New Frontier: The New Frontier Lounge has been mentioned in many Weekly Volcano music features as the place that hot Tacoma and touring bands play. The venue is grungy, yet nice. Big enough for solid sound, yet intimate. Good drinks, good service. Yep, New Frontier is a music and alcohol lover's dream. Definitely known for its rock shows (Girl Trouble, Red Hex, Argonaut) the venue has had the occasional folk show and also has Bluegrass Sundays.

McCoy's Cavern: A longtime Oly venue favorite, McCoy's has a constant stream of shows from local and touring bands. On any given weekend, quality metal, punk, rock and the occasional hip-hop show can be found. Usually around a $3 cover, the people watching scene alone is worth the price. Throw in cheap, strong drinks and an easy access bar and smoking patio by the stage, McCoy's is a shoe-in for this category. Past bands have included Quiet Riot, Bacchus, C-Average and annual Fitz of Depression Christmas shows.

Brotherhood Lounge: While many venues offer shows multiple times a week, the Brotherhood Lounge in Olympia has just a small arsenal of bands a year. Usually on Sundays, and always with amazing, obscure, popular bands, The Broho has a corner stage in the back with great sound throughout. Equally great is the atmosphere and drinks. Past line-ups have included Glass Candy, Pierced Arrows, Monotonix and Ty Segall. Perfect to dance, head bang, or wall flower, the shows are well worth the wait.

Jazzbones: Shame on me, I've never been to Jazzbones in Tacoma. I hear all the time what a great place it is, good food, awesome music, etc. All kinds of talent grace the stage, including the pretty much famous Vicci Martinez. Since I have no personal knowledge of the joint besides the fact that it rocks, I stole this info from their Facebook page, "Jazzbones is classy and easy on the eyes as well, with large spacious windows, glass mosaic and a curving bar which lend the place a very stylish look. There is a private balcony available for those who need their space and yet want a bird's eye view of the band below." Nice.