Winners For

Best Live Music Venue

From the outside, there's no sign of life. Long curtains hinder any attempt to spy through the windows of midtown's ever-expanding strip mall on North Miami Avenue. In fact, there's really nothing — aside from the packed parking lot — to indicate you have arrived at your destination in an otherwise desolate area. Late at night, there is only thi...

Charlie Levy apparently is a very patient man. After his famed Tempe music venue Nita's Hideaway closed in 2002, the local concert promoter waited almost a decade to open another place of his own. He was biding his time until a spot that was just the right size and in a perfect location became available. And when that day finally dawned last sum...

Since Free Press Summer Fest's Omar Afra and Jagi Katial bought Fitzgerald's in July 2010, the old Heights dance hall's transformation has been remarkable. Already one of Houston's most historic venues (Elvis and James Brown played the building), Fitz has upgraded its sound, raised the floor in the big upstairs room and begun attracting the kind...

If you visited the Galaxy Theater in Santa Ana a little more than a year ago, you would've been met by cover bands, one-hit wonders or closed doors. It had its moments, of course, but those moments were rare thanks to a lengthy closure and lackluster booking. Enter Jon Reiser, former partner and booker for Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa. Reiser purch...

In its 30-plus years of existence, our beloved Metro has pumped out the sounds of the greatest acts spanning generations. From R.E.M. to the Black Keys, Sonic Youth to Interpol, Metro’s stage has hosted rock’s best act before, while, and after the rest of the world had them on their cool list. You’ll always find the beats that move Chicago at th...

New to the Crossroads, the Green Lady Lounge is open Tuesday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. and features Kansas City's top jazz musicians. No televisions, no DJ booth, just good people, good drinks, and good music.

General admission. Standing room only. The 9:30 Club is a smaller venue featuring well-known artists for reasonable ticket prices. It’s one of the best places to experience your favorite musicians. Acoustics are solid; ventilation isn’t always. The security at the club is excellent. 9:30 also has offers food and drinks, including salads, sandwic...

The Magic Bag is the Metro Detroit's Best Live Music Venue as pronounced by the Detroit Free Press. We host the world's top musicians and your favorite classic movies every week. If you'd like to stay current with all of your favorite Magic Bag events, please keep checking our website (www.themagicbag.com) and sign up for our weekly email list. ...

The internationally acclaimed Belly Up Tavern located in Solana Beach, has a long history of bringing great live music to the San Diego area. The Belly Up has been continually voted “San Diego's Best Live Music Venue” by several publications including the Union Tribune, The Reader and San Diego Magazine as well as heralded as one of the hottest ...

Good beer, a kicking sound system, hipsters, and classic bar games, not to mention a patio, coalesce in Ybor to create New World Brewery. For more than 15 years, New World has welcomed up-and-coming national acts, including My Morning Jacket and TV on the Radio, and scrappy local outfits with equal warmth, fostering a perfect sonic storm.

Since 2004, Rams Head Live! has hosted music icons including Jay-Z, Third Eye Blind, and Elvis Costello. Located in downtown Baltimore, there are five bars and two food kiosks throughout the venue serving draft and bottled beers, burgers, pizza, nachos, hot dogs, etc., and a highly recommended VIP room if you’re looking to impress. The room is b...

I enjoy the crowds and programming at Secret Society—from pop/jazz/swing to more avant-garde folk.

Lower Burnside is home to the city’s best spot for live music: part restaurant, part bar, all intimate venue perfect for checking out Portland’s thriving local music scene (and visiting acts too). The calendar features a different lineup nearly every night—electro-pop, kitschy tribute bands, album release shows, experimental indie rock, you name...

Housed on the site of an early 1900s vaudevillian theater, this renovated venue has become the spot in Sacramento to see touring musical artists and comedians, as well as catch the occasional flick. Between the big names and small, you can easily spend a couple of nights a week here.

Cindy Barber's slice of musical heaven in Collinwood has become the catalyst for a neighborhood revitalization. The reason is simple: The historic Cleveland music club brings in the best underground and breaking acts touring the nation while delivering a sweet slice of the proud local music tradition born and raised right here in Cleveland. The ...

The décor—strewn with folk art, an imposing chandelier, and 50,000 bottle caps—gives this impressive and intimate venue a homespun elegance. It is the place to see and hear world-class acts without feeling as if you’re sitting in football stadium.

For 20 years, Austin’s mecca for indie music ruled the bar scene near 6th Street only to close down in 2011. Fortunately, it re-emerged on Riverside as Emo’s East in the old Back Room location. It’s a massive space and when sold this year to the same company behind the Austin City Limits Festival, we were insured it will be home to premier artis...

The birthplace of the Grand Ol Opry and the most acoustically-stunning building in Music City, the Ryman is a favorite of audiences and artists alike for it's intimate performances and diverse programming.

When you’re in the mood for a show, check out the concert calendar at Lupo’s. This venue is big enough to bring in shows like MGMT and the Smashing Pumpkins but still small enough to be able to see the band well from any spot in the house. In classic Providence style, the building that houses Lupo’s was once a vaudeville house, and there are sti...