ATMOSPHERE: A jarring contrast to sibling venue MJQ, the year-old Unicorn is noisy, smoky and quirky — not a dance club at all. But it's becoming a premier spot for wild, way-underground music acts you're just not going to see anywhere else.

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THE CROWD: A mix of young punk/alternative scenesters and . . . um, old punk/alternative scenesters. Big bonus: Shows are usually all-ages or 18-and-older.

MUSIC: An eclectic mix, with plenty of up-and-coming local acts mixed in with trailblazing (if obscure) out-of-towners. You might want to bring earplugs. The PA system — combined with music that's not for the timid — can be loud enough to have even longtime punk-rock clubbers cringing.

COMING UP: For pcoming shows, check www.atlantashows.org; for details on some acts, check www.fifthplanetpress.com/tightbros.html. Cover for most shows is $5-$10.

ESCAPE ROUTE: The Unicorn and MJQ are connected by a loungelike bar area, but the clubs don't always operate at the same time (much less the same wave length), and the under-21 Unicorn kids aren't allowed in the bar, anyway. So for the most part, you'll have to exit where you entered.

— Vince Verdi