FILTER Five: Our Top 5 Los Angeles Venues
By Staff on June 1, 2011
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Los Angeles is ridden with venues from the sea shores of Venice to the grungy, D.I.Y. spaces of the Warehouse District in Downtown. Some are good, some are bad, and some good because they're so bad. Sometimes your first experience of an artist can be made or ruined by a venue and we at FILTER don't want this to happen to you (though we'd be the first to admit trial by fire, in this case, ain't so bad). We've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly that Los Angeles has to offer venue-wise, so we asked FILTER HQ West: "What's your favorite Los Angeles venue?" The answers proved as diverse as our music tastes, check 'em out below and head down to a show sometime. We'll likely be there in the crowds, too.
Stay tuned next week for our New York edition.
The Smell (all ages)
est. 1998
247 South Main Street
Neighborhood: Downtown
Why: Totally community oriented, non-profit, art-ridden and volunteer-run. You can't beat the show prices of $5 and the one-of-a-kind odor inside (and out). Every night is guaranteed for a show you'd never see otherwise, from a floor-jam party by Foot Village to a very special night with Jonathan Richman.
Notable Appearances By: vegan snacks, No Age, Thurston Moore, HEALTH, Jonathan Richman, The Microphones, your underage little brother and his friends, the Parking Lot Dude
The Troubadour (all ages)
est. 1957
9081 Santa Monica Boulevard
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
Why: Pretty much every spot inside the Troubadour has a great view of the stage. It has a great staff, more than one bar and is small enough that you still get that intimate show you're looking for. Not to mention the historic relevance of that stage—everyone from Joni Mitchell to Guns 'N' Roses has played underneath the iconic blue neon sign.
Notable Appearances By: Carole King and James Taylor, George Carlin, everyone in your parents' record collections circa 1970, Metallica, Radiohead, Prince, James Blake, Fleet Foxes
Hollywood Forever Cemetery (all ages)
est. 1899 (concerts for the last 10)
6000 Santa Monica Boulevard
Neighborhood: Hollywood
Why: There is something awesomely creepy about seeing a concert in a cemetery. This historic haunt hosts shows both inside (the Masonic Lodge) or outside on the lawn. There's nothing quite like picnicking near Johnny Ramone's tombstone in the summertime...plus they do movie screenings, too!
Notable Appearances By: Bon Iver, The Flaming Lips, Belle and Sebastian, Johnny Ramone's ghost
The Echo and Echoplex (ages vary)
est. 19??
1822 Sunset Boulevard
Neighborhood: Echo Park
Why: Good location, close to places to eat and right in the midst of a continually booming music and arts scene. This is a good venue to see a band on the brink of blowing up because it's small enough to get up close and personal, but large enough to not be overcome by superfans. The venues also host free weekly residencies of local bands, as well as themed dance nights like the infamous Part Time Punks.
Notable Appearances By: Beck, Band of Horses, Cold Cave, The Decemberists, Jenny Lewis, Deerhoof, Vampire Weekend
McCabe's Guitar Shop (all ages)
est. 1958
3101 Pico Boulevard
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Why: You get the basement vibe while still seeing notable artists perform. Bonnie "Prince" Billy & the Cairo Gang performed sans mics or amps...only at McCabe's can you pull something like that off.
Notable Appearances By: John Doe (of X), The Bangles, M. Ward, They Might Be Giants, Bonnie "Prince" Billy
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