Mercury Lounge

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For some shows, you can buy tickets at the box office in advance. Drop by Monday to Saturday between 12pm and 7pm.

“Quasi-discovered acts” are the draw at this “essential” LES music venue split into two parts: a front bar vending “fairly priced” drinks and a “small” stage in the rear; even though there’s “zero atmosphere” and the “limited seating” means you’ll probably be “standing all night”, it’s still “one of the best places to see new bands” in Manhattan.

This tiny Lower East Side spot has been the first New York stop for many a now-famous band. Because music booking titans Bowery Presents are in charge of scheduling, you're likely to see on-the-rise groups that are opening for big-time acts at music clubs like Webster Hall (125 E. 11th St.; 212-353-1600; www.websterhall.com) and the Bowery Ballroom. This also means that they're able to score...

Read The Voice, check the scene, get amped on indie rock or whatever else is on the menu for the night. Rite of passage for hungry bands and baby groupies. Good, small room with nice acoustics, where everyone from Jeff Buckley to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs played back in the day. Albert Hammond and Bobby Bare Jr. more recently. Catch 'em while they'll still return your calls.

The Merc is all that a live-music venue should be: unaffected, affordable, with a solid sound system. The rooms themselves are nothing special: a front bar and an intimate back-room performance space with a low stage and a few tables along the wall. The calendar is filled with a mix of accomplished local rockers and such national acts as Evan Dando, the Mekons, Cubic Zirconia, and the White...

Directions: F to 2nd Ave., then walk east on the south side of Houston St. between Ludlow and Essex; J, M to Essex St. then,... walk north to Houston St. and turn left. Mercury Lounge will be on your left. You will have fun there. See More