The best local music venue you probably haven’t heard of

The Sets music venue is near Arizona State University's Tempe Campus on Mill Avenue. However, many students never end up there because the venue is located south of the University, whereas most clubs and bars are located north of the campus. Still, at the southeast corner of Southern and Mill Avenues, this venue is closer than most people think.

Calling The Sets a music venue isn't really fair, as the room with a stage is only part of the club as a whole. There is an entire room full of pool tables, and a separate indoor and outdoor bar. Because of this, The Sets is really like a bar, a pool hall and a venue all in one club.

My reason for going wasn't the bar or pool hall however. I went to The Sets to check out the music. Kim LaRowe books the bands at The Sets, and while her name may not be familiar to many ASU students, she's well known in the local music community. A short history lesson can explain why.

There was a club called The Mason Jar in Phoenix that had played host to many bands such as Metallica over the years, when they where still unsigned and could be found at tiny clubs trying to gain a fallowing. The Mason Jar was a staple in the community, having been around for over 20 years; most smaller music venues only last a few years at best. Kim LaRowe was booking bands at The Mason Jar when I met her, and she had an eye for talent even then.

When The Mason Jar finally closed, LaRowe started Thirteenth Floor Entertainment, to continue booking and promoting for the bands she'd come to know at The Mason Jar. Then she got hired at The Sets, and the talent followed.

A lot of local venues pick bands to play based on a press kit alone. They often end up with a show where the bands are not even similar in style, and at least one or two are pretty bad. LaRowe is able to book excellent talent at The Sets because she has over a decade of experience dealing with our local bands, as well as national acts that come through town. For this reason, I would recommend The Sets as the best local venue to see a band from the Valley. You can go without recognizing the names of the bands, and be relatively sure that they will be talented.

The cover is usually $5 to $10, unless there is a national act playing, so it's inexpensive to check out the local bands playing at The Sets. And, because the club includes an indoor and outdoor bar and a pool room, you can always hang out somewhere else if it turns out the night's music isn't your style. The only room they let you in if you are under 21 is the room with the stage. So, if you're bringing your younger friends, warn them that they won't be able to play pool with you.

— Jenifer Delemont