Get your shot onstage
Let's face it: It's tough for bands just starting out to get booked in Boston. But if you want to get out there and start playing for your friends and your fans, there are some cheap, accessible spaces that host fledgling bands and performers of all genres.
VFW posts and Elks' lodges, which are often open in the evenings, are a good bet for putting on all-ages shows. We're particularly fond of Brookline's VFW Post 864 because it packs about 80 to 100 and will book anyone who asks - and it's literally minutes from the Brookline Hills stop on the Green Line or the School Street stop on the 66 bus. $150-$200 for a three-hour slot. 386 Washington St., Brookline. 617-734-5634
Churches are another unexpected spot to get your feet wet. Every Thursday night, the Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church in Harvard Square houses an open-mike night called the Squawk Coffeehouse. It's a gorgeous space with awesome acoustics, and a great place to play a crowd for the first time. Bring your friends and make it a party or try out that Bob Dylan classic on the small, older crowd of regulars. Thursdays 9- 11 p.m. $3 suggested donation. 1555 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. myspace.com/squawkcoffee house
The International Community Church in Allston is also a great venue for new performers (mostly hardcore, punk, and Christian), although you can't rent it out. The shows are all curated and put together by Mass Live Events; shoot them an e-mail, info@masslive events.com, and see if they can fit you on a bill. 30 Gordon St, Allston. icc-boston.com, masslive events.com
You never know - you may have more fun in a church or an Elk's lodge than you would at a bar on Landsdowne. 