Anyone coming to visit Manhattan is going to have at least a passing history of the kinds of musical revolutions that have passed through some of the best clubs here. For that matter, some of the worst clubs here have also seen some pretty extraordinary work, and as they say, you gotta start somewhere. But it's very true that the history of the city can be traced through the history of the music as well. The US contributions to the world of music, namely the Broadway musical, jazz, and hip-hop, all have origins in this city, and some of the great pioneers in these musical forms have made Manhattan their home at one time or another.

It's only logical, then, that any new revolutions in music might take place here, or at least find their way to the city for some essential test runs. It's a very crowd, anywhere in the city, but Manhattan in particular seems to have more than its share of jaded and cynical fans, who are simply not willing to listen unless it's extraordinary. That makes good sense, too, because if you've been accustomed to eating caviar all your life, there's not much point to checking out the cod.

Some of the best music venues in town have closed their doors already, which is just part of the river of history. CBGBs is still a point of contention for some of punk's designated mourners, but it's a spectacular subject to begin a beautiful conversation, reminiscing about the time that the Talking Heads were an opening band. The Roseland Ballroom is still going strong, and its excellent acoustics sometimes give way to the voices of ghosts from earlier days.

But the truth is that the present is a very good moment to begin any new adventure, and looking at Manhattan's music venues shows there's plenty to be hopeful about. The Marquee remains one of those quintessentially hard to get into places, with pretty people and pretty drinks, and the M2 Ultra lounge is a monster in contemporary slickness. It's as good as a dance club can get. However, for good old fashioned live bands, there are still some mainstays that keep Manhattanites and their guests very happy until the wee hours of the morning. The Bitter End, the Bowery Ballroom, and the Mercury Lounge all have their own appeal, with as much character as they ever had. The city is still a good place to begin looking for the next big thing.