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The Birchmere is a concert hall in Alexandria, Virginia, that features rock, blues, bluegrass, country music, folk music, jazz, ethnic, and comedic performers. Its main room seats 500 and provides dinner service, making for an intimate space, with tables only a few feet away from the stage. The location also features a bandstand with a bar and a dance floor. Owner and manager Gary Oelze opened The Birchmere in 1966 as a restaurant.
An estimated 13,000 discrete performances have occurred at the music hall.
Over the years, Birchmere has attracted notable customers to include members of the media, Supreme Court justices and Presidents.
On November 10, 2021, the illustrated history of the Birchmere was published: All Roads Lead to the Birchmere: America's Legendary Music Hall by Founder/operator Gary Oelze and music writer, Stephen Moore.
On January 23, 2023, Birchmere owner Gary Oelze died from natural causes at 80.
“Bill Clinton came here twice,” Oelze said. “Al Gore used to live up the street and was here all the time. One night he was leaving the White House. Clinton said, ‘Where you going?’ He said, ‘I’m going to The Birchmere to hear Jerry Jeff Walker.’ He said, ‘Hillary and I will go with you.’ The four of them showed up, then they came back to see Kim Richey.”
Plan for expansion
During the redevelopment of downtown Silver Spring, Maryland, a plan was developed to build a second Birchmere site, slated to be an $8 million, 800-seat venue. After years of negotiations, the deal was rejected on July 25, 2007. At the time, Birchmere management claimed that Montgomery County officials breached a contractual agreement with the music venue, but these claims were disputed by the developers and government officials who denied any contractual obligation for development.
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