The Paradise Rock Club is my absolute favorite place in Boston to attend shows. I love it because it’s small and intimate; and if you get there early enough, you’re likely to be right up close to the stage.

The Paradise generally gets the smaller more indie acts, but since these are some of my most favorite acts, I really love it. Without a doubt, I could find one show per week that I would absolutely die to go to at the Paradise.

The paradise is a large, cavernous-sounding, utilitarian room with a giant pole located about five feet in front of the center of the stage. The Paradise is a real B-minus place to see a show, but my favorite part about it is the hilarious way they’ve attempted to gussy up the stupid pole that ruins the entire room with fancy, swirly paint. One of the great jokes of Boston is that there is a gay club named the Paradise in Cambridge.