House of Blues on Lansdowne Street replaced the Avalon ballroom next to Fenway Park in 2009. The 2,400-capacity Music Hall and the VIP Foundation Room book rock, country and alternative tours.
Tip: Foundation Room VIP tickets jump the line. Pre-show dinner in the Southern kitchen runs walk-in from 17:00 on show nights.
Address: 15 Lansdowne St, Boston, MA 02215
The Middle East complex on Mass Ave in Central Square has booked punk, hardcore and indie since the 1970s. Four rooms: Upstairs, Downstairs, ZuZu and the connected Sonia next door.
Tip: Downstairs is the marquee stage; Upstairs takes 200, ZuZu books DJ nights. Restaurant kitchen runs to 1am most nights.
Roadrunner in Boston Landing opened 2022 as Bowery Presents' largest New England room, 3,500 capacity on a flat floor with a wrap-around balcony. Touring indie, electronic, hip-hop and rock anchor the booking.
Tip: Take the Boston Landing commuter rail stop; the venue is across the parking lot. Doors usually 19:00 with show at 20:00.
The Beehive on Tremont Street books live jazz, blues, soul, cabaret and burlesque seven nights a week inside the Boston Center for the Arts complex. No cover; an entertainment fee runs $5 to $10.
Tip: Weekend brunch from 10:00 with live jazz is the calmer entry. Reserve via OpenTable for a table close to the stage.
The Cantab Lounge in Central Square has run live music seven nights a week since 1938. Two floors: a folk-and-jazz street-level lounge and the Cantab Underground downstairs for rock, funk and DJs.
Tip: Bluegrass Tuesdays from 20:00, started 1993, $6 cover. Sundays bring a Boston Poetry Slam in the Underground.
Lookout at the Envoy Hotel sits seven stories above the Seaport with a wraparound terrace facing the harbor and the Fort Point Channel. Heated igloos extend the season through winter.
Tip: Reserve via OpenTable for a guaranteed table; walk-in lines build by 18:00 in summer. Igloos book months ahead from October.
Rooftop at Revere on the Revere Hotel roof is the largest rooftop lounge in Boston, with two outdoor bars, plush cabanas and a panorama from Boston Common across Back Bay to the Charles.
Tip: Seasonal opening usually late April, runs to late September. Reserve via SevenRooms for cabanas; walk-in seating fills by 18:00.