Valley Bar

Distinguished by nothing more than a glowing red sign above a back-alley door, and possibly a line, Valley Bar is an underground lounge and music venue run by the same team behind Crescent Ballroom. It sits in the basement of a building constructed in 1949 that was formerly home to Phoenix-famous businesses such as The Hub art galleries, Bickoff’s Deli, Theater Triad and Sub Cultural Arts Center. The latter hosted up-and-coming bands of yesteryear, including Green Day, Sound Garden and Bad Brains. Valley Bar does the same today; its calendar includes local DJ nights, trivia nights and performances by local and national touring acts. In addition to the stage and the main bar, there’s also the dimly lit Rose Room, a lounge area adorned with campy artwork where the bartenders serve up a sweet selection of draft beer, wine and specialty cocktails named after local politicians, including the Original Sinema, the McCain and Ground Control to Captain Kelly. This subterranean lair includes darts, billiards tables and Skee-Ball, as well.