Southpaw (CLOSED)

This spacious venue is the Slope’s answer to Williamsburg’s music scene with much less hipster pretense. Everything from the indie rock of Ted Leo to the illbient hip-hop of DJ Spooky has played on the club’s intimate stage. (Tiered seating toward the back gives a decent view, despite what can be cramped quarters on sold-out nights.) Attractive, dressed-down bartenders shake a martini classy enough to justify staying in the outer boroughs on a Saturday night.