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Lansdowne Street clubs come and go, but Avalon perennially ranks among New England’s best dance and live music venues. Its Sunday night gay parties are the stuff of Boston legend (see Avalon Sundays). Local band showcases and national touring acts bring lines that extend around the block. And its state-of-the-art sound and light systems rival any in New York or LA.

Avalon

The region’s alternative rock scene can trace its genesis to this Central Square landmark. Seminal local bands like the Pixies, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and Morphine all honed their chops on the Middle East’s three stages. Today, the club continues the tradition, openly embracing musicians operating just under the mainstream radar.

On the river side of slowly gentrifying Central Square, Green Street morphs from an upmarket restaurant into a blues and jazz club starting around 10:30pm. The talent tends to be local and ethnic – a great place to catch rising stars wellschooled in African and Latin rhythms. Piano jazz brunch offered on Sundays.

Like a modern-day Moscow speakeasy, Pravda seduces with its sumptuous red interior, exhaustive vodka menu, and chic clientele. Weekends bring out a mix of black-clad Euros intent on striking fetching poses with vodka martinis in hand, and international students hell-bent on having a decadent night out. DJs spin an infectious mix of house and electro.

The Good Life’s Central Square outpost retains the same classic cocktails and jazzy atmosphere that made the downtown original such a hit. But the Cambridge location is the one frequented by serious jazzbos, who come to see some of the region’s best acts jump, jive, and wail (Thu–Sat).

One of Inman Square’s greatest assets, where murals of Duke, Dizz, and Lady Day inspire top jazz bands to go, go, go. Call ahead to learn if samba or swing lessons are scheduled. And don’t miss the good value Sunday jazz brunch: no cover, live jazz, boisterous crowds, and hearty entrees that rarely venture above $8.

Housed in an ornate, bilevel theater, the Roxy can accommodate more nightlife denizens than any other Boston club. Top 40, ’80s, Latin, and house blare through the powerful sound system, while a mixed crowd lounges around on cushy banquettes or keeps the beat on the mammoth dance floor.

World-music aficionados from all over the city have been flocking here for years to hear live funk, zydeco, folk rock, and – in the case of Babalu, Johnny D’s mainstay band – punk mambo hardcore juju.

Although it’s no longer in its original downtown location, the Paradise is the oldest name among Boston rock venues. Icons Van Halen, the Police, and Blondie from the ’70s and ’80s first put the club on the map. Today, the Paradise remains true to its rock ’n’ roll roots, welcoming nationally recognized acts that favor volume levels north of ten.

At first glance, this unassuming Central Square bar might seem an unlikely home for a legendary local Rhythm & Blues man. Yet therein lies the Cantab’s inimitable appeal. “Little” Joe Cook has been Boston’s ambassador of the blues for years, holding court at the Cantab on Friday and Saturday nights.