10 Best Concert Venues in Massachusetts

In July 2013, I did a piece where I laid out my picks for the 10 best concert venues in New England. I've been to in the four years since I published that list,  so I figured it was time for an update. This time around, I decided to tackle a new angle and narrow the focus to only include venues located in my home state of Massachusetts. Now that the introductory garbage is out of the way, here are my 10 favorite places to see shows in the delightful Bay State.

10.Blue Hills Bank Pavilion (Boston):
While the non-elevated seats make seeing the stage relatively difficult if you're not fortunate enough to be sitting in the front three sections, the beautiful Boston Harbor backdrop and low-key atmosphere gives the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion a level of intimacy that you don't usually find in amphitheaters.
 
9.Middle East Upstairs (Cambridge):
With a capacity of around 175 people, the Middle East Upstairs is the smallest venue I've ever been to in my life. There's some poorly placed furniture in the back that leads to some inevitable moshing/crowd movement issues at metal/hip-hop/punk shows and the sound is decent at best, but it's always a lot of fun to see a show in a tiny-ass room like this.

8.Palladium Downstairs (Worcester):
Despite its spotty sound and having a men's room is eerily reminiscent of the setting of the first Saw movie, the Palladium Downstairs is a charming heavy metal shithole that never fails to bring a smile to my face. 

7.House of Blues (Boston):
The jackass security guards and god awful views from the upper levels have long made the House of Blues my least favorite non-arena venue in Boston. That being said, the consistently excellent sound mix and wide floor that allows you to get very close to the stage without having to deal with the overcrowding issues you run into in a lot of the other smallish clubs in the area makes it a pretty good place to see a show.
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6.The Sinclair (Cambridge):
I've only been to The Sinclair once since it opened in the fall of 2012, but that lone visit managed to make a pretty strong impression on me. The layout is pretty open for a 600-capcity venue, it has a huge balcony with great sightlines for the people that don't want to get crushed in the front of the room and the atmosphere is hipsterish without being full-on douchey. Hopefully the concert gods will bring me back to this lovely Harvard Square establishment sometime in the near future.

5.Paradise Rock Club (Boston):
If it wasn't for the stupid fucking poles that obstruct the view of the stage and make mass crowd movement at packed shows a major pain in the ass, the Paradise would easily be in the top 3. The wrap-around stage gives it a distinct, super intimate vibe, the sound is terrific and they book the widest variety of quality acts in the area.  

4.Great Scott (Allston):
Great Scott is essentially just an awesome dive bar with a tiny stage in the back. The sound is shockingly good for a DIY venue and the electric energy that's present in that room is a joy to behold.


3.Royale (Boston):
Boston's swankiest nightclub has turned into one of my favorite places to see a show over the past few years. The elevated floor makes it easy to see the stage from every vantage point in the room and the sound is almost always perfect.
 
2.Brighton Music Hall (Allston):
Brighton Music Hall is one of the newer venues in the Boston-area and for my money, it's easily the crown jewel among the city's recently-opened live music hubs. The 500-capacity club that took over the space previously occupied by the iconic Harper's Ferry boasts a killer sound system, dope atmosphere and a perfectly-sized stage that 90% of the crowd is pretty much on top of.
 
1.Middle East Downstairs (Cambridge):
This beautiful, dingy basement is the only venue I've ever been to that I would describe as perfect. It's grimy without being full-blown disgusting, intimate without ever feeling overcrowded and the acoustics are top-notch. I fully intend on going to shows at this slice of heaven on Earth until the day that I die and/or become physically incapacitated.