BROOKLINE TAI CHI Sofas and mats, minimalist paintings, massive arched windows, and soaring ceilings make a show at this former ballroom - where concertgoers can fix themselves a cup of hot tea in the kitchen - a seriously different listening experience. Chris Rich started programming the Friday night music series a year ago and has booked everything from a touring Indian ensemble and synth-pop outfit to avant-garde jazzers and the indie-rock collective Tiger Saw. "I'm like a glorified cab dispatcher," says Rich. "The musicians are in charge: They configure the room, set up their instruments wherever they want, and are responsible for spreading the word." On a recent night a mixed crowd of a couple dozen - old and young, of different races, and speaking several languages - came out to see Portuguese guitarist Francisco Pais perform with his ensemble. It's hard to recall a room that felt so casually elegant and egalitarian. Notes Rich: "It's the opposite of a nightclub." 1615 Beacon St., Brookline, 617-277-2975, myspace.com/brooklinetaichi [Joan Anderman]
OUTPOST 186 From the ashes of the former Zeitgeist Gallery rises this intimate, multiuse space in Inman Square that hosts several experimental music series as well as art exhibits and theatrical events. Stashed in the rear of a century-old, cedar-shingled house, Outpost is a tiny listening room with a few neat rows of folding chairs; it's geared toward improvised music and a seriously engaged audience. On a recent Saturday night, we saw Levin/Branch/Daisy, a young cello/trumpet/drums trio from Chicago and New Haven that played a free-jazz set surrounded - either by accident or an ingenious programming stroke - by Richard Sandler's "Living for the City" series of urban street photos. In such a setting, "music can be more séance than commodity," says Outpost director Rob Chalfen, who books local and national groups that fall anywhere on the spectrum of classical, jazz, and art-noise performance. 186 ½ Hampshire St., Cambridge, robchalfen@hotmail.com, zeitgeist-outpost.org [JA]
O'BRIEN'S This neighborhood bar in Allston, long known as a hotbed of hardcore and punk, reopened last summer after a lengthy closure for renovations, and it sure cleaned up good. Among the improvements: a larger room, spiffier bathrooms, a more spacious stage, real lighting, and upgraded gear - all part of the planned transformation from local rock dive to fully functioning venue. At the helm is Chris Lavin, the booking agent who in recent years turned Great Scott from an under-used frat bar into a hot spot for both national touring artists and the cream of the local scene. "Reputation is a weird thing," says Lavin. "We're going to incorporate more of the stuff that O'Brien's isn't known for and expand the options for bands and fans." To that end, Lavin is working with an indie hip-hop promoter to set up regular shows, has booked eclectic alt-rockers Harris for a monthlong residency in April, and is fleshing out the nightly schedule with bands like the Alabama fire-and-brimstone duo Broken Letters. 3 Harvard Ave., 617-782-6245. [JA]
TOAST LOUNGE
This Somerville restaurant-club in Union Square is an oasis of subterranean cool and a suitable and more spacious home for those displaced by the closure of neighboring Tir Na Nog. The funky furniture, marble bars, and red brick walls give it a bohemian playroom vibe, bathed in a flattering red glow. Live music has lit up the joint since July, when former Nog main men - booker Robert Elliott and manager Ronan Geary - signed on. "Generally I try to keep it as local as possible and as original as possible," says Elliott. On a recent Saturday night a well-heeled crowd of 30- and 40-somethings bopped to the infectious roots-rock-pop of the Mike Barry Rock Quartet. Younger folks have been lured by dub reggae on other nights, and in addition to straight-up rock, funk is in the future. 70 Union Square, Somerville, 617-623-9211, toastlounge.com [Sarah Rodman]
CHURCH
The first service was held at Church, formerly the Linwood Grille, in October. The Fenway spot, which, like the Linwood, is connected to a sister restaurant, has been spiffed up considerably. Fresh paint, groovy new winged logos, and an updated sound system are getting the thumbs-up from bands. "It's a lot cleaner, and there's more space and more resonance," said Sonny DiPerry on a recent Wednesday night when his band, Identified, bashed out stoner rock for a diverse crowd of metal fans. "I'm getting the feeling more and more that bands who were homeless are starting to find one here," says booking agent Nick Blakey, who's programming a broad mix of genres and drawing on local and national talent to fill the 225-capacity club. Church also has a secret weapon during the offseason and Red Sox away games: free parking. Blakey adds: "People say it's a hard time of year, but I say if you provide a parking place, a heater, and decent beer, people will go anywhere." 69 Kilmarnock St., 617-236-7600, churchofboston.com [SR]
RAZZY'S
If you bottled the essence of a basement rec room (paneling, drop ceilings); added a congenial mix of townies, gownies, barflies, and rock fans; and threw in $7 pitchers you'd have the back room at Razzy's in Somerville. As Jon's Place, the tiny dive was known as "the toughest bar in Somerville," according to co-owner Nancy Maiullari. But she and sister Ruth Aylward have transformed the place, rolling out the welcome mat to longtime regulars and younger music fans. The overlap led to the hipster back room, which, due to a noise clause in Razzy's lease, is focusing on folk, blues, pop, and even acoustic punk. "It grew out of people who knew Nancy and Ruth and really wanted to help the bar attract new business and diversify," says booker Tanya Hahnel, who also tends bar. At the moment, Razzy's features live music Saturday and Sunday nights but may expand if the crowds keep coming like they did on a recent Saturday when pop quartet One Happy Island drew a capacity crowd. 585 Somerville Ave., Somerville, 617-623-9784, myspace.com/razzys [SR]
