Tucked away in a tiny, dilapidated strip mall across from the lovingly named “Murder Kroger” on Ponce de Leon Ave in midtown Atlanta, lies the (self-proclaimed) “hardest venue in the world to find,” – The Drunken Unicorn. Open since December 2003, the Unicorn has been home to metal, glam rock, pop punk, hip-hop, dubstep, and every genre under the sun.

Any given night, show-goers are just as likely to find national and international touring groups as well as local favorites. Along with hundreds of other names (they’ve been putting on shows for eight years, after all), the Unicorn has hosted Battles, Animal Collective and Juliette and the Licks. Among the locals, Judi Chicago, Order of the Owl and Nigredo have also graced the stage.

It’s tempting to call the Drunken Unicorn something like “The Little Sign-Less Venue That Could,” but it just doesn’t quite fit. More appropriate might be, “The Little Sign-Less Venue That Flipped You Off, Stole Your Lunch Money, Rocked Your Face And Left You Begging for More.” But that might be a mouthful. Suffice it to say, The Unicorn has rocked on through ice storms, heat waves, holidays and municipal plumbing catastrophes, and they don’t seem to be stopping any time soon.

According to Gavin, The Unicorn’s humble booking overlord, the venue currently has no genre preferences for the shows they’ll book. Whether school night or weekend (except Sundays), odds are the Drunken Unicorn has something to smash your ears into submission.

Bands and artists looking to do some of that ear smashing (or ear-melting, ear-chilling, or even ear-wooing) should email bookingtheunicorn@gmail.com. Shows begin half-an-hour after doors open and usually range from two to five bands. Openers are allowed 30 minutes, and headliners get a 45+ minute slot. All booking policies can be found at www.thedrunkenunicorn.net/unicorn_details.html.

Anything else audience members and future performers should know? “We will NEVER get a sign.”

VENUE STATS:
CAPACITY: 250
CONSOLE: Mackie Onyx 32 Channel Mixer
SPEAKERS: (2) JBL SR4733X, Subs: (2) EV MTL1X
AMPS: QSC
EQ: Peavey Q231F

BOOKING INFO:
Send promo materials to:

Stickfigure
Attn:  The Drunken Unicorn
PO Box 55462
Atlanta, GA 30308
Email: bookingtheunicorn@gmail.com

photo of Order of the Owl