Live music in New York on Thursdays

Thursday is New York's unofficial weekend opener. The bills get bigger, doors run later, and the crowds that were saving themselves for Friday quietly start a night early. This is the running list of what's on this coming Thursday, focused on the small and mid-size rooms where you can still find a ticket at the door. Expect a stronger lineup than midweek: a touring indie act at a Lower East Side or Williamsburg club, a DJ-and-band night in Bushwick along the L, a late jazz set in the West Village that runs past last call. Thursday is the night to hop two stops to a second room, since plenty of venues schedule early-and-late so you can catch two shows in one evening. New listings drop through the week as venues lock their Thursday bills, so check back before you head out. The weekend in New York really starts tonight.