Backstage
at McCabe’s
History, artist lore, and booking information from the little room at the back of the guitar shop.
The Short Version
McCabe’s began in 1958 as a guitar shop with a repair bench, a few instruments, and a growing circle of musicians who knew where to find help.
Word spread. So did the repairs, the lessons, the hanging around, and eventually concerts. What started as a place to fix and find instruments became something larger: a shop, a school, a repair room, and one of the most intimate listening rooms in America.
Different pieces of the same idea: make room for music and people.
“There’s Carnegie hall, Grand Ole Opry, and McCabe’s.”
– John McEuen
The First Concert
A few chairs, a borrowed room, and a stage built from necessity. McCabe’s became a listening room the McCabe’s way: by helping musicians first.
More than a Guitar Shop
Lessons, repairs, instruments, and concerts have always lived close together here. The shop keeps players playing.
The Room Artists Remember
From first tours to lifelong friends, artists still talk about the room, the walls, the sound, and the people listening.
Artist Booking Inquiries
McCabe’s is a small, curated listening room with a big heart. We host a limited number of concerts each month and focus on artists who connect with our room and our community.
If you’re interested in playing McCabe’s, tell us about your music and your people.
From the McCabe’s stage…
A few names from a much longer wall of stories…
Jackson Browne
First official concert opener
(1969)
Linda Ronstadt
Played early & painted our stage
(early 1970s)
Doc Watson
Made the room a roots destination
(1971)
Los Lobos
East LA on Pico
(1981)
Beck
From shop kid to return guest
(1992 / 2019)
