Updated 2008-09-08 22:15
| Great Scott By 2005, due entirely to a savvy booking team, this formerly dull neighborhood sports bar was one of Boston’s most important — though still intimate at 240-capacity — rock venues. Along with national and international touring bands, it also features the best - and sometimes simply the trendiest — local bands. The long room isn’t the best acoustically or visually for performances. But, that’s often a minor point, easily overlooked when you’re sweating within inches of your favorite (delete as applicable) indie/metal/noise Gods. Friday offers one of Boston’s longest running dance nights, The Pill, featuring Britpop and indie. Great Scott has free Wi-Fi to encourage daytime chilling too. 1222 Commonwealth Ave., Boston. Fri, Sat 21+; otherwise 18+. MBTA: Green B Line to Harvard Ave. 617.566.9014. |
| Harpers Ferry This huge club has the most colorful calendar and one of the best sound systems in town. To prove it, they’ve got a kickass lineup slated for the fall: you can see Sub Pop’s quickly rising indie addition, Death Vessel on Sept. 25, and then two days later on Sept. 27, catch Spiritual Rez, the dance party band that doesn’t stop. Everlast, the man who brought dark vocals to Santana’s “Put Your Lights On,” stops by on Oct. 3, and the hip-hop group whose name makes everyone giggle, Cunninlynguists, will be there on Oct. 15. You totally just giggled. 158 Brighton Ave., Allston. 21+. MBTA: Green Line to Harvard Ave. 617.254.9743. |
| O’Briens A recent makeover didn’t change the breed of band who play here. Hallelujah! O’Brien’s is the place for your punk and metal needs. Just check out the names of the bands playing here on Sept. 26: Vagiant, Penis Fly Trap, deadlikedeath, and the Ramones tribute band, Ramoniacs. We like their Premature Mondays, where it’s always $1 per band on the bill, and the music actually starts promptly at 9 p.m. Also, be on the lookout for the Dropkick Murphys guitarist hovering in the dark corners here, as he was the night before we interviewed the band. 3 Harvard Ave., Allston. MBTA: Green B Line to Harvard Ave. 617.782.6245. |
| Our House Despite being a huge room filled with couches that were probably left on curbs post-move out day, this college hot spot is warm and welcoming with its pool tables, board games, trivia nights and occasional foosball tournaments. Poor? We thought so. A wink to the owner usually gets you a free Irish Car Bomb if you’re 21. If that fails, you can still get smashed with their $2 Brubacker beer. Again, you have to be 21 for this. Be sure to get the bottle of free champagne on your birthday (probably your 21st birthday) and then spend the money you saved on the skeet shooting video game. 1277 Commonwealth Ave., Allston. Green B Line to Griggs St./Long Ave. 617.782.3228 |
| The Paradise Affectionately known as the Dise, this 25-year strong venue is one of the longest standing rock clubs in Boston. The staff may regale you with tales of early Police and Elvis Costello shows, but the acts playing here now are mostly “next big things” who won’t need the word “next” in front of that description much longer. Prepare to spend a lot of time here once the leaves start to fall: Aussie electropoppers Cut Copy stop by Sept. 23, catch Ratatat on Sept. 28-29. The Black Kids with The Virgins (an interesting combination, to say the least) will be there Oct. 2, and for the love of The Dise, don’t miss Cold War Kids on Oct. 14. 969 Comm Ave., Boston. Often 18+ but depends on the act. MBTA: Green B Line to Pleasant. 617.562.8800. |
| Wonder Bar This bar is a chameleon of sorts, easily morphing from its Monday Nintendo Wii nights to live funk, soul and hip-hop on Wednesdays, to the assortment of DJs who spin on the other nights. Oh yeah, and the kitchen is open until midnight every night, except for Tuesday, when it’s open until 2 a.m. 186 Harvard Ave., Allston. 21+. MBTA: Green B Line to Harvard. 617.351.2665 |