The Crooked I

1. Good Music
2. Good Beer
3. Parking right around the back.
4. Downtown.

Saying the crooked i is Erie's premier venue and nightlife destination sounds so cliché, but it's entirely true. Though the club itself is anything but typical. If you're looking for real music by real artists from all over the globe, this is where you want to be.
The indie rock atmosphere is the only attribute that could qualify this establishment as a dive bar. Art is strew across the walls, painted or hung, from straight-up graffiti to framed pieces. The barmaids are sweet, gorgeous, and each have their own personality and flair. In addition to their full bar, they offer Lazy Cakes, a chocolatey melatonin treat. While you're sipping or munching, you can get down on darts, pinball or even Pac-Man.
But the music makes the crooked i the best bar in the city. You can show up here pretty much any night of the week and catch an absolutely amazing show with local, national or international acts. The cover charge is either free or more than reasonable at, give-or-take, $5. So, for a couple bucks you get full lights and pro sound with an act you're likely to see in an amphitheater for $50 (or more) a few months/years down the line.
Bottom line: check this place out.
Grab a Pabst pounder for $2 and get in some retro gaming or do a specialty "Dead Rockstar Shot" and party till they turn out the stage lights. And even after.