In Chicago there really isn't any competition to Metro. The venue holds 1,110 people.

Your favorite small venue?

Seattle: Graceland

Holds like, 100 people

Yeah in Chicago I like the Metro and the Vic Theater. The DoubleDoor sucks but I have seen some good shows there. For bars/clubs I like the Elbo Room(my band played there a lot) and Morseland(don't know if it is still there, it was on the North Side). I have seen some good shows at Buddy Guys Legends too(great sound system).

I haven't really checked out the scene here in Boston yet but I hope to soon, there is some good music coming to town.

The Knitting Factory in NYC is cool. I actually got to see Sonic Youth there. I have no idea how many people can get in there, but it wasnt many.

Unfortunately, my favorite Dallas haunts are long gone; Theater Gallery, The Prophet Bar, and The Arcadia. Actually, The Arcadia is still around I think, but it's a Tejano dance club now, I think. Yikes!

The last place I knew that still brought "big" acts to the small stage was Trees... but I think Trees sucks big time. The Galaxy Club used to bring in the punk/hardcore bands (Ween, Clutch, etc.. Maybe they still do, I dunno anymore - been outa the scene for a bit), but is a major dive.

*sigh* Deep Ellum is dead... goddamn developers.

the glass house in pomona, CA. capacity is about 200 people.

saw garbage, lush, and no doubt there.
the stage is about a foot and a half off the ground. there's also only one real door to the parking lot so usually you can meet the band about 20 min after the gig because they just walk out the front door.

The Knitting Factory is way too small and hot. It's disgusting seeing a show there. Give me the Bowery Ballroom or Mercury Lounge any day. And don't forget the Black Cat in DC.

The Ryman in Nashville, accept no substitute.

Graceland is good, capacity is more like 400 or 500.

The greatest small venue in Seattle was RKCNDY ... moment of silence for it, please.

Minneapolis: the Fine Line, Cabooze (not small, but excellent acoustics for an arena: the Xcel Center)

Austin, TX (but I don't know if it's still there): Austin Music Hall

Universal Amp. here in LA.

Also, The Greek

In Chicago, nothing beats the Empty Bottle for my money. The sound system may not be the greatest, but it is being replaced before the end of the year. The bands are great, the people are nice, and the prices are low.

For a small venue in London I'd go with the Boarderline. I've seen a few people there, it's more like a bar than a club. There are so many places in London Brixton Academy and The Mean Fiddler are probably the best medium size places tah still have a good atmosphere. The large venues are crap.

Here in Louisville I still love the Rudyard Kipling.

In Cincy I still have a soft spot in my heart for Bogarts, but it's not very small when I think about it.

In Indy gotta be the Vogue.....though people use it as a dance club. Seen quite a few good bands there.

As far as weird trance shows....EDEN...definitely!!!!

My favorites are:

The Troubador - Los Angeles - SMALL! But it rocks! The balcony holds about 5 people.

The Palace - Los Angeles - Great old venue with a semi-classy atmosphere.

The Roxy - Los Angeles - Basic.

Bad....BAD!!:
Verizon Wireless (formerly Irvine Meadows) - 10pm curfew. Bad.

The 930 Club in Washington D.C. Both the new and old one.

Daytripper, but between the two locations which did you prefer. I remember seeing They Might be Giants at the old location and thought the horn section was going to blow my eardrums out. The old location also had the trademark smell. At the old location I saw Screaming Trees, Teenage Fanclub, Wilco, Tripping Daisy, Curve, Echobelly, that chick that sang that song "You gotta be" (I forgot her name) as well as others that I have escaped my mind for the moment.

Currently, DC's best new small venue is the Metro, Muse played a couple years back and played an absolutely blistering set. Have yet to go to the Velvet Lounge on U Street but heard it's a good venue.

Tough question. I liked the old 930 Club for the intimacy, but wasn't crazy about the heat in the warmer months (no A.C.!!). And sometimes the acoustics were a little deafening. I saw SO many bands there. And loved that the bands/artists had to literally walked by and throught the crowd to get on the stage. Shook many hands of several of my favorites. I like the new 930 just as much. It's comfortable, roomy/spacious. The sound is better. I like the balcony and quiet bar in the basement. It's my favorite place to see live music. I've also been to the Metro. A little to small for me, but still like it. The Black Cat is also fun. Saw Elastica there (best bar concert I've ever seen).

BTW, the name of the artist who sang "You Gotta Be" is Desiree. Who I was just talking about the other day as in "Whatever happened to her!?". And I too saw Curve at the new 930 Club. One of my all-time favorite bands and that show kicked major a-s-s. Toni Halliday is about as perfect as you can get

Cheers!

In San Diego the best small venue is 4th & B.

The capacity is 1,500 people, and you get some major acts there. The stage is fairly large and the sound is pretty good too.

By city:

Boston - TT the Bears, The Middle East

Burlington, VT - Higher Ground (too expensive, and they only have 3 or 4 shows/year I'm remotely interested in, yet that still beats the other clubs)

NYC - Bowery Ballroom, the Bottom Line (the Mercury Lounge is too smoky, cramped, and hot for my tastes -- ; then again, I've only been there twice, and I've never been to the Knitting Factory for comparison purposes)

Montreal - Cabaret (medium size), Metropolis (medium size), Casa del Popolo (small size), Barfly (impossibly tiny)

AMH is still here and kicking it... its been a BUSY BUSY venue lately and will be busy for a while. Sum 41 was last night or the night before. Austin Music Hall also gets my vote for favorite small venue