Best of Boston

2003 Best Club for Live Music

Avalon

Big venues usually mean small performers—not in terms of musical stature, but because you’re so far away the act looks like a dot with a guitar. So thank God and Pat Lyons for Avalon, where despite its capacity of 1,950, you never feel far from the stage. A spacious main floor, tiered stairs, and a balcony with great stage views make seeing big-time indie performers—Rhett Miller and Doves—seem almost intimate.

15 Lansdowne St., Boston, 617-262-2424,