CAMBRIDGE
MIDDLE EAST DOWNSTAIRS
Updated
This week at Middle East Downstairs: Mon 10/12 — Ceremony XXX, Sat 10/17 — Sidewalk Driver, Louder Joy, Lipsmear, Blindspot, Sun 10/18 — Screeching Weasel, The Queers. Upcoming: Wed 10/21 — Julien Baker, Future Teens, Thu 10/22 — Julien Baker, Sun 11/1 — DEV LEMONS - EAT THE PAVEMENT TOUR.
ABOUT
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.
WHAT TO EXPECT
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.
HISTORY
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.