Joint, Los Angeles

Joint - Newly remodeled, The Joint’s wide-open main room is clean and polished, but the tattooed clientele and metal music give it a gritty vibe that makes the new tables seem out of place. The commanding stage rises several feet above the bar floor in the corner and though the acts get dwarfed by the huge main area, the juiced-up sound system the Joint recently installed makes it hard not to pay attention to the guys performing. The bartenders and door people are all friendly and the lounge, adjacent to the main room, is a comfortable place for those who actually want to hear their friends talk. With a cover charge of roughly $10 for a full night of decent music, it’s not a bad way to spend a weeknight.