Boston Edison

The Congregation started its life in the 1920s as St. Luke's Evangelical Church and is now a café, bar, and event space housed in a restored historic church building. On summer Saturday nights it hosts free live music in the cafe, and open mic nights round out the calendar. The format is low-key and all-genres, fitting for a room that Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings has also used for chamber concerts. Boston Edison is otherwise a quiet residential district whose live-music life leans toward the communal. The Historic Boston-Edison Association, founded in 1921, runs an annual concert series for the neighborhood. The area carries some deep musical history: Berry Gordy Jr., founder of Motown Records, once lived at 918 W. Boston, and R&B bandleader and songwriter Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams also called Edison Avenue home. Dedicated live-music venues are sparse here, but The Congregation is a genuine, accessible spot for a casual night out.