Tuesday nights in Houston can seem a little dead, with some bars and clubs in our city not even bothering to open up; several places in town are rocking on Tuesday nights, however, which is why we present this list to you. Many of us have to get up early so it can be hard to go out during the middle of the work week, but sometimes you need a little break from the rat race. When you just need to go out on a Tuesday night to get away from it all these places have got you covered.

Note: This list is in alphabetical order.
AVANTGARDEN
Since opening, AvantGarden has always provided a creative outlet for local artists and musicians; Singer-Songwriter Open-Mike on Tuesday nights here is just one of its many diverse weekly music events. Started in 1996, the open-mike here is open to all local and visiting musicians, with AvantGarden only asking that performers play original music. There are plenty of other venues throughout the city to hear cover songs performed during an open-mike night, so it's nice to see a night of original self-expression like this, both for the musicians and audience members alike.  (411 Westheimer, avantgardenhouston.com)
THE BIG EASY SOCIAL & PLEASURE CLUB
The best blues bar in Houston, the Big Easy has hosted many local, regional and national blues legends throughout the years, and continues to host live music seven nights a week; every Tuesday, The Big Easy Quartet plays and there is never a cover. The Easy's intimate size can't be beat and makes audience members feel like they are a part of the show, not just observers from afar; the regular patrons of this authentic, divey bar are true lovers of the blues, and the dance floor stays jumping every night, even on Tuesdays.  (5731 Kirby, thebigeasyblues.com)
D & T DRIVE INN
If you want to start your Tuesday off right, head over early to D & T Drive Inn for the Texas Tuesday Happy Hour from 3 to 6 p.m. and features $4 pints and $7 jugs of Texas beers like Southern Star Pine Belt Pale, Saint Arnold Santo and more; stick around a bit as Tuesday is also Steak Night at D & T, where you can get a 10-ounce sirloin or 16-ounce ribeye, house salad and a baked potato with all the fixins for $16. If you have not been to D & T yet, go check it out, as the place has gained a loyal following among craft-beer fans, with 51 different taps available; a favorite drink among patrons is the house-made Frozen Shandy, a beer and lemonade mix that is tart and sweet simultaneously. Out back, picnic tables and benches are available and provide a laid-back, backyard party vibe, which is nice to enjoy on a warm Houston summer night.  (1307 Enid, treadsack.com/dtdriveinn)
DARWIN'S THEORY
Tuesday is Karaoke Night at Darwin’s Theory and Tecate beers are on sale for only $2, so it makes for a cheap and entertaining night out if you need to save some cash. Other fun things to keep you occupied at Darwin’s include cards, board games, pool tables, an air hockey game and Street Fighter 2 and other vintage video games. Be sure and check out the fantastic artwork painted on the walls here, which looks like some of the best graffiti you have ever seen, including a giant chimp decked out like Che Guevara with the words “Viva La Evolucion” scrawled above it. It’s all hard to miss, as it’s usually the first thing you will notice when you walk in.  (33 Waugh, darwinstheoryhouston.com)
EMMIT'S PLACE
Local musician Pete Lippincott aka Petesimple who plays several gigs around the Houston area throughout any given month, hosts “Storyteller Tuesdays” weekly at Emmit’s Place in which a different artist is featured each week, staring at 9 p.m.; Besides performing their songs, they'll give a little background information to the audience about what true-life stories inspired them, kind of similar to what national artists do on the cable TV show VH1 Storytellers. For those of you who may not know, Emmit’s Place is a cozy little neighborhood bar that opened in 2012 that hosts live music, mainly blues, zydeco, rock and country; check out our concert calendar or Emmit's Web site for more of their weekly events.  (4852 Benning, emmitsplace.com)
THE FLAT
Stop by The Flat every Tuesday for the weekly Jazz Jam, which starts off with an opening set by The Art Fristoe Trio at 7 p.m.; later in the evening the band is joined by some of the best jazz musicians in Houston. There is no cover for this event and you can save even more cash with the Flat’s drink specials on all Texas beers and liquors; come as you are, as there is never a dress code. The Flat also has a nice large patio to chill out on if you need to smoke or chat; with music this good, though, you might want to wait until the musicians take a little break sometime during the night.  (1701 Commonwealth, theflathouston.com)
THE HIDEAWAY ON DUNVALE
At this point The Hideaway On Dunvale's weekly Big Ass Blues Jam, hosted by Rick Lee & the Night Owls every Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. sharp, at this west side tavern has become a Houston institution; a lot of great local blues musicians show up to jam with Lee, who gets things started with his impressive guitar playing, singing, and over-the-top showmanship. Lee usually winds up playing his guitar with the leg of a chair he has picked up, a beer bottle and even his tongue. Don't expect Lee to stand still onstage; in fact he often jumps off to go for a walk around the bar during a performance and hops up on patrons' tables as well. To top things off, Tuesdays here are also Steak Night, and there is never a cover.  (3122 Dunvale, hideawayondunvale.com)
LAST CONCERT CAFE
Americana, folk, and country artist Charles Bryant hosts "Turnstyled, Junkpiled & Railroaded Tuesdays" weekly at The Last Concert Café starting at 6 p.m.; he plays a little of his own music and shares the stage with different guest musicians every week. On some evenings an opening act will perform, and then Bryant will bring up a local singer-songwriter and song-swap with him or her, followed by a closing act on the big stage out on Last Concert Café’s awesome patio. A good, mellow time is had by all, and this event is a nice break especially if your week has gotten off to a bad start and you need some fun to help get you through.  (1403 Nance, lastconcert.com)
NEIL'S BAHR
Neil's Bahr is the place to go in Houston when you want to get your geek on; racks of free comics to read, vintage video games to play, and classic Sci-Fi movies on the bar's TV are just some of the delights that await you. On Tuesday industry nights, patrons have the added bonus of purchasing $2 dollar Lone Stars and $4 dollar Jack Daniels while listening to groovy tunes from DJ Mohawk Steve starting at 9 p.m. Oh yeah, Neil’s recently added a brand new ping-pong table. Cool.  (2006 Walker, neilsbahr.com)
UNION TAVERN
Way out in suburban Clear Lake, or Webster to be more specific, Union Tavern, a bar and live music venue, hosts a lot of the same local bands that play Fitzgerald's, Rudyard's and other Houston staples on a regular basis. Chris J. Hardy of local band Hardy & Co. has hosted an entertaining open-mike night on Tuesdays starting at 9 p.m. for the last four years; recently he has turned the hosting duties over to Matt Cash and Mark Lum from experimental/reggae/rock band Cassette Tape to keep the good times rolling. This is a nice night out for people who live in this area and just don’t feel like making a trek out on I-45 to downtown Houston and risk running into some construction or accident traffic, which seems to occur way too frequently these days.  (435 El Dorado Blvd., uniontavernhouston.com)