you when you walk in. Definitely go in with a buzz or perhaps go to the Brass ring next door before heading to HIGH PRICES MORNING DAY AND NIGHT SALOON...should've been called! read more

I've been seeing shows at the High Noon since before I lived here in Madison. The sound is always great, fitting the space perfectly. As someone with pain issues I should note that getting there early can be beneficial if you'd like to sit--they do have tables in the back and in the upstairs balcony area (by, II believe, a spate of arcade games, which I appreciate). I've seen one of my favorite bands Low here twice. I had a great time with family one afternoon at a winter craft fair kinda thing. It has a rad patio/beergarden area adjacent to a bar & restaurant. All this gives it about four stars anyways but I'm writing this review now because last weekend Gaelynn Lea performed there & it was a spiritual experience. Not only was she amazing, it was really awesome to see Disability Pride Madison put it together and the artist went out of her way to thank High Noon Saloon for securing and installing a ramp for her to get onstage in her chair. "Not many folks do this," she said, or something to that effect. The show was so good. I'm not thrilled that most of the venues in town seem owned or booked by the same conglomerate but I'm pretty sure I'll keep going to the High Noon. Amazing space. Staff are super friendly, too. Also, thank goodness, the Native American statue(s) have long since been removed as decor, those were problematic at best. Great to see change/responsiveness. read more

High Noon Saloon - Music Venues Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Even though I live in Chicago I've been to the High Noon a few times. The sound is excellent, and I enjoyed the video screen for my recent visit during the Carnivale show featuring the incredible Handphibians. Beer prices aren't bad, and service is pretty quick. It's great that they have the two bars to serve the rowdy masses. Door people are polite and allow frequent exits/entrances for smokers to enjoy a grit on their nice enclosed patio. I had visited the old O'Cayz many times, and it's a great service to the community that the owner decided to invest, rebuild and actually IMPROVE upon that venue. If you're going to quibble about paying a few extra bucks for a show, just be thankful you're not standing in a pool of musty beer or urine somewhere else. It's money well spent! read more

The High Noon Saloon is not friendly to women or fem presenting peoples as they don't allow bags or purses over 6.5 x 4.5 x 1 inches. This is an absolutely ridiculously tiny bag. "Women's" clothing often does not incorporate pockets and if it does they often cannot hold nearly as much and "mens" pockets. In fact, I would be willing to bet the average mans pair of pants has cargo space larger than 6.5 x 4.5 x 1. So I will insist that you not allow people to wear pants with more than one pocket, no larger than the same 6.5 x 45 x 1 inches or they must remove their pants at the door. Unless of course they are wearing clear pants. read more

There are some good acts that come through those High Noon doors! From Delta Rae to Saints of Valory to my most recent experience with a sold out MisterWives! Most of the bands I've seen are up and comers that will likely come back in a year or two and fill the Majestic and sometimes even the Barrymore. But the savvy music fan will see them first at the High Noon! There are two different viewing experiences (well, three if you count obstructions), you can stay on the main floor, have access to two bars and even the stage (if you are there early enough for a packed show). Or you can go upstairs and snag a table along the railing. I like the balcony view personally... mostly because I'm super tall and don't have to worry about being in the way of someone's line of sight (yeah, I'm nice like that). Sound is the same all around. They have two pool tables too, on a regular night (no music) or a smaller show, they may be available - otherwise they are covered up and can become a coat check in the winter. My two gripes? They have a giant pillar right in the middle of the room - I am sure that it's their for building stability and architectural purposes, but it is a sight line obstruction. Not a big deal though. Also, parking. Parking is a challenge for most venues in Madison, but there's really no nearby parking structure to help and their parking lot fills up fast as they are in a compound with two other booming businesses. I have gotten a parking ticket over there for not realizing I was in a limited spot on a Saturday night (read every sign!). read more

Who all remembers the Buy & Sell Shop? It was an amazing 3 store warehouse thrift store that had literally everything you could think of. I loved that place. I was very sad when it closed, and became not one but 3 venues-- the High Noon, the Brass Ring, and the Brink. The High Noon is the biggest of the venues, and it has a slight modern cowboy theme. However it caters to all styles of music-- hip hop, funk, blues, rock, etc. It's a mid size venue. Not a hole in the wall, not a big theatre. I imagine it seats about 500, and when I say seats, I mean stands, there's maybe about two dozen chairs, total, mostly in the balcony. Full bar, no food options, but the Brass Ring serves food next door. Sound system and lights are good. Overall a good venue to see a band play. As a musician who has played there, they have little or no options for load in or green room. Parking is limited to a few spaces in the lot and the street. read more

Yes, yes and more yes! I came here to see Andy Frasco this past Sunday. Well worth the drive from Green Bay. This venue has two bars flanking a small stage. They have taken the time to make sure the acoustics are good in here. The space is mostly standing only with a small balcony that has maybe 50 seats. The bathrooms were clean and the drinks decent in price. The extra plus is they have a nice outdoor patio for cooling down if you get to hot dancing. I would come back here for sure. read more

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One of my favorite places to see a show in Madison. The size is just my speed - small enough to still feel intimate but large enough that you feel the energy of a good crowd. The venue is definitely walkable from the Capitol but if it's a cold night, a Lyft from downtown is really affordable too. I like that they have bars on both sides, no awkwardly weaving through a whole crowd of people to get another beer. The drink prices are fair for a music venue and the bartenders are friendly and speedy. I really like the range of bands they bring here (I am seeing one of my favorite artists, Mitski, here in March and I just know it's gonna be a tight show) and the sound has always been great. They also hold craft fairs here - I went to a holiday one and although it was rather small, it did have a good range of vintage clothing, soaps, prints, local food goods, etc. I love that they hold such a great range of events and I hope to make it out to music trivia here one day! Keep on being great, High Noon. read more

I like this venue a lot. It's intimate & the sound is pretty good. They have a great craft beer selection and book some solid acts. I've seen st motel, polica & wild belle here & really enjoyed each show. If they book a show I'm interested in I don't hesitate to go here. Entrance is a bit tricky as it's around the back of the building. We & several others I noticed had trouble figuring it out my first time there bc there's a bar with a different name on front of street. Just walk around corner & through parking lot & you'll find entrance. Plenty of free street parking is available too. read more

High Noon Saloon - Music Venues Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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The High Noon Saloon is a very nice bar/music venue. I attended a local metal show there a month or so ago and it was an enjoyable time. The High Noon Saloon is a large bar and has a very nice stage for small scaled shows. On the downside, there is very little parking, and the location is slightly out of the downtown area so it isn't convenient to just "drop in" while you're out on the town. I will need to go a few more times to get a better feel for the atmosphere and see if I like the place as a whole. I always appreciate a venue that makes such a consistent effort to put events on their schedule. I'm sure I will be back in the near future. read more

This place is alright. I'm not big on the space, but I LOVE the offbeat stuff they host here. Nerd Nite is a fun thing to do on a weeknight, but I'm SUPER into the craft fair I just went to (Black Sheep Bazaar). The only thing is, I would ask that next time they do a craft fair, that they get some lighting. I literally couldn't see the colors of things I was looking at - it was almost comical, really, it was so dimly lit. If you're super into live music and playing roulette with who you're seeing, this is a good spot to go. You never know what you're gonna get, and often, the crowd dictates how much fun you'll have (are they a trampling crowd? Snooty hipster? Drunken mass/mess?). The bathroom seems just fine to me for a bar. I've never walked in on a holy mess, and it's the most well-lit spot by far in the whole bar. Parking is not my favorite. There's a private lot, but it fills up quick. You may need to walk a bit, so be prepared. If things get to be too much for me, I like to head over to the Brass Ring and shoot some pool or down to the Brink for some pizza. There's nothing to eat at the High Noon, so make sure to account for that. read more

Maybe we caught it on a bad night, but I don't understand why we had to pay $15 just to walk in and go through a security check, to hang with 12 other people in the whole place and listen to bands that weren't that good. They take themselves way too seriously. read more

The High Noon is one of my favorite venues in town. First and foremost: consistently good sound. The sound guys move around the room to make sure it sounds good everywhere. Bless you, sound guys! There's plenty of space to get up close and personal at shows, but also plenty of options to still see from farther back with the upstairs balcony. When it's busy, the High Noon opens up bars on each side of the room, making for minimal crowd navigation to get a drink. The stage-right bar also serves pizza while it lasts if you're hungry but don't want to pop over to a neighboring establishment. Don't miss their free summer patio shows, 2-for-1 happy hour, and the non-music events they host, too (Nerd Nite, craft fairs, Gomeroke, etc). read more

High Noon Saloon is a great concert venue and all-around hangout bar. The acoustics are great. The acts are ever varying. The beer is cheap. The atmosphere is intimate. I could rave about this place indefinitely. In my mind, it does no wrong. They have events (all based on music) basically every night, so pick your favorite kind of event and enjoy the evening. They have pool tables for fun, a second bar that opens up on more crowded nights, and a deck/loft area that has seating for intimate gatherings. My friends and I personally love to go to the second floor and hang out. Here, you won't bother the more gung-ho concert goers, and you can also share some beers. On the other hand, if you want to get up-close and personal with an artist, the front row is beckoning, and the artists normally stay around afterwards to converse with their fans. Happy hour is a great deal, BOGO for select beers, and the selection isn't too shabby. The music trivia is also a blast. I am constantly keeping tabs on which artists go through the Saloon. They bring a nice assortment of local and non-local acts, and their acoustics are perfect for singer-songwriters trying to get intimate with the crowd. The cover/ticket prices are very reasonable, and a lot of talent definitely comes through their establishment. read more

The High Noon is one of my two favorite venues in Madison to see a show (the other being the Majestic). First, the space. It is clean and well-maintained (kind of the opposite of the Orpheum in the last few years). I love being able to get there an hour before the show and find a spot in the balcony from which to watch; since my "must be in the front row screaming along" days are behind me, a person of relatively short stature like myself really benefits from a balcony view. The stage itself isn't huge, but it's proportional to the rest of the space and it is raised somewhat for better viewing from the ground. The bathrooms are always well-stocked and clean, and there are a LOT of stalls in the women's room, two beautiful things to see at a music venue. I recently attended Paulie Fest there, an excellent concert/benefit for local music education, and they did a beautiful job remembering Paul, honoring his family, and raising money for a wonderful cause. The decor was breathtaking - fresh white roses and candles on the balcony tables, white Christmas lights, and lilacs filling the air. The bartenders are very nice and patient. For example, they were well-stocked for the Kentucky Derby party, and if I were a bartender I would have lost my mind every time someone ordered a mint julep (so much muddling!). The bars tend to get really crowded during more popular shows, though, making it frustrating trying to get to the counter to get a bartender's attention. Getting rid of the stools at the bar for more popular events would probably fix this problem, though I doubt that will happen. The beer menu is long, and the taps are seasonal, featuring a lot of local microbreweries. This isn't exactly rare in Madison, but it's nice. The drinks are fair-priced and the mixed drinks aren't lacking for booze. Food is limited to a few kinds of pizza (ho-hum, out-of-the-box stuff), but since they're part of the same complex with the Brass Ring, you're welcome to bring in take-out from there, which I've done a few times. The acts the High Noon brings in are usually fantastic. The tickets are often a great deal, and there are usually several bands on each bill. I've discovered a few new favorite local acts through the opening bands. Their theme parties are fun, often with appropriate drink specials and costumes/dressing up encouraged for a festive atmosphere. Nerd Nite is also a major highlight; the speakers are often engaging, the electronics work without struggle, and the fellow patrons are great to talk to. The only major downside, besides the difficulty with getting to the bar, is the enormous cloud of cigarette smoke that is ALWAYS outside the front door, though I suppose they have limited power in being able to change that. ETA: The High Noon also has a special place in my heart because you can buy earplugs for a buck at the bar. This has saved my ears on countless occasions; I wish all live music venues in Madison did this. read more

High Noon Saloon - Paulie Fest Line-Up - Music Venues Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I've seen every type of show at the High Noon, and I can conclude that it's definitely my favorite place to see music in Madison. There's several reasons why nearly every experience i've had there has been positive. It all starts with the staff. Every night I've gone there, the doormen have been very polite, the bar(s) never take too long to serve you, and the bartenders sometimes strike up great conversation on slower nights. The High Noon also consistently features a solid lineup of acts that you will want to see. They feature all genres from indie rock to hip-hop to metal to punk to bluegrass and everything in between. Some of the names they get are small, but others are legendary or breakout acts that you'll otherwise never see in such an intimate space. The space itself is good, whether you like to get up close and personal with your favorite artist, or want to sit at a table from the second level. Either way, every spot (except behind the pillar in the middle of the venue) gets you a good view of the artist and sounds stellar. And while we're discussing space: The bathrooms are very clean, which is refreshing to see when the standard for a music venue is just barely usable. As for prices, the High Noon is more than reasonable. There's plenty of good microbrews to choose from, and none of them are ever over $5. The tickets are almost always worth the price of admission for the caliber of acts they bring, especially since Chicago and Milwaukee both would charge higher ticket prices. Sometimes there's shows that don't charge any cover or only cost $5, so they're sometimes worth checking out on nights where there's not much going on. Overall: The High Noon Saloon is awesome. You'll initially come to see your favorite act, but you'll keep coming back for the great atmosphere and service. read more

High Noon is a very clean music venue/bar. Lots of space with a good stage area. In front of the stage is plenty of room for dancing, and there is a little seating area downstairs (pub style) and an upstairs area for us old lazy people who want to sit down. Food choice is "limited" to pizza only - so dietary restrictions, eat before you arrive and/or sneak something in. Beer and Liquor selection is average. Liquor drinks ranged 4.50-6.00. However, the night I went (to see 3 bands), I had one major complaint: the sound quality was horrible! I'm not sure who you use as the sound man - is he yours or the bands? Whoever, his "ear" was way off. I had to go home and listen on youtube to actually understand the mumbling from all three bands! I thought I was crazy so I moved around a bit: upstairs center, upstairs stage left, downstairs at the center back, and downstairs center upfront - all bad. I overheard other people commenting about the sound quality as well. The last group I heard was a little better - I could hear the singer and make out some of his words, but this groups' music was a little more geared to the singer solo's. I don't know the excuse: he had the flu, the place is too big, he's been blasted by loud speakers all his life, it was a new guy, it's the style of music, etc I really hope the sound man was with the group(s) and not with High Noon. Although, in speaking with an acquaintance (about a week later), he had the same complaint "Go for the experience, not the best sound." I really want to love this place, but there's really not much point to going to a music joint and not hearing the music. If I wanted death metal from a 70's style pop group, I'd go somewhere else and listen to death metal. I will have to think hard about the loss of $20 to bad sound quality before I return. read more

Hands down, this is my favorite music venue in Madison. The staff are always solid and friendly, and the shared outdoor space w/the Brink and Brass Ring is one of my favorite patios in town. I've been to High Noon for so many reasons, and Gomeroke is still one of my favorite Madison memories. While I've never performed, the concept of singing your favorite karaoke song with a live band is taking my much-loved hobby to another level. The Gomers are so much fun as it is, and they clearly enjoy the twice-weekly event as much as participants do. This is a lovely, intimate space for concerts though the sound is always pumped up far above my ears' threshold for actually being able to enjoy music. Ear plugs are recommended! All in all, great people running a great space! read more

Meh. My problems with the High Noon are these: 1. The cover charge tends to be pretty high. 2. There are not many places to sit. 3. They have a tendency to start shows pretty late (I just went to one that started at 10pm, and there were *3* bands before the headliner), so, the no-place-to-sit-thing really is an issue. 4. The drinks have a tendency to be on the pricey side, too. That aside, I like the High Noon well enough. It has a nice balcony to sit in (if you're there early enough to get a seat), good bands go there, it's home to Gomeroke (live band karaoke!), the bathrooms aren't terrifying, and the acoustics are good. But when I find out a band will play the High Noon, my first thought is, "Aw, man..." read more

Excellent music venue. I usually spend more time on my reviews but I'll just keep this simple: Nice sound, nice lighting, decent amount of room, good drinks with friendly bartenders and a constant stream of bands. The Filligar/Weaver at the Loom/This World Fair show was awesome but sadly vacant. Perhaps they should advertise shows a little more? read more

My favorite place for live music in Madison. Between the large main floor and the balcony, there's always a good spot to see the band. And they have a patio for some much needed breaks from the heat and the noise. Two bars divide up the show's thirsty customers nicely. It's good that they have some food available for when the beer is hitting a little too hard. I just haven't been there in awhile, because this summer's line up wasn't as good as lasts. But I know there will be more great shows in the future. Holly Go Lightly patted my butt there once. I liked that. read more

My wife and I held our wedding reception here, and we have nothing but glowing praise for this venue and staff. From the get-go, they were engaged, had great advice, and were communicative. Their in-house bar packages are GREAT, I strongly recommend using one! The lighting, the decor, the levels, and the sound were all superb - we had a live band for the reception and doing it here was a huge part of why our dance floor was never empty. The staff helped us out with places to stash things, and they even held on to a few items we forgot that night so we could grab them the next day. We really enjoyed working with these folks! read more

I saw my first show here last Friday and fell in love with the Saloon instantly. It was one of the better sounding venues I've been to in recent memory. And drinks were cheap. I mean, really cheap. Four beers cost us only $9 which, coming from the Metro in Chicago the night before, where one beer costs about five bucks, this was a really nice treat. Definitely am looking forward to making the journey up to Madison and the High Noon Saloon sometime in the future. read more

Good place for live music, and a nice outdoor patio when you actually want to HEAR your friend/date/own thoughts. I enjoy the balcony seats during shows(get there EARLY to snatch one) because I get really cranky when stupid drunk people keep ramming into me. But, that's just me. read more

I have been here for hip hop, reggae, metal, and electronic shows and I know the rest of the community can fill in missing genres. Never overpriced, you will be blessed with their beer selection, and parking isn't too bad. Great place for a show in Madison and when I was living in Chicago I even traveled here for acts that skipped over Chicago. read more

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Great concert venue! Good beer selection! Atmosphere for carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and a bit of CO2 pinch of argon! Very nice intimate venue! Friendly staff! And hand knit cozies available for sale! Neato place! read more

I attended the day 2 of the Reverence festival at High Noon. I'm not sure what possessed them to host the event, because it was near terrible. Whoever is responsible for the lighting and creating the correct ambiance needs to wake up. Not every show is the bluegrass type, and with bit more effort in creating the appropriate vibe, this place could be so much better. I think they are reasonably equipped to do better production. Otherwise it's just a waste of the space. And if the cover is $16, don't give me the iTune music for 2 hours followed by some lame openers. read more

A bar with good sound! and a good beer selection! why'd they hide the door? read more

This is a great place to see a band, and they get a pretty good variety of national and local musicians in here. The sound is good, as well as the beer selection/prices. I've never ordered food here. They did a nice job with the inside of the place, it looks really cool. I've heard complaints about shows being too expensive, but I'm originally from the Chicago area, where seeing the same band in a much larger venue would be about $10 more. So ticket prices seem reasonable to me. They loose a star because all of their shows start too late (10-11)! By the time the headliner is done, it's 1 or 2 o'clock. read more

Nice (relatively) new venue. Two bars on each sides of the floor, large selection of beer. Strong mixed drinks. It manages to bring in a diverse line-up and I've seen some really good shows here. There's a couple of pool tables although this place is essentially just a music venue. There's an upstairs with tables overlooking the floor. I've been here a couple of times for 2-for-1 Happy Hours. Apparently a well-kept secret even though they advertise for it. Nice patio to have a smoke/drink. Overall a solid place to catch a show and have some drinks. read more

My other favorite place to play/see shows in Madison. The sound is always near perfect. The double bar thing really helps. The only thing that slightly makes shows there not so good is the size of the place. When you go to see a rock show you expect the space to be a little tight. This creates a vibe where everyone feels like they should be moving around together, slamming beers, and having a rowdy time. The High Noon is so big that it's hard to get enough Madisonians to venture a few blocks away from the square to fill it. That's one reason it's better to see national acts there than local ones. Usually you'll see locals opening for the nationals anyway. Also, as a local musician who also tours I'd like to let people know that, $10-$15 is not a lot to pay for a decent show. Many people think they should only be paying about $5 to see a show no matter what size the venue is. Well that would be great if you want bands and sound techs to make no money. I would actually applaud Cathy and the High Noon staff for doing their part to adjust cover prices for inflation. Something that really hasn't been done since the '80s. By the way I think I paid about $12 to see Th' Legendary Shack Shakers with The Paybacks play there a year or two ago and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen. read more