KNITTING FACTORY

416 S. 9th St., Boise, 367-1212

bo.knittingfactory.com

How often do arena rockers play 999-capacity clubs? Not often. But when they do, it’s at the Knit. (If that sounded like The Most Interesting Man in the World ads, it’s because we think we saw him in the VIP room.)

ANYHOO, Kid Rock performed at the Knitting Factory Concert House last December. That was huge. And it sums up the allure of this Downtown Boise hot spot, which is thelive-music destination around here.

Who else played the Knit in the past year or so? Skrillex. (Now arena massive.) Social Distortion. (Sold out in advance.) In fact, if you think of any touring band (OK, with the exception of the E Street Band), there’s a good chance it has played at the Knit. The place books music genres running the gamut from country to DJ music to rock to, like, Scandinavian death metal.

Still, we won’t lie. The Knit had to eke out this victory. After all, it’s an indoor venue. Nothing beats seeing music outdoors. That’s why the Idaho Botanical Garden finished a very, very, very close second place, thanks to its Outlaw Field summer concert series (which, by the way, is produced by Knitting Factory Entertainment).

HONORABLE MENTIONS

• Idaho Botanical Garden, www.idahobotanicalgarden.org

• Morrison Center, mc.boisestate.edu

• Idaho Center/Idaho Center Amphitheater, www.idahocenter.com

• Egyptian Theatre, www.egyptiantheatre.net