Best of Boston

2008 Best Club for Live Music, Large

Paradise Rock Club

Avalon is dead; long live the ‘Dise. As Lansdowne Street is being tamed for Red Sox fans, Comm. Ave. continues to keep it real, thanks in large part to this 30-year mainstay. The Paradise has gotten even better lately, as it picks up its defunct rival’s slack, and now consistently puts together the Hub’s best lineup of musical acts. Not only does it book bands to thrill hipsters young (Ladytron, the Go! Team) and less so (X, the B-52’s), but its two-level layout also allows audiences their choice of getting dirty down in the pit or enjoying the show from the relative calm of the balcony.

969 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, 617-562-8800,