Cliché Indie Venue Round-Up

Music editor Eric Markowitz has been to a few concerts in his day. Here he presents his favorite places to see a band just as the backlash starts to hit:

Pianos NYC
158 Ludlow St.
212.505.3733

This Lower East Side hipster hangout features some of the trendiest up-and-coming artists. People come for the cheap music and stay well into the night for the drinks.


Arlene’s Grocery
95 Stanton St.
212.995.1652

If Pianos had a grungy, alt-rock cousin, this would be it. It’s not new or clean (and it’s definitely not a grocery), but it does have some authentic old-school rock venue charm.


Bowery Ballroom
6 Delancey St.
212.533.2111

This alternative music factory has been around for more than a decade, serving up some of the best music in the Lower East Side hipster kingdom. The downstairs lounge is the perfect place to woo your date before ditching her to mosh with your alt-bros upstairs. 


Santo’s Party House
100 Lafayette St.
212.343.8088

Sweet DJs, a formidable dance scene and electro-rock bands erupt together in this newly opened space. After three years of construction, this joint has finally started to churn out some God-awesome depravity or just a fun dance party.


Lit Lounge
93 Second Ave.
212.777.7987

The sound is kind of bad, the ceiling is low, it’s smoky, the drinks are expensive, but for some reason I always enjoy the music here. Maybe not a good date spot, but if you have six bucks to blow, check out a show some time.


Mercury Lounge
217 E. Houston St.
212.260.4700

Another Lower East Side classic, Mercury Lounge has a history of showcasing some of the best newcomers in this crowded New York indie scene. They always have an eclectic mix of garage bands, Euro stars, solo folk artists and almost anything else. 


Highline Ballroom
431 W. 16th St.
212.414.5994

One of the newer and cleaner venues on the streets these days (perhaps the antithesis of Arlene’s Grocery), Highline Ballroom gets some of the bigger acts downtown. Atop an actual meat market (so cool!), this Meatpacking District venue gets automatic street cred in my book.