DOWNTOWN DETROIT. One of downtown's trendiest dance clubs, Leland City is a regular destination for the area's alternative crowd. It features a state-of-the-art sound system that pumps out music at deafening decibels, making it extremely popular with the Motor City's young clubbers and avant-garde night owls. Industrial numbers from the likes of Thrill Kill Kult, Ministry, and Nine Inch Nails usually rock the place, and the darkly lit club tends to get louder and more crowded as the night wears on. N.B. To enter, look for the unmarked door on First Street.

DOWNTOWN DETROIT. This historic, three-level, downtown brownstone is the hot spot for live alternative, hip-hop, rap, house, and techno music. The party here has been known to go well into the night, especially if the band is good ­ and it usually is. Among the "names" who've wowed their share of packed houses at St. Andrew's are Depeche Mode, the Cure, the Chili Peppers, Jane's Addiction, and Pearl Jam. When Friday rolls around, the place really gets pumping with its "Three Floors of Fun," one of Detroit's largest and loudest dance parties. Call ahead for times and a schedule of events.

DOWNTOWN DETROIT. Once a movie theater, this 1920s-era Italian Renaissance building changed its focus from dance club to live music venue when it was transformed from the State Theatre. The elegant space, which boasts Corinthian columns and dramatic chandeliers, holds up to 3000 guests and expands the realm of San Francisco's original Fillmore. It also hosts a variety of artists; past performers have included the Flaming Lips, Massive Attack, and Fergie.

PONTIAC. Located just north of Water Street, Tiki Bob's features an impressive repertoire of nightly drink specials and a fun, Polynesian-style atmosphere. Most nights, the cantina stays packed with throngs of pretty young things, bopping past adornments that include ocean murals, grass skirts, fishing nets and tackle, bamboo poles, and thatched roofs. If you're lucky, you'll catch sight of a few wannabe exhibitionists strutting their stuff on a half-wall surrounding the dance floor.