Sometimes it seems there are too many venues in the Twin Cities, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just makes it harder deciding where to go on a given night. If all of these venues continue to survive and/or thrive in 2006, the local music scene can only get better.

331 Club
331 - 13th Avenue Northeast, Minneapolis
The 331 Club is a newcomer and offers mostly acoustic shows. There hasn't been a cover charge when I've gone, but they do pass around a donation jar for the musicians.
www.331club.com

400 Bar
400 Cedar Avenue South
This mainstay sometimes gets a bad rep about drink prices and some sightline issues, but they continue to have good local shows on a regular basis.
www.400bar.com

7th Street Entry
701 First Avenue North, Minneapolis
The Entry never disappoints for intimate evenings with bands and for simply having a great time. You'll hear and see everything - unless someone tall stands in front of you.
www.first-avenue.com

Acadia Cafe
1931 Nicollet Avenue South, Minneapolis
The Acadia Cafe is a newer venue and is great for jazz, acoustic and low volume music. Musicians who play there like its intimate vibe and good sound system.
www.acadiacafe.com

Big V's
1567 University Avenue West, St. Paul
Grungy and somewhat low-fi, Big V's reminds me of the Fernando's back in the day, except people actually go to shows at Big V's.
www.bigvs.com

The Cedar Cultural Center
416 Cedar Avenue South, Minneapolis
This non-profit theatre hosts mainly acoustic, alt-country, bluegrass and some jazz musicians. If you like The Current's (89.3 FM) morning show, check it out.
www.thecedar.org

Club Underground
355 Monroe Street Northeast, Minneapolis
Club Underground has hosted live shows for awhile, but has become increasingly active in recent months with a good mix of electropunk, rock and jazz.
www.clubunderground.us

First Avenue
701 First Avenue North, Minneapolis
In 2005, First Avenue rose like a phoenix from the ashes – yeah, I know it's a little flowery, yet you have to admit, there's truth to it. A tumultuous 2004 brought about surprising management shakeups and let's not forget the bankruptcy debacle, which resulted in First Ave closing for two and a half weeks. GWAR brought the club back to life with a blood-curdling scream and First Ave hasn't lost steam since, with shows such as Soul Asylum, System of a Down and a kick-ass anniversary party that brought out a long-absent Hardcore Dave to introduce the Mighty Mofos. - Christine Mlodzik
www.first-avenue.com

Hexagon Bar
2600 27th Avenue South, Minneapolis
Gaining attention for its eclectic booking and great atmosphere, the Hexagon is slowly becoming the place to play and to be seen.
www.hexagonbar.com

Kitty Cat Club
315 - 14th Avenue Southeast, Minneapolis
Stylish and classy, the Kitty Cat Club is a fancy, yet relaxing, place to enjoy good music and good food. The club books a mixture of world, jazz, blues, electronica, hip-hop and indie rock.
www.loringcafe.com/kittycatklub

Nomad World Pub
501 Cedar Avenue South, Minneapolis
Another fine addition to the Cedar Avenue strip of clubs, the Nomad took the 5 Corners Saloon and made it into a great local music venue with a number of local bands and musicians gracing its stage.
www.nomadworldpub.com/msp

Uptown Bar and Cafe
3018 Hennepin Avenue South, Minneapolis
The Uptown Bar's historic past sometimes overshadows its present happenings. The Uptown books many bands that have already made a name for themselves, but aren't quite yet the biggest draws in town. Not the most comfortable room to watch music in the city, but almost always serves up good music and good food - the latter before 9:00 p.m.
www.uptownbarandcafe.com

Terminal Bar
409 East Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis
If you want to take a chance on some new music, check out the Terminal Bar on Thursday night. It's not quite a prominent place to play in town, but the Terminal really shored up its Friday and Saturday nights and is getting to be a better place to see live music.
www.terminalbar.com

Triple Rock Social Club
629 Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis
The Triple Rock has taken its place as one of the top music venues in this town and shows no signs of slowing down. Most of the bands they book have a tinge of heavy metal and punk, but they've also booked some mid-speed indie rock and hip-hop.
www.triplerocksocialclub.com

Turf Club
1601 University Avenue West
The Turf Club has been a long-time staple in the Twin Cities for alt-country and indie Rock and always has a great cast of hipsters hanging out, enjoying the music and drinks. Rumors circulated after it was sold that it might not keep enjoying its longtime popularity, but now that the dust has settled, it's still the fine establishment it was before the sale.
www.turfclub.net

Varsity Theatre
1308 - 4th Street Southeast, Minneapolis
It's hard to imagine watching a show from a sofa or even an inflatable bed, but the Varsity Theatre allows you to do just that. It's transformed itself into a first-class live music venue.
www.varsitytheater.org

Honorable Mentions: Fine Line Music Cafe and Station 4.