I went to see Matisyahu, who mixes orthodox Judaism with reggae beats, Saturday night at Revolution in downtown Fort Lauderdale. I wasn't interested in the opening band, so I sat on the stoop in front of the venue, and after deliberating for nearly an hour, scribbled this list of my favorite albums into my little notepad: Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run. Paul Simon's Rhythm of the Saints.Radiohead's Kid A. Jeff Buckley's Grace. Miles Davis' Kind of Blue.

I, of course, have memorized every line of John Cusack's cinematic version of Nick Hornby's High Fidelity, but since I recently read the book I've become as obsessed as Rob Gordon (the main character) at categorizing my life into Top Five lists.

The opening band, Lush Progress, had finished its set and a crew was hauling their instruments. As I started working on my list of Top Five ice cream flavors, the door to the silver tour bus near me opened and Matisyahu walked out onto the sidewalk. I stood up with my notepad and said the first thing that popped into my head: ``Hey Matis, The Miami Herald wants to know what your Top Five favorite albums of all time are.''

He looked at me, thought about it for a few seconds and then just shrugged his shoulders the way little kids do when stumped by a question. I'm sure if he had an hour to think about it as I did, he would have come up with an impressive list.

Right now, Revolution (200 W. Broward Blvd.) doesn't make my Top Five list of places to see a concert. The sound was dampened as if a huge sheet was covering the band, the air-conditioning couldn't conquer the collective body heat, and unless you were standing in the first few rows or play power forward in the NBA, you barely could see the stage.

Until recently, I loved seeing shows at Revolution. They had a huge, elevated outdoor stage, phenomenal acoustics and ample elbow room. But the nightclub America's Backyard commandeered this space and now Revolution books talent to play in a sweat box the size of a movie theater.

This is obviously my glass-half-empty opinion. My glass-half-full opinion is to buy tickets if there's a musician you want to see here because tickets haven't been jacked to unaffordable prices and the energy of the crowd is infectious. You can check out their upcoming events at www.jointherevolution.net.

If you prefer to support local live music, here are some hot options:

The Poor House, 110 SW Third Ave.: This bar is next to Revolution and America's Backyard but attracts an entirely different audience. Regulars here sat down for their first tattoos before it was chic to be inked. No one will give you a hard time if you wear a nice shirt, but you will surely stand out if you do. If Jimmy Buffett covers or Top 40 tunes are your thing, steer clear of The Poor House. But if you dig old blues and experimental rock, stop by on Friday and Saturday nights.

Tarpon Bend, 200 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale: Fuse is on my list of Top Five bands in South Florida. Led by father and son guitar gods Vick and Nick Gordon, they never disappoint their fans with ripping riffs and renditions of rock songs that often dwarf the originals. They've called Tarpon their home on Friday and Saturday nights for eight years and will hopefully continue to do so.

Lulu's Bait Shack, Beach Place, 17 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale: If Bob Marley were alive today, I have no doubt that Fourth Dimension would make his Top Five list of favorite reggae bands. They play Sundays and once you hear them stir it up, you'll get up, stand up and will be jamming until the jam is through.

Aruba Beach Café, 1 Commercial Blvd., Lauderdale-by-the-Sea: Catfish Hunter takes the stage here for happy hour on Mondays and Thursdays. He has the ability to cover the Grateful Dead and Willie Nelson in such a way that you fall in love with both. Enjoy drink specials, and if you want to ruin your dinner, order the Chocolate Bomb. Just for the record, my Top Five favorite ice cream flavors are chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate and coming in at No. 5, believe it or not, chocolate.

COMING UP

• Hed Pe plays Friday night at Culture Room (3045 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale) with OPM, Dirtball and Potluck. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. $15 at the door.

• Christian Finnegan performs Friday night through Sunday at the Improv in Hard Rock's Seminole Paradise (1 Seminole Way, off U.S. 441 north of Stirling Road), near Hollywood;. Click to www.improvftl.com or call 954-981-5653 for show times.

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