Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [160]
ROCK & ALTERNATIVE
Spaceland (Map; 323-661-4380; www.clubspaceland.com; 1717 Silver Lake Blvd, Silver Lake) Beck and the Eels played some early gigs at what is still LA’s best place for indie and alt-sounds from noise pop to punk-folk to mash-ups. Big-name talent like Pink has been known to pop by and hit the mike for quick and dirty impromptu sets. Mondays are free and on Wednesdays the UK’s NME presents the latest underground talent.
Troubadour (Map; 310-276-6168; www.troubadour.com; 9081 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood; Mon-Sat; ) The celebrated 1957 rock hall launched a thousand careers, those of James Taylor and Tom Waits included. It’s still a great spot for catching tomorrow’s headliners and appeals to beer-drinking music aficionados that keep attitude to a minimum. Come early to snag a seat on the balcony or you’ll be standing all the way. Mondays are free. No age limit.
Temple Bar (Map; 310-393-6611; www.templebarlive.com; 1026 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica; 8pm-2am; ) This candlelit place scores high on the groove-meter for its unique Buddha-meets-beach decor and a crowd that defines the word eclectic. Same goes for the globe-spanning music, from edgy jazz to upbeat Latin and funky hip-hop.
Hotel Cafe (Map; 323-461-2040; www.hotelcafe.com; 1623-½ N Cahuenga Blvd; ) An anomaly on glittery Cahuenga Corridor, this recently enlarged but still intimate venue is the ‘it’ place for handmade music by message-minded singer-songwriters. Big names like Suzanne Vega and The Prom show up on occasion but most nights it’s more of a stepping stone for newbie balladeers. Get there early and enter from the alley.
Knitting Factory Hollywood (Map; 323-463-0204; 7021 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood) The lineup at this bastion of indie bands isn’t quite as out there as at the New York City mother club, but there’s still plenty of cool sounds to be enjoyed. Depending on the night, you’ll have long-haired hipsters, aging folkies or skinny-jean punks bopping their heads or thrashing to folk rock, goth funk or progressive jazz. Acoustics are it at the Alter-Knit Lounge. All ages.
Echo (Map; 213-413-8200; www.attheecho.com; 1822 W Sunset Blvd, near Silver Lake; ) Eastside hipsters hungry for an eclectic alchemy of sounds pack this funky-town dive that’s basically a sweaty bar with a stage and a smoking patio. It books indie bands and also has regular club nights, like Dub Club (dancehall and reggae) on Wednesday and Part-Time Punks (post-punk, mutant disco) on Sunday. Down below is the garage-size Echoplex (enter through the alley), with a lineup of promising upwardly mobile bands on Check Yo’ Ponytail nights.
Largo (Map; 323-852-1073; www.largo-la.com; 432 N Fairfax Ave, Mid-City; closed Sun) This close-knit supper club is much beloved by acoustic musicians and their audiences and has a strict no-chattering policy. The cabaret-style performances by Jon Brion (now on select Fridays) are legendary and always sell out. The only way to ensure you get in is to make dinner reservations; too bad the food’s mediocre. Also check for comedy nights. No age limit.
Vault 350 (Map; 888-808-2858; www.vault350.com; 350 Pine Ave, Long Beach; ) With venues like this, Long Beach is definitely moving up on the hipness scale. There ain’t a bad seat in the house and the booking policy is ace (Cypress Hill to Rx Bandits) in this converted 1927 bank building. With a capacity of 1000, it’s a fairly intimate space but usually gets seriously jammed.
Blue Cafe (Map; 562-983-7111; www.thebluecafe.com; 210 The Promenade, Long Beach; closed Mon) Punk, country, hip-hop, indie-rock – this beer-soaked all-comer tavern with a lively sidewalk terrace is one of the few Long Beach hangouts that keeps it real. The crowd is just as diverse and unpretentious, with MySpace hotties