Boston’s best live music venues
Boston’s House of Blues
Year-Round Boston Music Venues
Boston is great to-live music town. Even in the dead of winter, music can be found permeating throughout the city. Here are some of the larger venues that normally have live musicians throughout the year.
Boston’s House of Blues recently reopened after a long absence. Of course, the specialty is blues, but you can also hear rock, gospel, and other musical genres as well. Lots of name entertainers star here. The one downside is that most of the venue is standing only (15 Lansdowne Street).
One of my favorite spots is Club Passim, known as Club 47 in the 1960’s and 70’s, and well known for its folk music affiliation. A small club with intimate seating with vegetarian fare, coffee, and beer available. (47 Palmer Street, Cambridge).
Johnnie D’s serves up a wide variety of musical genres, but most lean towards rock and blues. One of the more eclectic venues in the exciting Davis Square Area. (17 Holland Street, Somerville).
For Jazz, there are two larger clubs. Ryles Jazz Club’s second floor houses Ryles Dance Hall, where you can experience dancing ranging from “Hot” Salsa and Meringue to sophisticated Ballroom to upbeat Swing (212 Hampshire Street, Cambridge).
Scullers Jazz Club has presented the biggest names in straight ahead, Latin and Contemporary Jazz, as well as Blues, Soul, R & B, Cabaret, and World Music. Voted “Boston’s #1 Jazz Club” by Boston Magazine (Double tree Guest Suites, 400 Soldiers Field Road).
The most interesting venue from an architectural standpoint is Harvard University’s Sanders Theater, which presents a wide variety of musical styles in one of Boston’s (or should I say one of Cambridge’s) most memorable buildings (45 Quincy Street, Cambridge).
Finally, the largest is the TD Garden, where the Boston Bruins and Celtics play. When the parquet floor or ice is not in place, this is where the biggest name stars perform to a rocking house of 19,600 seats. (Causeway Street)
Bear in mind that there are many other great music venues in the city as well, ranging from small Irish Pubs to Dance Clubs hosting the latest local groups. To check specifics, try Boston.com or ThePhoenix.com online, or one of the many fine free entertainment newspapers available in dispensers on the streets of Boston.
Alan Maltzman of BostonCityWalks.com