The Palms

Love this place. The bands are top notch, some of the best blues artists around, for example, and it has a homey feel. Coming here is like seeing a concert in somebody’s living room, very cozy and friendly.
Winters is a great town to visit, catch a great dinner and a show.

OMG. I can’t believe nobody has written a review on this venue yet. I adore the old wood floor, upstairs dance halls, and this is a classic. And the person who books shows is a real unsung hero. I mean, who else would get Kinky Friedman last year when he was doing his first tour in 20 years???
I have to travel about 6 hours to get here, and then find a place to camp or flop overnight to do this place. And it’s been worth it every time — I’ve been to see Kinky, then the Knitters a couple of months ago, then Dave Alvin this past Sunday night. And if we get there an hour early and sit on the sidewalk and read books, we can be in the SECOND ROW!!! But there are truly no bad seats in the house.
The artists that visit this venue feel very comfortable here, and end up spending some time sharing stories and swapping comments with the audience. There is a beer/​wine/​soda bar in the back to wet your whistle, and there are a lot of old hippies in attendance on a regular basis, which is always amusing if you like to eavesdrop while you’re waiting for the band.
I wish they would kick the chairs out of the way and let the more able-​to-​stand-​up crowd do a little dancing, but it’s still All Good. If you see an artist that you like who is playing here, go for it. The travel time is worth it, and you will have a real good time.
There is camping at the Solano county park in Winters, but I understand that they close the gates at 8 PM, so you’ll be walking in. I haven’t tried it yet — we usually go to Sacto and sleep on our kid’s floor.