New York has always been on the cutting edge of musical evolution, and it continues to be driven by the passion of music fans everywhere. The New York music scene thrives on concert-goers and music lovers keeping a step ahead of the rest of the music industry.

Regardless of whether or not you are an active member of the music scene, everyone can find his or her own seat in a New York rock venue. Maybe you like the neighborhood hot-spots with local New Yorkers and no-name, but also flock to the big-dreaming bands. Perhaps you go for the big name artists who perform to sold-out New York crowds in giant arenas on a daily basis. Or maybe you follow music news and can predict the next band that will take over TRL on MTV.

Music fan Sean Diffley says, “With one of the strongest music scenes in our own backyard, many New Yorkers take advantage of such an amazing center of culture. When you have quite possibly the strongest culmination of different types of music and the place where tons of bands on the break migrate to, there is no need to go anywhere else.”

Victoria Asher of Cobra Starship (the New York band made famous by its “Snakes on a Plane” theme song) commented on “NY scene kids”, saying “The kids in New York are pretty tough. They are jaded and used to the music hype that surrounds the New York scene.”

Around Town
As a music fan in New York, you have a seemingly endless list of mid-size venues where you can catch these acts before they make it big. The middle ground between the local establishment and the big arena can be the best place to find good music and have a great time.

New York native and avid music fan Kristin DiGregorio says, “I think the smaller Long Island shows feel more like family gatherings because you see the same people over and over at different shows.” Not only do fans love these smaller shows, but the artists like the intimate and historical venues as well.

The Bowery — notably one of the most popular neighborhoods for music — is a section of Manhattan that houses great venues like the Bowery Ballroom, Mercury Lounge and several small local venues and lounges like Fontana’s and The Box. These venues offer live music almost every night of the week. You might be lucky enough to catch your new favorite band at the Bowery Ballroom right before it hits big.

The Bowery was also the home of legendary CBGB until it closed late last year. The “Home of Underground Rock,” CBGB opened in 1973 and today is one of the most well-known music venues in the world. Just look for its t-shirts in any Hot Topic store. CBGB had an impressive lineup of past performers including The Ramones, The Police, AC/DC, Blink 182, Smashing Pumpkins and so many more. Being able to play at CBGB was a major event in any artists’ career, as they got to live out their dreams of gracing the same stage that many of their idols shared. The owners salvaged everything imaginable (including the urinals) in hopes of recreating the famous venue in another city. But don’t worry...even with CBGB gone, New York is not hurting for famous music venues.

Just a few blocks south of the Bowery, you’ll find The Knitting Factory, famous both in LA and NYC. The Knitting Factory gained its fame by hosting experimental bands and has become a major hot spot for touring bands.

North of the Bowery, The Fillmore at Irving Plaza and Webster Hall are big contributors to the New York music scene. Both venues boast impressive history: Irving used to be a burlesque house and Webster served as RCA Records’ east coast recording venue in the '50s.

The Beacon Theater is another one of these mid-size venues and located just a few blocks west of Central Park in Manhattan. It holds almost 3,000 concert-goers staging comedians and music of all genres.

Diffley recalls one memorable show.“I saw Blink 182 for just $1 at Irving Plaza in November of 2003. My friend camped out the night before for tickets, and we ended up being about 10 feet away from some of the greatest musicians of our time — and at a legendary venue, too.”

These halls are a must-see for music fans searching for the intimate and rockin’ atmosphere.

Bigger Venues
If you are looking to see a superstar in concert like Justin Timberlake, you are going to have to head to Madison Square Garden. Located in the heart of Manhattan on 7th between 31st and 33rd, MSG is the world’s most famous arena and home to the big shows of New York. Many of the artists who started out playing at CBGB like The Police and The White Stripes are now headlining sold-out shows at this large-scale venue.

Another arena, or coliseum rather, is the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island/Uniondale. This 16,000-seat venue hosts big name acts similar to Madison Square Garden, and serves as host of the Vans’ Warped Tour.

Small Show, Big Sound
A lot can be said about smaller, non-traditional venues. The Knights of Columbus Halls around the country have received a great deal of recognition in the past few years for hosting many up-and-coming bands and musicians. Many of these bands, who started out playing for neighborhood kids, have made it big. Think Fall Out Boy, for example.

Of course, the bar scene is very important in New York as well. Fall Out Boy has even taken notice of this and opened up its own small-scale bar called Angels and Kings with a few members of other bands.

Maxwell’s is another bar in Hoboken, NJ that is known for it's rock shows. Maxwell's offers a wide variety of daily tunes and food. Stop by and you’ll fall in love with a band you’ve never heard, or you could see one of your favorites, like Rooney.

Back in the Lower East Side, you can find the Cake Shop, which is all of your favorite things wrapped into one. By day, you can get coffee and browse the record store. By night, the Cake Shop turns into a bar featuring live music, films and poetry readings.

Outside the Big City
Don’t be afraid to leave the city either! North Jersey has some great venues as well like The Stone Pony in Asbury Park and Starland Ballroom in Sayreville. Starland has only been open since 2003, but has quite an impressive list of past performers including Panic! at the Disco, Hootie and the Blowfish, Ani DiFranco, NY natives Taking Back Sunday and many more. Panic! at the Disco also put in some time at The Stone Pony, a venue smaller than Starland and right next to the shore. The Stone Pony was a key part of the first Bamboozle held in 2005 at Asbury Park, hosting some of the smaller bands and offering a close, friendly atmosphere. Often credited as being one of the greatest rock venues of all time, The Stone Pony is worth the trip to see your favorite band before it hits big.

A trip to Connecticut for a show can get you out of the busy city life just long enough for a great concert. The New England Dodge Music Center in Hartford is a large scale venue that hosts a wide range of artists — anywhere from John Mayer, to the Family Values Tour with Korn and Evanescence, to Dave Matthews Band, and even Kenny Chesney and Toby Keith. If that hasn't satisfied your musical taste buds, Goo Goo Dolls, Kanye West, Bob Dylan, Staind and The Beach Boys are just a few acts that are heading to the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.

If you are more interested in the smaller, more intimate venues, Connecticut will not disappoint in this area either. Hartford boasts two great venues in one — the Webster Theater and the Webster Underground. The Webster Theater offers shows with bands like Hawthorne Heights, Shiny Toy Guns, Rise Against, and Silverstein, while the Webster Underground features matinee-style performances from artists on the rise and local bands. Upcoming shows at the Underground include The Forecast with Down To Earth Approach, Valencia with Self Against City and Permanent Me, and countless other bands worth checking out.

Music fan Sharon Small recalls seeing Dashboard Confessional, Thursday, Thrice, Coheed and Cambria there a few years ago. Small says, “the Webster really promotes the local artist on the rise. The Underground gives you a great opportunity to check out some new music before seeing your favorite band in the Theater.”

Think you have what you need?

New York is definitely the place to go for groundbreaking music that will satisfy music fans, tourists and locals alike.

Katie Moran, a photographer for Alternative Press Magazine, has toured with several bands and always looks forward to a New York tour stop. She says, “New York shows are fun because they’re always big, tons of people come out, and there’s always the fun of going into the city afterwards.”

Not only do many bands come to New York to make it big, but many bands have made it out of New York to take over the radio waves and internet buzz. Look forward to our next feature about New York BreakOut Bands and some of the bands that have already broken onto the music scene.