Los Angeles Club & Music Scene

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Back to Los AngelesLos Angeles Club & Music Scene

A Note on Smoking-- In 1998, California enacted legislation that banned smoking in all restaurants and bars. Despite repeated efforts by opponents to repeal the law -- and willful disregard by some proprietors -- it's more widely enforced every year. If you're looking to light up in clubs, lounges, and other nightspots, better check to see what the locals are doing first.

The Live Music Scene

Los Angeles's music scene is extremely diverse, to say the least, a daunting and dizzying beast. But on any given night, finding something to satisfy any musical taste is easy because this city is at the center of the entertainment industry. Every day, countless national and international acts are drawn here. From acoustic rock to jazz-fusion, heavy metal to Latin funk, and up-and-coming to put-to-pasture, L.A.'s got it all.

But there's a rub. The big events are easy to find, but by the time you get to town, odds are the good tickets will be gone. The best advice is to plan ahead. On the Internet, both Ticketmaster and concert business trade publication Pollstar (www.pollstar.com) have websites that include tour itineraries of acts that are on -- or will be going on -- the road. Just start your search in advance. For a listing of smaller shows closer to the date of your arrival, both the L.A. Weekly and the Los Angeles Times "Calendar" section have websites . Sometimes tickets may come available at the box office before shows, or when all else fails, try "negotiating" with some of the locals in front of the venue.

Large Concerts-- Mostly gone are the days of the behemoth stadium shows, excepting, of course, the occasional U2 or Rolling Stones tour. Still, major national and international acts tend to be attracted to some of the city's larger venues.

The crown of Downtown and home to the Lakers and Clippers pro basketball teams is the STAPLES Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St. (tel. 213/742-7340; www.staplescenter.com). This combination sports/event stadium is now a primary concert venue, with recent acts including Prince and U2.

Amphitheaters are the staple of national rock and pop concert tours. Los Angeles's two main warriors are the outdoor Greek Theatre in Griffith Park, 2700 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles (tel. 323/665-1927; www.greektheatrela.com), and the indoor Universal Amphitheatre, Universal City Drive, Universal City (tel. 818/777-3931), each seating about 6,000. Both are among the most accommodating and comfortable facilities for big-name acts. Nearly as beautiful as the Hollywood Bowl, the Greek books a full season of national acts ranging from System of a Down and David Bowie to Al Green and Harry Belafonte. After a recent multimillion-dollar renovation project, the Greek is nicer than ever. Be advised that getting out afterward can still be a problem, as cars are stacked in packed lots, making exiting a painfully slow process.

Universal Amphitheatre has one advantage over the Greek: It has a roof, so it can book year-round. It's not as aesthetically pleasing, but it is quite comfortable and none of its seats are too far from the stage. For some events, the "Party in the Pit" offers a general admission section next to the stage. In addition to pop stars from Celine Dion to Jane's Addiction, the Universal has booked such theater events as The Who's Tommy. While the neon jungle of Universal's CityWalk doesn't appeal to everyone, it does offer plenty of pregig dining and drinking options.

Orange County's Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre (formerly Irvine Meadows), 8800 Irvine Center Dr., Laguna Hills (tel. 949/855-8096; www.verizonwirelessamphitheater.com), which holds 15,000 (including a general-admission lawn way in the back), hosts KROQ's often-spectacular summertime "Weenie Roast" and KIIS's "Summer Jam" each year, as well as a plethora of touring rock acts, including recent shows from Rush and Sting. If you're going from L.A. on a weekday, get an early start, since Irvine is located at one of the most heavily traveled freeway junctions in the country.

Another popular venue is the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, 2695 E. Katella Ave. (1 mile east of I-5), Anaheim (tel. 714/704-2400; www.arrowheadpond.com), a combination sports/event stadium that's gaining momentum as a primary concert venue. Recent highlights include heavy hitters such as Prince, Rod Stewart, and Yes. It's about an hour from Los Angeles via the always-crowded I-5 freeway, but it's convenient to Disneyland-goers (about 8 min. away).

All That Free Jazz-- Art, jazz, beer, and free -- baby, that's for me. That's why I always mark my calendar for the free jazz concerts hosted Thursday and Friday evenings at L.A.'s two major art museums. Here's the scoop: The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles (tel. 323/857-6000; www.lacma.org), hosts free concerts in its open central courtyard every Friday night from 5:30 to 8:30pm, April through December. It's a great way to listen to good music with a glass of wine on a warm Los Angeles evening. June through September, the Museum of Contemporary Art, 250 S. Grand Ave., Downtown (tel. 213/626-6222; www.moca-la.org), and its sister annex, Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, 152 N. Central Ave., Downtown in Little Tokyo (tel. 213/626-6222; www.moca-la.org), take turns offering free jazz concerts from 5 to 8pm every Thursday. Both the MOCA and the Geffen Contemporary pair a new wine and microbrew beer to match the flavor of each week's performer.

The Club Scene

With more small clubs than you can swing a Stratocaster at, Los Angeles is the place for live music. Check the L.A. Weekly (www.laweekly.com) to see who's in town during your visit. Unless otherwise noted, clubs admit only patrons 21 and over.

Dance Clubs-- The momentous popularity of Latin dance and swing has resulted in the opening of new clubs dedicated to both, taking some of the pressure off the old standbys. DJ club culture is also on the rise locally, featuring noteworthy shows at some enjoyable clubs; such dance clubs, however, can come and go as quickly as you can say "jungle rave." Mere whispers of a happening thing elsewhere can practically relegate a club to a been-there-done-that status. Check the L.A. Weekly for updates on specific club information.

L.A.'s Cult Classics

Here's a couple of late-night L.A. venues that have attained cult status -- show up at either of these places and you'll definitely have something to talk about when you return to work.

The first is World on Wheels (4645 1/2 Venice Blvd., at San Vicente Blvd.; tel. 323/933-3333), one of the most groovy roller rinks in existence -- a cavernous slice of classic Americana (ca.1970s). Dolled up in old-school Las Vegas decor complete with sparkly disco balls and guest DJs spinning vinyl, it's like the land that time forgot. Nightly themes range from booty-shakin' funk to live rap, disco, classic Top 40, and gospel roller boogie (complete with prayer sessions between songs). Don't worry if you're a lousy skater -- there's a center chill-out zone where you can do nothing but drink beer and make out till 1am. But wait, it gets better: Venture upstairs (skates off, please) for dinner, drinks, and a round of bowling. Currently Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday nights are for the 21-and-over crowd, but it's bound to change so be sure to call ahead and check the recorded schedule info. And don't be surprised if you see a few stars on the floor: Ben Stiller, Leonardo DiCaprio, and the infamous Roller Girl herself, Heather Graham, have been spotted here.

When it comes to real musical talent, few L.A. music lovers will argue that there's a better all-around musician than Jon Brion. Every Friday night at a Los Angeles supper club called Largo (see review above), Brion performs an amazing one-man show that always leaves his audience in awe. Producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, he has an amazing ability to play multiple instruments simultaneously (he is the house band at Largo). Brion is famous for making up songs on the spot, usually from titles shouted from the audience. He's also well known for his on-stage antics and idiosyncratic takes on famous classics such as the Beatles and Cheap Trick. Brion on Brion: "It's like spraying musical Raid on the classics, until each dying song flips on its back and wiggles its little musical legs in surrender." His shows tend to start pretty late (for Californians, that is), but it's worth the wait. And don't be surprised if Elivis Costello or Beck makes a guest appearance (Kanye West made a cameo rap the last time I was here).