800 W. Olympic Blvd., Downtown, www.clubnokia.com. (You can also catch Uproxx’s monthly RX showcase at the Ace as well, though it’s not in the theatre.). Since then, it has seen some of the biggest music legends of the last 70-plus years take its stage, everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Bob Marley and Black Flag to the Black Keys. The spacious rooftop works even better on a summer night, perfect for a chat or smoke, with a giant video screen so you'll know when the headliner goes on. Famous Los Angeles music venue, The Smell, stays open despite demolition plans Date: August 31, 2016 Author: Victor Lozano 0 Comments The Smell, one of the more popular DIY music venues in downtown L.A, is staying open despite receiving news earlier in the year with a demolition notice on their door. — Philip Cosores, With its rippling layers of metal wrapped like billowing silver sails around a warmer, wooden interior, Frank Gehry’s design for Disney Concert Hall remains one of the L.A.’s most striking architectural achievements. As a smaller space, set into a canyon in Griffith Park, the Greek is the optimum location to catch any number of established heavy-hitter hitting the circuit like Liam Gallagher, Neko Case, Alison Krauss or Haim as well as up and comers like Khalid or Weyes Blood. 5/3/18 @neilfinnofficial and @liamfinn, A post shared by Largo (@largolosangeles) on May 4, 2018 at 4:38pm PDT. Owner Dave Travis has performed for many years in the local underground scene as a cellist in such stubbornly uncompromising bands as W.A.C.O. But the Coronet Theatre, Largo's home since 2008, is not without its own charms, including a courtyard that invites pre- and post-show mingling, much-improved acoustics, and a front bar even tinier than the old space that occasionally hosts acoustic shows. But in our view, these 50 are the best of the best. Whether that means SZA, Vince Staples, Pusha-T, Joey Badass, Jaden Smith, if they’re going to perform in town, best chances are they’re going to touch down here. 9015 Sunset Blvd. #acehoteldtla #discoverla, A post shared by Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles (@acedtla) on Apr 10, 2018 at 8:18am PDT, The Theatre at Ace Hotel is perhaps the premier live music location in Downtown LA. It’s inner-beauty and centralized location has drawn a bevy of incredible artists to its hallowed halls in the years since, everyone from Red Hot Chili Peppers to Spiritualized and John Prine to Jimmy Page. And avoid the venue's only real downside — stacked parking — by taking the Metro or one of the many park-and-ride shuttles that leave from all over the region. Going on a rampage with @GRAVEDGRMUSIC 7.19.18, A post shared by elreytheatre (@elreytheatre) on Jun 19, 2018 at 7:19pm PDT. Discriminating booking policy, great sight lines, first-rate sound, and it’s always easy to grab a quick drink at the front bar. After years of frustration at how most clubs in Los Angeles viewed jazz and treated musicians, Korean-born vocalist Joon Lee decided to open his own, vowing to to run it from an artist’s perspective. 123 Astronaut E.S. 842 S. Broadway, Downtown, laorpheum.com. But if you're heading to our downtown arena behemoth, you're likely less after closeness and more that kinetic feeling of mass communion you get when watching an international superstar with a legion of fellow fans. — Daniel Kohn, RIff Raff at the House of Blues; Credit: Photo by Hannah Verbeuren, Reports of its demolition have circled for years, but for now, the House of Blues Sunset Strip remains standing. Los Angeles music venues make the city a standout on the world stage for live shows and concerts. ✨ Sign up for our A-list for all things Ace, including news from our latest Kyoto project. Good morning light. The Top 5 Places To Live In Los Angeles County 2020; Why You Should Move To California — And Where You Should Move To In 2020; The Best 5 Hospitals In Los Angeles, California 2020; The Top 10 Music Venues In Los Angeles in 2020; List Of All Current Professional Sports Teams In Los Angeles 2020; 10 Best Neighborhoods To Move To Within Los Angeles Satisfaction guaranteed. Despite its name (and the fact that Steel Panther performs here regularly), the storied venue works surprisingly well for rap concerts, the sound system seemingly well-tailored for all those head-nodding beats and floor-splintering bass. Nightlife. Check out these legendary venues in the City of Angels! Music, Film, TV and Political News Coverage. Spacious, dimly lit, and always well air-conditioned, the Echoplex continually books fantastic independent acts each week. Head south of Olympic to save a few bucks, or just take the subway to the 7th Street Metro Station and enjoy a 10-minute walk. . Supporting this entertainment and business industry is a wide selection of corporate and party venues. In London, 40 percent of small music venues have shut down in the last decade. Then River Phoenix's death in … But over the years, Los Globos has consistently hosted the kind of music that doesn't always find a home in L.A.'s flashier venues. Are you with us for Day 2? 2700 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz, www.greektheatrela.com. 9009 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, www.theroxy.com. — Mary Grace Cerni, Every year, the Observatory and adjoining Constellation Room are hosts to the majority of Burger Records' events, a list that never seems to stop growing. Glendale is a little bit of a trek for music lovers on the Westside and many shows do not see headliners hitting the stage until midnight or later. I once found myself sitting next to Moby scoping out the hipster disco of DFA’s Holy Ghost! The venue wasn’t restored to its former glory until 2008, after an extensive renovation by Live Nation culminated in a reopening concert headlined by Jay Z. Perhaps most famous for being the club that hosted some of the earliest shows by The Doors, Whisky A Go Go went on to play a key role in the city’s music scene right up until the present day. — Andy Hermann, Deakin of Animal Collective performs at CFAER; Credit: Photo by Timothy Norris, As soon as FYF Presents started booking shows here, the Center for the Arts Eagle Rock became the hub for bands you'd hear on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic or at FYF Fest in August. This place is necessary, especially if you prefer Good Riddance and BDSM to Girlpool and trust-fund babies. Music Venues, Recording & Rehearsal Studios, Music Production Services (909) 269-1473. Nightlife. If you want to get up close and personal on a packed night, there’s a little space underneath the stage left speaker you can reach by slipping past the merch booth. But it’s as much the Art Deco interior as the music that really makes this place magical. Thankfully, they haven’t hauled Pappy & Harriet's off to D.C. yet, and this dust-blown desert roadhouse continues to host a genuinely eclectic mix of nationally touring acts and local upstarts. Los Angeles Area Rock And Roll Venues. This is a list of notable venues worldwide including theaters, clubs, arenas, convention … Nearby street parking is ample. — Max Bell, See also: The Regent Joins Downtown L.A.'s Live-Music Boom, The tiered setup at Club Nokia is visually pleasing from wherever you are in the room, but it’s the bottom/pit area and the second level balcony that offer the best POVs. Between karaoke nights, Alex's hosts bands you'd see on the OG Warped Tour (when Volcom shorts ruled), and some of today's popular garage-pop acts, like Bleached and Together Pangea. Now, however, the music venue and surrounding green space is known for hosting legendary rock acts, including Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, … The greatest part about living in LA is the near-constant stream of excellent weather. 2419 N. Broadway, Lincoln Heights, www.lowendtheoryclub.com. Get their early to grab a good spot, because when it gets crowded, you won't be able to see a thing between the giant pillars and hoards of fedora-wearing hipshits. 1822 Sunset Blvd., Echo Park, www.theecho.com. Satisfaction guaranteed. Greek Theatre - Los Angeles and Berkeley, Calif. ... One of the most famous outdoor music venues in California, the Hollywood Bowl has been a much-loved landmark of the Hollywood Hills since the 1920s. In recent years, events like the Sound of Music sing-along and Bugs Bunny at the Symphony have become beloved annual events, as have the L.A. Philharmonic's frequent collaborations with pop, rock and electronic acts like Belle & Sebastian, Elvis Costello and M83. Operated today by Goldenvoice, The El Rey regularly plays host to an eclectic array of different artists ranging from Dirty Projectors and Angel Olsen to Lily Allen and Chromeo. NIVA participants in Los Angeles include the Bootleg Theater, Teragram Ballroom, the Regent, Zebulon, and the Troubadour, among the dozens of venues, promoters, and festivals in … Host musicians who curate “Friday Flights” blur lines with their aural and visual installations in the architecturally eye-popping space. Pomona isn’t close, but driving 45 minutes is less painful than paying for an Uber during surge pricing. This 150-seat venue leans into its locale with a dark-lit, gothic vibe that lends a heavy sense of atmosphere to the occasion no matter who’s playing onstage. When Viper Room opened back in 1993 it was known more for its famous owner (Johnny Depp) than its music offerings. — Jason Roche, Whether you walk down the alleyway on Glendale Boulevard or downstairs from the Echo, entering the Echoplex is a reminder of the venue’s devotion to subterranean sounds. It has served as a music venue since 1994 and now, under the aegis of Goldenvoice, caters to hip crowds by bringing in a mix of veterans (upcoming performers include Steve Earle and Godflesh) and rising names (Melody’s Echo Chamber, Cayucas). Its acoustics have been praised by famous musicians, including cellist Yoyo Ma who played at the venue’s opening night. — Artemis Thomas-Hansard, After reopening its doors in 2014, the Regent Theater has become one of L.A.’s must-visit concert venues. This venue is perfect for large corporate conferences, movie screenings and awards banquets. The building has numerous quirks, such as glassed-off passageways that seemingly lead nowhere, a fantastic house organ entwined in gigantic, pillar-like tentacles that extend to the ceiling, and a semi-secret terrace upstairs where you can take a break outside and wander close to Gehry’s fantastic metallic wings. Los Angeles is the mecca where the hottest stars played and earned their reputation as big hitters. But when it comes to venues in which to hear that music played live, we are equally blessed. 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Like any local venue, their Monday night residencies are always worth checking out, but their knack for foreign artist showcases, like their recent Japan Nite, is where the Bootleg really thrives. — Falling James, Portugal. Recent star-studded tributes to David Lynch and Allen Ginsberg and multi-night stands from Belle & Sebastian and Jeff Tweedy have all lived up to the seated venue's gorgeous, restored, 1920s decor. From a myriad of options, these 25 event venues in Los Angeles are top choices for 2020. Which COLD AND BLACK AND INFINITE NORTH AMERICA show are you going to? With the rise of L.A. Live, an expanded roster of restaurants (however corporate) have made an evening at Staples a more all-encompassing night on the town, and parking is easier than ever. For my money, there’s no better venue I’d rather catch a show in the Los Angeles area than the LA Forum. 1717 Silver Lake Blvd., Silver Lake, www.thesatellitela.com. World-Famous Music Venues. It's easily accessible via the Metro Gold Line and nearby parking is ample. 1957, the legendary Troubadour club in West Hollywood has helped launch some of contemporary music’s most talented performers. 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, www.hollywoodforever.com/culture. The cover to see a gig is usually $15 or less. Of course, as any regular concert-goer is aware, it’s not just the artist and the crowd that helps define a great show, but the space itself which can either enhance the atmosphere and the music pouring from the stage, or detract from it if the venue is poorly staffed, run-down, or dogged by bad sound and poor sight lines. Sunset Marquis. — Lily Moayeri, 29. Lee’s commitment to the quality of the music above all else (framed in a elegant, modern space) has granted Bluewhale, in its sixth year of existence, most-favored status among jazz musicians and patrons alike. By the ’80s, though, the ballroom was in rundown condition, with shadowy lighting and a notoriously muddy sound system. All of the venue’s bookings are pretty on-point across genres — this June, the Observatory will host Rhye, Action Bronson, Andre Nickatina (for $5!) . There are venues whose history extends back 100 years, and there are others built in this century. Whether you're squished between sweaty bodies for an EDM event in the Expo Hall, or enjoying a seated concert in the Auditorium, the Shrine makes for a memorable night out. Since starting in 2006, LET has been the launch pad for such beat-scene luminaries as Flying Lotus, The Gaslamp Killer, Daedelus, Shlohmo, Teebs, Matthewdavid and Nosaj Thing, and a laboratory for innovative MCs such as Busdriver, Jonwayne and host Nocando to hone their craft. And oh, the history: site of L.A. debuts by everyone from Billy Joe Shaver to Elton John to Guns N' Roses' classic lineup, with an atmosphere enhanced by the lingering infamy of John Lennon getting tossed for wearing a tampon as a hat, heckling, and stiffing his waitress (legend has it he snarled “Don’t you know who I am?” and the waitress replied, “Yeah. To celebrate that embarrassment of riches, we asked a group of 25 L.A. Weekly writers, editors and photographers to rank their favorite SoCal venues for live music, then tallied the results to come up with this list of our region's 50 best. (Fun fact: the club scene in 1992's The Bodyguard was filmed here.) 2/28. Vote in our Best of L.A. Throw in all the great acts that grace their stage and you have a venue worthy of every music fans' bucket-list. The Man at El Cid; Credit: Photo by Timothy Norris, El Cid feels like a pub you'd visit in southern Spain. — Falling James, Walking past the cemetery gates, with the scent of rotting flowers kissing you on the nose, there's this creepy Faustian bargain that plays in your mind: something about Satan, your soul, and the inverted pentagram that hangs over the narrow stage that has hosted everyone from Lana Del Rey to St. Vincent. The Troubadour is a haven for heavy metal. If the main room starts feeling claustrophobic, there’s a downstairs lounge to retreat to. See resident DJs @jeremyburke, @itscamtang, & @djsteviebe as well as special guests, AMIKA AKAYA & HONEY, from the awesome hip hop weekly party, Cyber Ceremony. The Best 10 Music Venues in San Diego, CA. 1822 Sunset Blvd. You might think that a cemetery isn’t the most ideal location to take in a loud rock concert, but if you’re talking about the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever, you’d be dead wrong. Even shorties have a good view, unlike its basement bro the ‘Plex downstairs. In addition to being a favored spot for Phish, Rush, and the Dave Matthews Band, Alpine Valley has an infamous place in music history: It was the … We hope this list will inspire you to get out there and see more live music. Culture Music Los Angeles Los Angeles is concert city. It's accessible by Metro and nearby lots are usually under $20 — although parking can be a nightmare when both the Belasco and Mayan have events on the same night. Sinatra first appeared here in 1943; the Beatles, in '64. — Max Bell, If underground is what you crave, look no further than Pehrspace. 6215 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, www.thehollywoodpalladium.com. Presumably because both of these spots have genuine soul, especially downtown's opulent Mayan Revival-style palace. It served as a Moose Lodge for a time. — Heidi Darby, Crowd-surfing at Alex's Bar; Credit: Photo by LP Hastings, One of SoCal's last proper old-guard punk hideaways, Alex's Bar looks like a rockabilly bordello meets Transylvanian blood bank, which is why True Blood was filmed here. 3790 Wilshire Blvd., Koreatown, www.wiltern.com. Although pricey festivals like Way Over Yonder have taken root on the pier in recent years, music always sounds better when it’s free, especially during the summer Twilight Concerts series, which has featured Charles Bradley, No Age, Patti Smith, Dr. John, La Santa Cecilia, The Zombies, Dick Dale and, fittingly, Best Coast. . The Smell Music & Nightlife on the Strip What are you waiting for? For food, we recommend taking a short walk to renowned French dip haven Cole’s. But don’t let the set times fool you. — Britt Witt, Control night at Avalon; Credit: Photo by Kelsee Becker, Thanks to the EDM explosion, swanky new dance clubs have sprung up all over Hollywood and DTLA in recent years — but nearly 12 years after it first opened, Avalon remains the best of the bunch. Jon Brion still does his dazzling solo residency on the last Friday of every month, too. In addition to some of L.A.’s best booking, the venue houses a sound system built to rattle your ribcage. Music Music venues Westlake This 1930's warehouse-turned-theater (complete with an exposed beam ceiling, swoon) hosts performances of all kinds, including music, theater, dance and film. There's hardly any debate that L.A. has the best music scene in America. The Best Small Venues in Los Angeles. Sort: Recommended. Gigs sell out quickly, especially if Ty Segall or some Pitchfork hype-band like Waxahatchee is booked. 3/19. Bonus for the over-21 crowd: They recently began serving alcohol. Price. While classical events take precedence for much of the year, an increasing number of pop, jazz, electronic and rock musicians — including Kraftwerk, Willie Nelson, Dianne Reeves, John Legend, Herbie Hancock and Ryan Adams — have taken advantage of the room’s superior acoustics. — Art Tavana, 33. There's no lot, but street parking isn't hard to find, unless you're there for a sold-out show. 53688 Pioneertown Rd., Pioneertown, www.pappyandharriets.com. These retrofitted brick buildings are due for … Leee John of Imagination. The stark white, triangular room, which is never quite dark, allows for easy visibility from any angle. And Teragram's not the only worthy venue not represented here; L.A. has far more than just 50 excellent places to hear live music, and we don't mean for this list to imply otherwise. 3. I’ve seen rock bands and hip-hop artists in more arena-sized venues than I can even remember, and none of them sound anywhere near as good as they do in this concert-only space. There’s also a large outdoor smoking patio (yes, you can drink there), as well as several delicious post-concert food options close by (Two Boots Pizza, Tacos Arizas). • +1 888 266 1200, bso.org. Words by Arden Shore 19 Apr 2016. 1038 S. Hill St., Downtown, www.clubmayan.com. Trees This is a somewhat unassuming little place in downtown Dallas that nonetheless has hosted such legends as Nirvana and Snoop Dogg, as well as contemporary stars like Nick Jonas and smaller indie names, too. Glynde Place, Lewes 02/07 - 04/07/2021 View more info for Love Supreme Jazz Festival 2021 Buy Tickets. Or, you could catch a big leaguer such as Ty Segall play a low-key, acoustic set on a random Thursday night — and it’ll cost you five bucks. What's your favorite L.A. music venue? Open Ocean Records . 1906 Cypress Ave., Cypress Park, www.cafenela.net. 6126 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, www.fondatheatre.com. Onizuka St., Little Tokyo, bluewhalemusic.com. From Los Angeles sons Flying Lotus and Classixx to international heartbreaker Chet Faker, everyone who plays the Studios gets the star treatment. . This wasn’t just me pretending to be hardcore (though it was certainly that); it also felt cooler to claim as my first the spot where The Doors and War started off as house bands, where Janis Joplin drank the night she died, where countless metal and grunge bands announced themselves to the world. Every show in its grand interior tends to feel special. The Smell is the kind of venue where you can see a guy running around in tighty-whiteys, handing out unwrapped Halloween candy and screaming unintelligible words into a microphone, then douse himself in lighter fluid and roll around on the ground with his ass on fire (that was my first experience). Supporting this entertainment and business industry is a wide selection of corporate and party venues. Music Music venues Westlake This 1930s warehouse-turned-theater (complete with an exposed beam ceiling, swoon) hosts performances of all kinds, including music, theater, dance and film. While Mack Sennett doesn’t always function as a music venue, it doesn’t hold back on the production when it presents music events. Hence the evolution of rock venues from school dances and VFW Halls in the 1950s to psychedelic ballrooms and repurposed nightspots in the ’60s to the essentially still-enduring version a … Greats such as Elton John, James Taylor and Tom Waits performed there early in their careers, and it continues to be a destination for cutting-edge acts from around the world.. The Best Large Event Venues in Los Angeles. As the entertainment capital of the world, Los Angeles certainly doesn’t lack for live music choices. Previously know as the Club Nokia, this venue located in the downtown L.A. Live complex has been rebranded as the Novo by Microsoft. The Los Angeles location is a massive store filled with thousands of records, cds and dvds… Al’s Bar Former Location In Los Angeles California Al’s bar was a popular venue for L.A.’s 80s Punk Rock scene…