Mississippi Studios is the converted Baptist church on N Mississippi that is the city's most reliable mid-size indie room, with the attached Bar Bar handling drinks and burgers.
Tip: Most shows have a 21+ bar room and an all-ages floor; the Bar Bar patio next door is open every day from 11:00 if you want food before the set.
Address: 3939 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97227
The Crystal Ballroom is the 1914 McMenamins ballroom on West Burnside with the famous floating dance floor that bounces under the weight of a sold-out crowd, the room Tina Turner and the Grateful Dead both played.
Tip: The floor's spring suspension is unique in the country; standing on the main floor is the way to feel it, balcony seats trade that for sightlines.
Roseland Theater is the 1,400-capacity general-admission room on NW 6th in Old Town, the room that hosts touring hip-hop and rock on a near-nightly schedule.
Tip: General admission only; arrive early for the rail or watch from the balcony bar, which has its own entrance line.
Star Theater is the smaller room directly across NW 6th from Roseland, a 525-capacity general-admission space that books rock, electronic and burlesque on its own.
Tip: All-ages most nights with a 21+ balcony bar; tickets often available at the door for smaller bookings.
The Goodfoot is the upstairs pool hall and downstairs basement music room on SE Stark, where Soul Stew's funk and soul 45s have been Portland's longest-running weekly DJ dance since 2001.
Tip: Saturday night's Soul Stew is the institution; downstairs opens around 21:00 with a small cover when a show is booked.
Revolution Hall is the renovated 1924 Washington High School auditorium in Buckman, a seated 850-capacity room with a rooftop bar that opens for sunset before downstairs shows.
Tip: Roof deck opens earlier on show nights and stays open after; grab a drink up top before doors and ride the elevator down.
Departure is the 15th-floor modern Asian restaurant and bar on top of The Nines hotel, with two outdoor decks that look out over the river and the West Hills.
Tip: The West Deck Bar takes walk-ins for cocktails when the dining room is on a wait; sunset and clear evenings draw a queue from 18:00 onward.