State Theatre   

An artfully refurbished 1935 art deco cinema in Falls Church, the State Theatre features live blues, reggae, jazz and jam bands nearly every night of the week. Performers range from classic blues singers to folk artists to Grateful Dead cover bands. Its unusual restaurant/music hall combination has urban dwellers trekking to the suburbs for their favorite music shows, a trend for which founders Thomas Carter and David Steinberg had hoped when they refurbished the space in 1987. Few places in the area offer such superior sound coupled with comfortable dining. The beautiful interior offers ground level and balcony seating, four full-service bars and a wooden dance floor. Attendance is a combination of general admission seating and standing room. Whether you choose to sit in the full dining section on the lower level, a plush balcony chair or to stand, there's truly not a bad place in the house to catch the show. -- Jamy Bond