House of Blues

Presenting some of the best national and international touring acts through one of the city’s finest sound systems, the Chicago edition of this chain is especially beautiful (check out the lush bathrooms). Purists scorn the place, but any venue that runs the gamut from B.B. King to Crystal Castles to Tech N9ne must have something going for it. The majority of bands featured on the smaller Back Porch stage are blues acts, playing in a well-lit setting meant to look like a juke joint but actually resembling a modern art museum. Every Sunday the venue hosts a “Gospel Brunch.”