MIDDLE EAST UPSTAIRS

Middle East Upstairs is a 200-capacity live music room on the second floor of The Middle East complex in Central Square. The room offers a more intimate setting than the Downstairs space, with a lower ceiling and tighter sightlines to the stage.

Expect emerging indie, rock, and experimental acts alongside local bands working their way up. The Upstairs room tends to book smaller touring acts and rising local talent. The atmosphere is scrappier and more underground than the larger Downstairs.

The Upstairs venue was created in 1975 when the Sater brothers expanded next door and began hosting Arab-language bands and belly dancers. Rock bookings began in 1987, and the room became a launchpad for bands before they graduated to the Downstairs.