Rosa’s Blues Lounge is a legendary blues joint that is a bit off the beaten path for out-of-towners, but it’s worth a visit if you’re a fan of blues, and it’s especially recommended if there’s someone you want to see playing on a given night. The friendly and boisterous atmosphere inside the lounge belies the somewhat quiet and rather non-touristy neighborhood it sits in. It’s a compact and intimate interior, with the bar on the left side, tables scattered about, and a small stage in the back—in other words, you’ll definitely get to slide up close and enjoy the music. Yes, the cover charge is sometimes steep depending on who’s playing, but the payback is that the performances feel much more raw and unfiltered (including in some cases lyrics not meant for children, if you get my drift)—just the way the blues was meant to be heard. After midnight, the band(s) of the evening often “loosen up” their set lists, engaging in lots of improvisation as well as jamming with musicians from other blues clubs who’ve popped into Rosa’s for a late-night visit.
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