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Looking south across the Amherst Town Common on a bright fall afternoon, with the wide green lawn opening across the foreground, a single tall flagpole flying the U.S. flag at center, mature deciduous trees in red-and-yellow autumn foliage framing the green at left and right, the white-clapboard First Congregational Church visible at the south end with its tall steeple, and the brick and clapboard buildings of South Pleasant Street, including the block that holds The Drake, running along the right edge of the frame under a clear blue sky.
Things to Do · Nightlife & Music
The Amherst Town Common, October 2009. Photo by John Phelan, source, CC BY 3.0.

The Drake

Amherst, Hampshire County

Category
Nightlife & Music
Town
Amherst
County
Hampshire
Price
$$

The Drake is a small live-music venue on North Pleasant Street in downtown Amherst, opened in 2022 and run by the non-profit Downtown Amherst Foundation. The room switches between seated and standing layouts, with a full bar and sightlines from nearly every spot.

Programming leans singer-songwriter, folk, indie rock, jazz, and comedy, mostly touring acts at a smaller scale than Iron Horse, plus a regular calendar of local showcases. The Drake fills a niche that went unfilled in Amherst for years.

Visiting

Shows typically run four to six nights a week; most are ticketed and often sell out in advance. Doors usually open around an hour before show time. The venue is fully accessible. North Pleasant Street has street parking, and the Boltwood Garage is a block south.

Sources