Casa de la Música - Galiano

CASA DE LA MUSICA, Centro Habana
e/Neptuno y Concordia
Tel: 862 4165 / 860 8296 
Matinees: 4pm-8pm, except Mondays, 4pm-10pm (main band on at 8pm). Entrada $5/$10 

Nights: Main band on between midnight and 1.30 (weekends). Floor show and moronic MC beforehand. Entrada: $5-$25 (Los Van Van) 

This is my favourite for many reasons. It's central - you can walk to and from it (if it's not too late at night, and you're not staying in Miramar) and it has a big-ass dance floor. I also like the multi-level aspect of it - the steps that lead up to the stage make for good audience participation, with singers like Pupy's Pepito coming down to sing right in front of the audience; and there are tiered viewing sections as well. The main drawback would be the sound - there are places where the sound is worse (I'll get to that); and the sound at Miramar (see below) is definitely better. But most bands sound OK here, with the exception of Klimax (more about the bands later): I recommend you see them anywhere except Galiano - I have never heard them sound good there. The floor surface varies wildly: sometimes it's slippery; sometimes it's really sticky. At the supermatinees, (Mondays) it is almost invariably awash with water/beer/whatever. Wear rubber-soled shoes to those ones.

Bamboleo performing at La Casa de la Música Galiano