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Best Places To See Local Musicians In Boston

Listening to music is enjoyable, therapeutic and just plain fun. When the music is created by local musicians, it makes it a bit more special because there is a personal association with their roots. There are many great, small, classic venues in the Boston area that offer their stage to local artists to perform. Some venues offer the option to enjoy a meal before the show or listen to a set while you eat and others are strictly performance locales with a standing-only option. Whether country, indie rock, jazz or another popular genre is your choice, Boston has many live music venues from which to choose for a night out.

Great Scott
(Photo Credit: Great Scott)

Great Scott
1222 Commonwealth Ave.
Allston, MA 02134
(617) 566-9014
www.greatscottboston.com

Great Scott sits in the heart of Boston between Boston University and Boston College. It is a 240-patron venue that is considered an indie rock haven. It is one of the best small capacity rock clubs in the country. There are live shows and dance nights on the performance calendar at Great Scott. Tickets are affordable at about $10 and the venue is intimate enough that patrons can often get to chat with the performers after the show.

The Sinclair
52 Church St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 547-5200
www.sinclaircambridge.com

Located in Harvard Square, The Sinclair offers live music and a great restaurant that serves New American fare. The restaurant menu has great reviews of the eclectic American choices. Show tickets run $13 to $25 on average. This is a popular spot for locals to enjoy a live music show. The floor section of the venue is usually well-spaced and not overcrowded and there is also a balcony viewing option, which has regular seating available.

Middle East
(Photo Credit: Middle East)

The Middle East
472-480 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 864-3278
www.mideastoffers.com

Located in Central Square, The Middle East nightclub and restaurant is a complex featuring live music performance rooms, two family-style restaurants with full-service bars and a high-end restaurant. The music rooms are called the Upstairs (200 capacity) and the Downstairs (550 capacity) and host a variety of live musicians several nights per week. The cover charge runs between $9 and $12 to see a show.

Related: Boston's Best Bars With Live Weekday Music

Loretta's Last Call
(Photo Credit: Loretta's Last Call)

Loretta's Last Call
1 Lansdowne St.
Boston, MA 02215
(617) 421-9595
www.lorettaslastcall.com

Country music is the genre most often performed on Loretta's Last Call stage, which is in the Fenway Park neighborhood. The artists who play at Loretta's also perform folk, bluegrass, Americana or roots music to eager audiences. A bonus of this venue is the delicious Southern dishes like fried chicken and catfish, which they serve from the brunch and dinner menus. The Bluegrass Brunch is a popular entertainment choice. Mondays feature a live music competition in which the audience votes for their favorite performer.

Berklee
(Photo Credit: Berklee)

The Red Room At Cafe 939
939 Boylston St.
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 747-2261
www.berklee.edu

This 200-seat state-of-the-art venue, based on the sound, engineering and the business component of the program, is operated by the Berklee College of Music and features all styles of music from jazz, rock and folk to bluegrass, hip-hop and more. The local performers, some of which are from the college program, are entertaining and represent the venue's mission to "showcase, develop and support music and performance." Ed Sheehan has performed on The Red Room at Cafe 939 stage.

Related: Boston's Best Live Blues

Nancy is a native Bostonian. She enjoys the sights, sounds and tastes of Boston while exploring the city by day or night. Nancy is also a school nurse at an independent middle/high school. Her work can be found on a variety of websites, including Examiner.com.
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