What is your favorite place to go for a drink or live music in the city you know best and why?

I live in NYC. I like going to Mercury Lounge on Houston (howston) Street for live music. It’s small but I’ve seen some of my favorite bands, like Junior Senior, The Go-Betweens (RIP, Grant) and !!!, at this place. At the !!! show, the lead singer was dancing so hard, he was flicking his sweat over the first 4 rows of people every time he moved. That’s how small the place is, and I like feeling that intimate energy from the performers. And I’ve seen some bands there that have played at bigger places and it’s more fun at the Mercury. Drinks aren’t too expensive, but I’m there to see a show.

I like smaller clubs better, but for a midsize venue, Bowery Ballroom is pretty good. There’s hardly any bad angles. It’s the venue I’ve been to most since I’ve lived here.

I don’t get out much. But if i was to go out to the perfect bar in my local city, it would be because they had comfy and intimate couches (some couches are too far apart in bars and you talk to one another), cocktails, stella artois, great music of ALL genres mixing it up…, interesting people, friendly welcoming atmosphere, real people (as opposed to just “gorgeous people”), lots of colour, pretty lights, different areas.(.i.e. chill out, strip, dance etc), live music and great bar staff that are personal , genuine and entertaining…and most of all….not too busy… i hate crowds.

NYC is where it’s at.

The two small (read: tiny) Venues that I love are The Knitting Factory and Lincoln Plaza. I’ve seen some great shows at both these venues, but Lincoln Plaza is definitely the better of the two. Although it’s tiny, many a big act has played there. You should check it out!

Schuba’s in Chicago. It’s a friendly neighborhood bar up front with an outstanding music room in back. Terrific sound and they book outstanding acts across a wide range of musical genres. Martyrs on Lincoln runs a close second.

Harvelle’s in Santa Monica, California. A divey old blues & jazz club, been there since 1931.

The Trocadera or the TLA in Philly. Both are very small venues which IMO always make for a great show.
The Troc actually used to be a brothel that got turned into a concert hall heh.

I live in St. Paul, MN, and one of the wonderful things about this area (the entire Twin Cities), is that we have a LOT of things that would appeal to tourists, but we’re not as much a tourist town as Chicago or New York, or San Francisco. We have many of the benefits of the big city without all of the hassles. And perhaps my favorite thing about the city is it’s culture, particularly it’s music scene.

First Avenue (the club where a good share of Purple Rain was filmed) is in Minneapolis, and it’s across the street from an entertainment complex called Block E that has a Gameworks, a movie theater, a Hard Rock Cafe, a Piano Bar and a couple restaurants (so it’s a bit more “touristy” than you might like). On the other corner (there are 3 corners where First Avenue intersects 7th street) is the Target Center which hosts a lot of concerts and serves as the home of the Timberwolves basketball team. But deeper in the heart of Minneapolis and to a lesser degree, St. Paul…there are many smaller clubs that are home to various concerts almost every night of the week…the 400 Bar attracts big and small names, Lees Liquor Lounge is kind of a swing bar (Brian Setzer of Stray Cats fame lives here now and frequents that bar). Then there’s the Uptown area (also immortalized by Prince) which has a number of great shops and restaurants as well as a Famous Dave’s which has a stage and live music most weekends. By my house in St. Paul is a bar called the Half Time Rec which is just a hole in the wall Irish pub, but it is so renowned and authentic that people come from around the world to go there…incredibly loud and crowded…a typical Saturday night it’s hard to move in the place, so don’t even bother going there on St. Patty’s Day.

Your best bet should you come here would be to pick up a copy of the free weekly alternative newspaper The City Pages, look at the ads for the various shows going on in town and hit one of the smaller, lesser known clubs that has someone you’d like to hear playing. On any given night there are probably 30 or 40 shows going on somewhere in town, and in Minneapolis in particular, many of the clubs have a similar setup..small, abour 4,000 people can fit, they have an upstairs with railings to lean over and a downstairs open floor, the balcony is shaped like a squared off letter U.

And I would also HIGHLY recommend going to Red’s Savoy Pizza on 7th street in St. Paul. You’ll get the best pizza you ever ate and they have a full bar. No music though.

New Orleans,LA Preservation Jazz Hall

My favorite spot is “The End” in Nashville Tennessee. Its a small, loud, grimey, dirty, indie-punk rock den. I has a beer bar and fenced large patio for smoking. The bathrooms are atrocious. You can smell the hep. The exterior is covered in nice graffiti. They let a local graffiti crew paint murals. They change all the time. Best thing is my uncle who is my age is the doorman. Im on the guest list anytime I go to The End. Its part of what is called the “Rock Block” in Nashville. Directly across the street is “The Exit-In” one of Nashville’s bigger venues. And exactly a one minute walk up the street is The Gold Rush a cool bar with great food. HaHa I read the question and not your name and answered it. I see you lived in Tennessee and Nashville. I bet you have heard of these places.

@buster: I love The End, I saw Of Montreal there a while back and it was insane. Anything on Elliston (The Rock Block) is awesome. Robert Plant was in The Gold Rush last summer just chilling at the bar. And, Exit/In is one of my all time favs… best show Ive seen there is Derek Trucks.

If you dig good music and live in the Nashville area check out TELEPHANT (a little self promotion, which I know is unFluthery)

Frederick, Maryland: Either Firestone’s or The Bentz Street Raw Bar. Firestone’s is in an elegant, historic building with a tin ceiling. A great restaurant by day, a great bar/live music venue by night. The Raw Bar (recently re-named The Bentz Street Sports Bar but nobody calls it that!) is in an old automotive garage. It’s kind of sleazy, with picnic tables and plastic chairs…but great fun!

For bigger musical acts, head to The 9:30 Club in nearby Washington, DC.

Bydgoszcz – the Jazz club by the river
Berlin – Whitetrash
Dresden – Tir Na N’Og
Meissen – anywhere (I love that city)
Prague – Zelezna
Coventry – Brown’s
London – a million different places, depends what you like
Athens – Vatraxoi (if it still exists)
Copenhagen – that Irish pub next to Burger King, forgot the name
And of course my personal haven: Redhouse, Tingaki (Kos island)

btw I’ve sung in most of those, so I see it from a different perspective, not sure if they are the best for the audience, but I like the people working there.

Portland Oregon
East End is the best place for music in this city, hands down. It’s small, cheap drinks, great staff, killer music from bands you would never think you’d get to see in a place that only holds 70 people downstairs and 50 upstairs.
Berbati’s Pan, Someday Lounge, Rotture, Dante’s, Ash St., Tube-These are all kick ass places too.

The place witch I remember is based in city call Olomouc CZ.The club call Athos{from the movie three musketyres}.The club is in area called Tabulak hill.They play in there dance music…...............

I’ve been there (isn’t it Oloumoc actually?). But I don’t remember the club. Then again, I don’t dance, that’s why.

in my area (ft lauderdale/miami), there’s club revolution (they have a night club, but it’s a popular smaller venue for bands to perform, and outiside there’s America’s Backyard which i hate, but i’m sure it appeals to some people. AB is like an outside bar/hang out i guess).
there’s the culture room, my personal favourite venue – tons of great shows there, smaller and some bigger bands.

Monkey Pants
-Good Food
-Board games
-Pool
-Cocktales

@maybe_KB cocktales eh? Soooo you just all sit around and listen to dirty stories? :P

There once was a cock from Hoboken
Whose vigor could never be broken
It swung to the left
In spite of its heft
And lost to a simple sack strokin’

here endeth the tale of the cock

lol4rl

Wtf?

@PupnTaco : THANKS i love a good cock tale

NYC Duplex, Rosie’s Turn, Blue Note, 88’s.

Tel-Aviv Mike’s Place, Buzz Stop, Molly Bloom

Mtl Carlos and Pepe’s, The Old Dublin, Whiskey

My bad here’s the correct name and link

It’s an ancient question but one I really want to answer so… The Summer Music Garden at Harbourfront in Toronto. The garden was co-designed by Yo Yo Ma, inspired by the Bach Unaccompanied Cello Sonatas. The garden and music space are wonderful. The programmer brings in wonderful musicians/musical groups each year. The effect is magical.