Best live venue for indie rock

Radio Radio
1119 E. Prospect St., 317-955-0995, www.futureshock.net
Though Radio Radio is rarely open when a show is not going on, it is currently the best venue in town as far as audience experience is concerned. The club books great touring bands and popular locals. Other venues to check out include the Big Car Gallery (to see up-and-coming and intimate touring acts), the Vogue and the Music Mill (for bigger indie-rock acts). However, Radio Radio is still the best bet for having a consistently good time.

2. Marmoset/Jorma Whittaker
Marmoset sounds like a time capsule straight from the days of early Pink Floyd, and if that’s true, Jorma Whittaker is Indianapolis’ Syd Barrett. This timeless band has been making a most welcome comeback recently.

3. Gentleman Caller
www.myspace.com/thegentlemancaller
This is essentially Kenny Childers’ songwriting vehicle and quite an underrated one at that. It’s plainspoken and upfront writing that goes for the heart and the mind at the same time.

4. Elephant Micah
www.elephantmicah.com
Elephant Micah is the pseudonym for on-again/off-again Indy resident Joseph O’Connell. Sounding like Neil Young as played through a phonograph machine, O’Connell is a lo-fi genius of sonics and an extremely talented songwriter to boot.

5. Everything, Now!
www.myspace.com/everythingnow
Originally out of Muncie, Jon Rodgers fronts this ever-shifting collective. A combination between David Bowie and the Grateful Dead, Everything, Now!’s records have garnered national attention, but this band should be seen live to be fully appreciated.