With such great booking, the Gypsy Tea Room doesn't really need to pander to the local scene. The Deep Ellum mainstay's larger ballroom is the perfect mid-level venue for touring acts such as Ryan Adams, The Roots and Robert Plant, who want to sell a thousand tickets and still consider their concerts "intimate," while the smaller "tea room" gives up-and-coming indie stars like The Raveonettes, Aesop Rock and Death From Above 1979 plenty of space along with a quality sound system. Those national shows could pay the bills by themselves, but it's the club's concessions to local promotions, like monthly Final Friday hip-hop events and Spune Productions' singer-songwriter socials, that prove the club isn't just looking to make a buck. These Gypsies care about the scene. No sound system or sightline can top that fact.

Readers' Pick
Gypsy Tea Room