well I haven't been out there in YEARS so im sure shit has changed. But....
in the area by Harvard not all that far from where you are staying, cambirdge there is a lot of places traditionally where you can hear live rock music... there is a famous place but I forget the name. some little hole in the wall where most famous people have played...
the bars down in faunal hall area ill often have rock and top 40 kind of stuff. I bounced in a number of them.
bell in hand has live rock music some night, I worked some shoes there.
there is a house of blues by fennway.
all the bars on broadway in south boston are like talky kind of places, not dancing.
the north end has a cool little cigar bar that is in the basement of a place a few doors down from mikes, I forget the name, great atmosphere and was the last place in the city you could still smoke in.
while the clubs in boston suck they are mostly in the area you are staying, or within walking distance...
there is an after hours that's like some ones apartment! lol! wtf is/was the name of that place...lol!