The venue died once, in a Tempe strip mall - and its founder brought it back to life south of the tracks. Last Exit Live, at 717 South Central Avenue in downtown Phoenix's historic Warehouse District, is the intimate live-music room Brannon Kleinlein rebuilt in 2013 from the bones of a bygone rock dive, and it has anchored the district's nightlife ever since. The first act ran 2003 to 2009: the original Last Exit opened in a tucked-away Tempe shopping plaza and, despite the location, quickly became a top spot for local and national touring acts. Kleinlein sold it in 2009; the new owners closed it within the year. He kept the name alive as a booking and promotions company, putting on shows around the Valley while hunting for a room of his own. The second act took a gamble on geography: the free-standing building on Central south of Lincoln Street - formerly the divey Ruby Room until 2009 - sat in a Warehouse District that downtown nightlife had not yet reached. Renovations built a 12-by-24-foot stage as big as the room could take, new bathrooms and a proper soundboard, and Last Exit Live opened on 22 March 2013. The early years tested the model: months of street construction erased the parking, a beer-and-wine-only license capped the bar until a full liquor license could be afforded, and audiences had to learn to cross the tracks. The venue outlasted all of it, and two decades of Last Exit stages have now hosted national touring acts across nearly every genre alongside the best of Phoenix's local scene. The room is built for listening: mainly standing-room general admission with a few high-top tables at the back, roughly 300 at full standing capacity, with an emphasis on sound and lighting quality that punches above the venue's size - plus private-event rentals filling the calendar between shows. Practical notes: the venue sits two blocks south of the Valley Metro rail through downtown, walkable from the arena and ballpark; parking is street and lot depending on the night, most shows are 21-plus with some all-ages bills, and the Warehouse District's growing bar scene makes before-and-after easy where once there was nothing.

Type: Theater / Concert Hall

Address: 717 South Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ, United States, 85004

Website: https://lastexitlive.com

Cover Charge: 1

Capacity: 300

Opening Date: 22/03/2013