The Crofoot

Some rooms just have it, and the Crofoot has had it since 2007. Downtown Pontiac’s flagship live-music venue occupies what’s believed to be Oakland County’s oldest commercial building — put up around 1830 and home over two centuries to barbers, meat markets, saloons, and shoe stores before it became a concert hall. The stage has hosted a genuinely startling range: Jay-Z, Bob Seger, The Killers, Ellie Goulding, and plenty who blew up right after. Part of the appeal is the format — the complex holds several distinct spaces, including the smaller, sweatier Pike Room, so a Tuesday indie show and a sold-out headliner can feel like completely different nights out. It sits right in the Saginaw Street cluster, a short walk from dinner, which makes a Crofoot show the easy backbone of a real night out rather than a one-stop errand. If your idea of a good evening involves standing closer to the band than any arena will allow, it’s high on our list — and one of the best reasons the rest of downtown Pontiac looks the way it does now.