Relatively young, and extremely eclectic, for a top-notch performance space, Joe's Pub is just about everything you might want in a night out--chic and sophisticated, understated and hip. A branch of neighboring behemoth The Public Theater, Joe's Pub opened in 1998, dedicated to the belief that small is beautiful--and preferable, for many of the city's more interesting artists. The sound and light systems are excellent, the booking impeccable. (The Village Voice once wrote that you might as well just let Joe's dictate your musical tastes, the performances were so wide-ranging and universally excellent).