Mercury Lounge   

In creating a music venue with musicians' needs in mind, Mercury Lounge also tended to the interests of patrons. They started with an incredible sound system where every band member is audible. Then they gave bands space to move around: The 30-foot-wide stage and professional lighting make bands look bigger than life, which is one reason why industry people book so many showcases and CD release parties here. This is one of the top venues in which to see whoever's about to make it big, and even those who could play rooms many times this size come here for the setup and appreciative crowd. (Lou Reed, Joan Jett and Luscious Jackson have all dropped by to play unannounced shows.) The long front bar provides a place to gather your crowd before a show in the back room, and the no re-entry policy has been modified to accommodate smokers. Mercury almost always provides a no-hassle, high-quality music experience -- and to think the place used to be a retailer of tombstones. Grave markers may be a product in constant demand, but here the customers get to keep coming back. -- Dan Glass