• Courtesy of Luke Awtry photography
• Lee Fields and the Expressions performing at Artsriot

ArtsRiot — Its mission statement is “Destroy apathy,” and, over the last few years, the multipurpose hub in Burlington’s South End has made good on that promise. When it’s not hosting community discussions, film screenings, storytelling events, poetry slams or its increasingly popular trivia nights, ArtsRiot has become the place for consistently ahead-of-the-curve, cutting-edge live music. Other larger venues in the area have a fix on your all-time favorite bands and artists, but here you’ll discover something new. Local, regional, national and international mavericks from across the genre galaxy regularly grace its stage. Add in the killer sound system, potent potables and flexible capacity — about 150 to 350 people, depending on the event — and ArtsRiot never fails to deliver a memorable evening.

Other Finalists

• Light Club Lamp Shop
• Monkey House
• Nectar's
• Radio Bean