MIDDLE EAST DOWNSTAIRS

Middle East Downstairs is a 550-capacity live music venue in the basement of The Middle East complex at 480 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square. The room was built out of an abandoned bowling alley and features a large standing-room floor with a raised stage.

Expect touring indie, punk, rock, and hip-hop acts in a raw, high-energy room. The Downstairs is the largest of the three dedicated concert spaces in the complex and draws nationally touring bands. Shows are typically 18-plus or all ages.

The Downstairs space was created in 1988 when the Sater family converted the basement bowling alley into a performance venue. The room quickly became a key stop on the East Coast touring circuit, and the complex was described as the nexus of metro Boston's rock-club scene.