Mercury Lounge

The Mercury Lounge pulls off an unlikely combination of elegant understatement and East Village cool. The music room is in the back, past a long, dimly lighted bar and a pleasant but sometimes overwhelmed admissions collector. It's a plain, squarish, brick-walled space, usually set up with tables in front and standing room behind them. And it has one of the best sound systems in the city: full-bodied and clear, loud but without a brutal edge. It is one of the most promising new clubs in the city. The club books local bands and touring ones, from alternative rockers to singer-songwriters. The club's reputation has already spread among booking agents, who appreciate its quiet cachet; they bring in bands that might be expected to play at larger places.
-New York Times