O’Briens Pub

The sound guy that was there the night before thanksgiving (11−25−15) needs to be trained properly or let go immediately.

Five stars for being the most non-​pretentious bar in Allston. It’s simple. You walk in, you buy a beer, you watch a band, you have an amazing fucking time. One of the only music venues in Boston to make the local scene their bread and butter. Great for punk, rock and indie. Go there enough times and you’ll end up being friends with all the regulars.

I give O’Brien’s a 5 for being what it says it is and doing it well. Nothing more. It’s a bar. A dive bar. There’s no food. There’s no frills. There’s a small stage. Bands play. It’s loud. The sound quality is bad.
O’Brien’s very existence is, in my opinion, a gigantic middle finger to the rest of the world. It’s a stronghold of and establishment that is, in many regards, the last of a dying breed.
Giving this place less than a 5 just means you can’t/don’t/won’t see it for what it is.

I am here for a very special event: TUBE FEST. This is an all day event featuring local bands that specialize in the dripping wet, reverb drenched sound of instrumental surf music. It started at 3 pm and continues until midnight … Come on down, and don’t forget to bring sunscreen.

O’Briens gets 5 stars out of me for being 110% of what it sets out to be… a straight up, hole-​in-​the-​wall, punk/​rock dive bar and exactly what I set out in search of.
I transplanted here from L.A. a couple years ago and finally got my best friend to come out a couple weeks ago. Either of us would take a bullet for each other and it’s been that way for nearly 2 decades, but we’re like yin and yang… I’m black, he’s white. I’m usually chilled out, he’s got a typical Irish temper. I’m soul/​hip-​hop, he’s metal/​punk.
Anyway, on his visit, I wanted to give him a real Boston experience so we did touristy stuff (Fenway, Duckboats), cultural (ICA, SOWA), and even hit Revere beach to relax. But for music I wanted to take him somewhere he’d really appreciate as truly Boston. I hit Unilocal for help (yes, I was that square, searching online for punk venues) and decided on O’Briens.
As soon as we walked up, I knew I made the right choice and once inside, we were not disappointed. Pretty tiny, a faint odor of sweat and beer, ear-​splittlingly loud bands where members of the next band are standing in the crowd next to you waiting for their turn and appreciating the act on stage. Drinks were pretty cheap and we managed to get a fair few of them in us, served up by the solid bartenders. Squeezed in shoulder to shoulder, it was one of those moments where you really get something that you for some reason never could. I GOT punk, and I have O’Briens to thank for that. Needless to say, my buddy had a blast and his Boston experience was complete!

Went here a few weeks ago looking for a good show. Just recently moved to the area and had no idea of where to go or anyone to go with for that matter, so I just searched some local shows for the night. Ended up having a really awesome time. The crowd was really cool, $ 3.50 for PBR tall boys, and I met a bunch of cool people. Great place for shows, especially if you grew up in small venues where it was tough to tell where the band ends and the crowd begins. Decent sound for a small venue too.

Legit rock bar. Nothing more, nothing less.

Sometimes I look at a listing for a place I’ve been to frequently and I sa «huh, why haven’t I reviewed X yet?!» So… here I am.
At various points in the last six or so years, I’ve been to O’Briens to see either my husband, my friends, or my friend’s friends in bands. That’s the only reason people come here, right? And for that, it’s a pretty good spot. The sound is LOUD inside, but it’s just small enough to make it seem like a moderately attended show is packed, and the bar prices are reasonable (a gin and tonic and Sam Summer was $ 10.50).
The one big downside to this place is that they don’t take cards. I get it, you’re in Allston, you have to deal with a lot of crap. But so do the other 294 848 places around here and they take cards. And don’t get me started about how much it costs — I know! I work for a credit card processor, so I assure you that I know how much it costs. I’m just saying I’d likely spend more if I were able to use my card. I don’t want to pay the price of a beer just to use your ATM, O’Briens.

Can’t believe i havnt reviewed this place yet. I love O’brians. One of the best rock venues in Boston. Small and dark.

I have mixed feelings about this bar. It’s definitely a boston landmark, and has some cool shows. My only complaint is that the sound system is too loud for the size of the room. (I’m not an old man, I play in a band and can handle noise) I like good loud shows, but it can get painfully loud in there if the band sucks or the sound guy isn’t paying attention.
I went in there once, (and this totally isn’t the fault of the bar) but there was this metal band playing, this specific sub-​genre of metal I like to call «Jug-​Jug-​diddly-​diddly-​Jug-​Jug» because of how the guitars sound, and their bassist had an 8×10 (that’s eight 10 inch subwoofers) tack cranked up as loud as he could get it! I was effing shocked. he could have had a 2×10 and rocked the place. It was pretty painful and I had to leave cause it wasn’t worth losing my hearing to this kids overdriven, low-​tuned 200 dollar ibanez bass.
on the flip side, I’ve seen some really good shows there where the levels were fine and the band was awesome and I had a great time. Definitely worth checking out, but if you see an 8×10 stacked amp, get the hell out of there before someone turns it on!

I saw Sims here last night. Great venue. Good quality sound, friendly staff, clean bathroom. Really intimate place. Only thing to know is that they don’t accept credit cards, but there is an ATM.

I went to O’Briens for a show-​first off, I love the Christmas lights. Yes it’s September, but it adds a nice atmosphere and reminds me of one of my favorite times of year. The sound was good, and it’s pretty small place so if you want one of the three or so tables get there early. But, all the same it makes shows there that much more intimate. Also-​and this is a big plus for me-​CLEAN bathrooms! (well-​the girls anyway!)

I had seen this place many times, and wasn’t sure what to expect. well, yes, actaully i was. and i was right for the most part.
Its a bit of a cross between dive bar and small music venue (and its right next to a tatoo parlor in LA (lower allston).)
That being said, and having walked by it several times, i knew what i was getting into, nontheless, when i heard that two hip-​hop acts that i had listed to back in college were playing there i had to check it out.
Its cash only, but cheap, the sound quality was horrendous (at least for hip-​hop). not sure if it was the sound man, the speakers or what, but it was awful. (you could really tell the good acts from the bad acts this night though, seeing that th ebad acts just did their songs, and sounded bland, while the better acts, got the crowed involved, and made them enjoy the show.)
anyway, there is also a pretty grimey back patio if your into that.

Our band played at O’Briens a few months ago. It’s a small, simple, open layout club with a few standing tables, a fully stocked bar, and (when we were there) a great sounding system. They seem to get really good mid-​level bands in there, and the guy doing sound when we played (gary? dreadlock guy) knew the room acoustics really well, and made all the bands sound great.
It’s definitely not a bar to go on a first date, as you can’t hear anything over any band that’s playing. But, if a band you love is playing there, do not miss the show, because it’s as intimate a show (no backstage or second room) as you can get while still enjoying a powerful, great sounding PA system.
The staff, while surly looking, wound up being friendly, helpful and fun to hang out (and do shots) with.
Oh, and they have a pinball machine.

I’m only giving it less than the four to five range because of a personal beef I have.
I only went once. I went to support a friend’s band. (Ara Vora. Great show.)
The «specials» sign said «Vanilla White Russians.» I LOVE White Russians, but this was a new experience for one buck more.
I ordered my Vanilla White Russian. I got milk and vodka, no kahlua.
What the fuck. I haven’t been back since. It was a tight place otherwise, but they seem to have bougeoisified it for the hipsters and students. I hate when a great bar sells out. Maybe it’s still great. I dunno. I’d rather go to Deep Ellum or just stay on the Cambridge side of The Rivah instead.

Live music 7 nights a week, with cheap drinks and even cheaper cheap beer. Good place to see Rock, Metal, Hardcore, heavy stuff, etc. Sometimes there will be like 7 bands on the bill, and it will start early and be packed all night. Sometimes the opening bands don’t show, and the only band left plays 2 sets of covers to their friends and the staff. Either way, PREPARE TO ROCK. The cover has been about $ 6 — $ 8 during the week, more on the weekends. They cleaned up the inside a few years ago, and freed up some extra space in front of the stage.
You can’t really escape the band anywhere if they are ungodly loud. Bands usually like to turn way up here, even though it’s pretty small. I always feel bad for the soundguys here. Every night there’s a guitar player who’ll crank up his full Marshall stack to 11, and wonder why you can’t hear anything else. The place sounds alot better when there’s a pro band playing, who is loud but controlled, and who understands the room’s limitations.
Even if you don’t drink PBR or High Life, chances are you’ve had one at O’Brien’s. Everyone that knows someone in a band has had to sit through three or four drunk bands on a Tuesday night, waiting for their friends to go on. Every Boston rocker has played here. I played here before I was even allowed to drink in bars.
Good place to get trashed, yell out obscene things, take shots of something random, and get on stage and try to sing words you don’t know. You used to be able to smoke here like most bars in Boston, and the place would smell like a Pabst can that was being used for an ashtray. Your eyes would have to adjust to the haze and stinging. The places smells better now. Well, a little bit…

I love the reviews about this place. People, this is a ROCK AND F’ING ROLL BAR. It is exactly what it is supposed to be. If you feel like someone there is «profiling» you, it’s in your head. Really. If you feel «out of place,» that’s an insecurity issue you need to work out on your own. This is not your chi-​chi Alley bar or the Four Seasons, and you know what, it’s okay to go out in a t-​shirt and shorts sometimes. If you feel judged, it probably says more about you than anyone else.
This place is just plain awesome. Live music every night, cheap beers, good people, and LOUD, LOUD, LOUD the way metal and rock are supposed to be. Do yourself a favor and get some earplugs, toss back a high life, and step out of your comfort zone for an evening of rock.

First off, I’m not a big fan of shows in general. They’re alright but I only really go when a girl I’m into wants to go or a friend’s band is playing. The latter is what brought me to O’Brien’s. Its probably because it was the band’s own equipment but the sound was pretty poor. Given other descriptions, you’d think it was because of being too loud but that’s not the case. It was just poor quality sound.
In brighter news, the service was good. Whoever the 35+ guy behind the bar was with a shaved head and zz-​top goatee, he gave damn prompt service. I was impressed to be treated that way there given that the bar wasn’t dead and I was the standout yuppie in the room.
Overall, not the place I would hang out but nothing distinct would keep me from coming back.

It’s the kind of place where the performers spit out PBR on the audience and then the audience takes a swig and returns the favor. Entertaining as long as I’m not caught in the crossfire.
O’Brien’s may be on the smaller side but like many Boston venues it’s a divey place with decent sound. A few high tables and seats at the bar, but mostly room for the crowd to flop around. They have a decent beer selection (not sure if I’d get mixed drinks) and the bartenders are friendly. It’s about a block away from the 66 bus. it’s also close to the 57 and a bit of a walk to the green line.
4 stars for achieving what the venue set out to be.
If you’re lucky, you’ll hear a hardcore band sing a tune about Michael Dukakis and the song will get stuck in your head for weeks. WEEKS.

The littlest venue that could!
Scenester central for underground Metal and Rock in Beantown.
I have seen and played a ton of great shows here, the place is tiny, the folks are rowdy, the drinks are mean and the bathrooms some of the worst east of the Mississippi.
Loved it.
*I haven’t been there since they revamped the place, but I’m sure not much has changed and the walls are still covered in cheap-​ass tacky (but appealing) 70′ wood paneling.
*Oh yeah, parking is a bitch. You will have to try really really hard not to get towed!