Live-music venues worth the trip in Dayton, Ohio

A downtown Dayton outdoor venue whose stated mission is building community through music, one free concert at a time, a pavilion that presents a free summer concert series.

A family-owned Oregon District tavern open since 2008 that calls itself a live-music venue at heart, giving its stage to Dayton’s independent and touring bands most nights alongside open mic, trivia and a chess club.

A south Dayton club near Centerville that calls itself a music-focused venue for any genre, mostly all ages, with a professional sound system.