Updated 2007-08-20 21:59
| Club Passim In an era when even T.G.I. Friday’s calls itself “an institution,” it’s hard to know what’s historical and what’s retro-crap. Club Passim is unequivocally the former. Joan Baez? Got her start here, back when it was Club 47. Bob Dylan? Played between sets. Bruce Springsteen? Well, he got turned away. But Passim’s judgment has been impeccable since; they host the folksiest folk around. Despite the legendary status, it’s got that summer camp feel. 47 Palmer St., Boston. 18+. MBTA: Red Line to Harvard. 617.492.7679. |
| The Middle East The mural on its Brookline Street facade says it all: Everyone welcome. With the upstairs and downstairs, corner bakery and ZuZu, this rock complex provides eclectic one-stop shopping. The Sater brothers started booking jazz, funk and Latin acts for the after-dinner set in 1975 and, in 1988, the Lebanese eatery put itself on the national rock map when they converted the basement’s bowling alley to a 550-capacity room. Catch belly dancers in the corner room, swing through ZuZu for Latin Night or to sip on a Mojito and plug quarters into the hep jukebox. Unfortunately, you only have through the end of September to catch a live show at ZuZu, if the management sticks to their decision to stop booking shows there. 472-480 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. MBTA: Red Line to Central. 18+. 617.864.EAST. |
| Middlesex Lounge Eastern European chic meets industrial minimalism in this post-modern lounge, where rollaway benches provide easy transformation into a dance and live music venue. After 9 p.m., various DJs spin anything from French pop to haute house (Fri-Sat, after 9, there’s a $5 cover). The bar issues minimal cocktails -- such as the Meyer Lemon ($9): Hangar One vodka and lemon juice -- beers, and eclectic shots. No frilly fruity sugary girlie drinks here. Excellent bar snacks –chips and salsa and tangy lime flavored guacamole ($5), bite size tiny taco cups ($8), shrimp shumai ($5), and more—provide slight sustenance in perfect po-mo doses. 315 Mass. Ave., Boston. 21+. MBTA: Red Line to Central. 617.868.MSEX. |
| Phoenix Landing Like its namesake rebirthing fiery bird, this club reinvents itself every single night. On Sunday, it’s Bump, one of the best underground and house music nights. Then it’s Makka Mondays, which is a night of reggae, dub and dancehall. On Tuesday, it’s Framework, which is live electronic music. On Wednesday, it’s Tension, a night its organizers, Boston Breaks, call “electronic tech funk, breaks, beats and basslines.” On Thursday, it’s Elements, the “nonstop drum n’ bass” night. But it’s not quite nonstop, because on Friday it’s top 40 hits from the ‘80s. And of course, Saturday is Boom Boom Boom, where DJs spin disco and new wave. Wow. We feel dizzy. 512 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 21+. MBTA: Red Line to Central. 617.576.6260. |
| Redline A little bit of New York makes its way to these groove-bent digs. The fastest servers in the Metro area pour up for the cocktails crowd, though with Hoegaarden and Leffe on tap, beer snobs approve. Slink into a booth or hit the small dance floor as the DJ hits pace about 11. With deep house, top 40 and hip-hop nights, this hotspot has something for all booty-shakin’ ilks. 59 JFK St., Cambridge. 21+. MBTA: Red Line to Harvard. 617.491.9851. |
| Ryles With wood-paneling and a house orchestra, Ryles is an unapologetic throwback to sometime before we were born, and the look suits the music: Here, you’ll find the best jazz in Boston. The place also features ballroom, salsa, swing and merengue lessons, and a jazz brunch on Sundays. 212 Hampshire St., Cambridge. 18+ or 21+, depending on the night. MBTA: Red Line to Central, then walk 15 mins. 617.876.9330. |
| TT the Bear’s Place Maybe it’s the cheesy ‘80s mural, maybe it’s the purple toilet seat in the women’s bathroom, maybe it’s the fact it was named after a pet hamster - but TT the Bear’s, 20 years in the making, is one of our favorite clubs in town. This former pub eatery has the market on “we knew ‘em when” shows like Nirvana and Jane’s Addiction (who played to crowds of 20 and 10, respectively), while The Arcade Fire, Franz Ferdinand, The Scissor Sisters and The Shins packed the place in recent years to its firecode capacity of 275. 10 Brookline St., Cambridge. 18+. MBTA: Red Line to Central. 617.492.BEAR. |
| Toad This tiny little club is where you go when you want to hear live music for free. The quality is always a crapshoot, (as in some bands sound so crappy you want to shoot them) but it’s always free, so you can just walk out if you don’t dig what you hear. Bands play long sets and the music is hard to talk over, which makes it a perfect place to just absorb the tunes if you don’t have anybody to accompany you. 1912 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 21+. MBTA: Red Line to Porter. 617.497.4950. |
| Western Front We know “No Woman, No Cry” is your jam but - how can we put this bluntly - Marley’s dead. Give some other brothers a chance. The Rasta spirit lives on at Western Front, a club that weeds out the real fans from people who don’t know what “irie” means. 343 Western Ave., Cambridge. 21+. MBTA: Red Line to Central, then 10 minute walk. 617.492.7772. |