Martin Sexton brings 25 years of 'Live Wide Open' back to The Venice West

The singer-songwriter returns to the 250-cap Lincoln Boulevard room on Saturday, April 10, his first Westside show since November 2022.

There are rooms where a Martin Sexton show makes sense, and then there are rooms that feel built for one. Martin Sexton plays The Venice West on Saturday, April 10, 2027, an 8 p.m. show at the 250-capacity club at 1717 Lincoln Blvd. Tickets run $39 to $95.09 through Tixr, the venue's seller, with general-admission floor spots at the low end and VIP table reservations for two at the top.

The date was announced Oct. 20, and it ends a gap of nearly four and a half years: Sexton's last Westside and Valley show was at this same room, on Nov. 13, 2022. Coming back to the same 250 seats, rather than trading up, says something about what kind of night this is meant to be.

The occasion is the Live Wide Open Tour, built around the 25th anniversary of Live Wide Open, the double live album recorded on stages across America and released on Sexton's own KTR label. The anniversary run is the excuse to revisit it in person. Venue listings for other stops promise fan favorites alongside some new material and a few surprise covers.

Coming back to the same 250 seats, rather than trading up, says something about what kind of night this is meant to be.

That is the point of a live record turning 25: it captured what the shows felt like at the time, and the tour asks whether that still holds in a room full of people who wore out the CDs. A club this size is the right test. There is not much space between the stage and the front tables, and that closeness is part of the appeal.

The VIP tables make it an easy sell for anyone planning a proper night out on the Westside rather than a quick in-and-out. The calendar lists the April 10 date now, and with only 250 tickets in the room, the floor will not last long once the spring calendar fills up.

No opener has been announced, and the tour has not published setlists for the anniversary dates yet. Expect the songs people associate with that album, a few that are new, and whatever covers Sexton decides to pull out on the night.

Twenty-five years is a long time to keep a live record alive. Mark April 10, pick a table or a spot on the floor, and come hear how it sounds now.

Sources: The Venice West — Calendar of Events (thevenicewest.com); Tixr — Martin Sexton Live Wide Open Tour (The Venice West) (tixr.com); Martin Sexton — Live Wide Open (martinsexton.com); Martin Sexton — Tour (martinsexton.com); Peace Center — Martin Sexton: Live Wide Open Tour (peacecenter.org)