FINDING THE SCENE 3 Daegu's top 5 favorite live music venues

Skate punk band Golden Ticket plays at Club Heavy in Daegu, May 14, 2011. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

This is the third part in a series intended to raise awareness of Korea's elusive live music scene and help more people find it.

Daegu has a smaller music scene than Seoul and Busan, but it has had a surprising number of live music venues over the years. This isn't necessarily a healthy sign, as it means musicians have to keep looking for more spaces each time they lose another beloved venue. That said, there are some pretty reliable venues in Daegu, and most of them are fairly active.

In no particular order, here are Daegu's top venues.

1. Club Heavy

Club Heavy is a landmark of the local scene, opening in 1995 but apparently starting to put on shows in 1996. It is purely a venue, not a restaurant or cafe that sometimes hosts shows. Located across the street to the east of Keimyung University, it does in-house shows and rental shows. As the name implies, it is home to loud music, including metal and punk, but any kind of music can be heard here. Follow @clubheavy on Instagram.

2. Communes

Communes, or Commune's or possibly just Commune, also dates back to 1995. However, it has only transitioned to a full live music venue in more recent years, having previously been more of an expat hangout bar that occasionally held shows. It's smaller than Club Heavy, with a capacity of about 70. It's nicely situated in Dongseong-ro, a popular street with plenty of nightlife located not far from Daegu Station. Its website says it is a place for genres including indie music, rock and funk. On Wednesdays, it hosts an open stage, and on Thursdays, it has jazz jam sessions. There is also an active schedule for larger shows on weekends. Follow @communeslive on Instagram.

3. Led Zeppelin

Why are so many venues named after classic rock bands? Maybe it doesn't really matter what it's called, but anyway this is still a popular place that has a robust live music schedule. It's located next to Keimyung University, around the corner from Club Heavy. There are long rows of tables throughout the room, leaving not much room to dance, but it's a great place to enjoy food and drinks while listening to musicians playing. Follow @rock_club_led_zeppelin on Instagram.

4. Livehall Rock King

Rock King, or sometimes Rocking — and in Korean, Rock Wang — is a larger venue, sort of like Club Heavy, but without as much history. It's also located near Keimyung University, right on the corner outside Namsan Station on the elevated Daegu Metro Line 3. Follow @livehall_rock.king on Instagram.

5. Sugar Joe's

Sugar Joe's is an expat bar located right outside Kyungpook National University. Its live music schedule is sporadic. Follow @sugarjoes on Instagram.

Honorable mentions to Daehwa Scene, Mooyoungdang Department and The Pollack bookstore, which are enjoyed by people in the local scene and sometimes host music events.

Next time, we will look at venues in Gwangju, Cheongju, Incheon and elsewhere.