As I mentioned in my November Concert Preview post, there is no shortage of musical entertainment going on in New York City on any given night.  Here is a very short guide to some of the venues that frequently host music performers catering to a crowd in their 20’s and 30’s.

The Bowery Ballroom is a great venue located in the East Village, just a short walk from a bunch of fun nightlife and dining choices.   The stage area is small enough for concert goers to sneak to the front and big enough to not sellout immediately.  The bar downstairs makes for a nice escape from some of the not-so-enjoyable opening acts.

Mercury Lounge is also a small venue, with the stage located at the back of a bar.  This venue is more likely to host lesser known or up and coming acts.  It is located in the East Village near Alphabet City.

Music Hall of Williamsburg is located off the first stop of the L train in the popular Brooklyn neighborhood.  This venue hosts big acts but is small enough where you may be able to walk right up to the stage and shake hands with your favorite performer after the show (It happened, I swear!). The neighborhood surrounding this venue is great for dining and drinking.

For some reason, every single time I’ve gone to Terminal 5 I’ve grossly misunderstood their set time protocol.  I’ve completely missed two performances there, after thinking I had extra time to kill after previously attending performances that were two or three hours delayed.  I’d advise you to get there on time, and expect to wait. Terminal 5 hosts many big acts and can be a fun time, with multiple floors and a rooftop smoking area.  If you’re over 21, I would seriously recommend not attending any 18 shows as this venue attends to attract a lot of high-schoolers.

Webster Hall is the largest non-stadium venue I’ve ever been to in the City, with multiple performance spaces and scheduled event nights.  As much a club as it is a venue, Webster Hall attracts crowds from every genre of music lover.  Whether you’re headed here for a gig or one of the club nights, you’ll likely have to wait in a long line but it’s worth it.

Brooklyn Bowl, also located in Williamsburg, is one of the cooler, more interesting venues.  As its name hints, this venue is also a very popular bowling alley and is reminiscent of a sports bar at times, with large screens in every corner.  The venue section of Brooklyn Bowl is pretty standard, with a relatively large capacity but the ability for short people to get a good view of the performers from the periphery.

Sound fun? All you need to do is check out cheap flights to New York City, and you can see your favorite band at one of these venues in no time. Wherever you decide to catch your favorite music gig, be safe and enjoy!

Photo credit: wallyg