The Masquerade opens the Altar doors

Atlanta’s iconic three-stage music venue the Masquerade opened its doors to Altar on March 20, the fourth room and first expansion of the Heaven, Hell and Purgatory venues since the business opened 35 years ago. 

Altar is the “smallest and most intimate” of the four venues, housing 250 people in a moody room themed to the name. It’s slightly smaller than Purgatory, which has a 300-person capacity. Altar also has a walk-up food ordering window available to anybody in the Kenny’s Alley area of Underground Atlanta. 

The venue kicked off with a soft opening and concert from Anthony Green, as well as a tarot card reading and photo booths. Crowds gathered at the food window to order snacks and meals before the show and the meet and greet. 

Masquerade’s newest room is in full swing, but the independent venue only started the expansion late last year. General manager Greg Green said the team found out the space would be available at the end of the year. They decided to take advantage and open a new space. 

A couple factors played into the decision, though, Green said. 

“One of the things that our venue space and the Kenny’s Alley area of Underground Atlanta has been lacking was something not just good to eat, but eat at all,” Green said. 

The menu, created by Jessica Hare, focuses on vegan options like vegan queso, falafel wraps and buffalo cauliflower alongside more traditional hot dogs and burgers. For Green, it solves the problem of a lack of food choices within walking distance of the venue.

The other factor was the sheer volume of shows Masquerade puts on. Last year, Green estimated they put on about 125 shows in venues outside of their own location. 

“Having a fourth stage offered us an opportunity to bring a portion of those back under our roof,” Green said. 

Once Masquerade decided to add a room, planning what the room would actually be was a collective effort. The venues are famed for a clear religious reference: Heaven, Hell and Purgatory. 

Green said they wanted the new stage to play into the theme. Altar had appeal since it “proved to be a name you could look at a couple of different ways,” either as a church altar or a pagan altar used for ceremonies. 

It’s also the most clearly characterized of the four venues. Heaven, Hell and Purgatory are more sparsely themed with what Green calls an “industrial warehouse vibe” that fits any kind of music. Altar’s interior is different. 

The smaller room is moody, with long pews and blood-red curtains lining the walls. The bar is the centerpiece, with red crystal chandeliers, skulls and candles tucked between books and bottles. Still, Green said the space “lends itself to a huge variety of music and genres and vibes” with that decor. 

Alter’s opening is part of Masquerade’s 35th anniversary. The venue first opened in 1989 and has been through several iterations since then. It spent 27 years housed in a century-old manufacturing plant on North Avenue, where it gained a reputation for “bouncy” floors that would bend under the weight of the crowds. 

In 2016, the venue moved to Underground Atlanta as part of a temporary plan, but it has remained in the downtown locale. While some may be nostalgic for the original three-story location, Operations Manager Howie Stepp said it’s a welcome change. 

“The old location was a building that couldn’t expand at all,” Stepp said. 

He joined the Masquerade team in 1994 and was part of the location change. The Underground Atlanta space, Stepp said, has significantly bigger rooms and plenty of space to grow. 

Green said Masquerade has remained at Underground Atlanta across three different owners. The latest, Lalani Ventures, aimed to “revitalize” the once packed nightlife hub. The area has seen recent development like the upcoming relocation of MJQ Concourse to the former Dante’s Down the Hatch space later this year, or the Pigalle Theatre and Speakeasy that opened in 2023. 

Through it all, including a location change and global pandemic, Green said Masquerade has continued to operate as a successful venue. Stepp said the venue is set for one of it’s best years of business yet, thanks to a packed schedule of artists from around the country. 

Green credits the success to the staff, but he also said Masquerade is “constantly rejuvenating.” The venue keeps up with music and entertainment trends and runs an internship program to hire new talent to the team. 

“I think it’s just the constant desire to improve ourselves and not just rest on our laurels,” Green said. 

The “artist incubator,” as Green calls it hunts down artists who may be smaller or at the start of their careers. With smaller artists, the venue can often keep ticket prices in the range of $25 to $50. Attendees can also pick up tickets at the venue to avoid online sale fees. 

“We invest in artists, bands, etc. in the early stages of their careers and then as often as possible follow them, you know, as far up the ranks as we can as promoters,” Green said. 

Stepp also said the hunger for live entertainment and music is constant, especially “in this day and age.” 

“It’s human nature to need entertainment,” Stepp said. 

With Heaven, Hell, Purgatory and Altar Masquerade aims to provide that entertainment.