Lincoln Hall

Opened in 2009 and owned by streaming performance purveyors Audiotree, Lincoln Hall has quickly become one of the city's most vital venues. This is where you'll typically see a band that is about to blow up, or an act that has already blown up and is playing a smaller venue for a change. A stone's throw from the site of the legendary Lounge Ax club, the joint books everyone from Alex Cameron to Beth Ditto in this great sounding room (Wilco bestowed some of its high-end sound gear). The design is sleeker and more modern than its Lakeview sibling, Schubas, and the balcony that wraps around the music room provides some of the best sightlines in the city.