While the loudest and most advertised concerts in Los Angeles will probably be held in the Hollywood Bowl or the Staples Center, the city offers a more fine-grained perspective on live music you won’t see advertised on the freeway.
Beyond the typical stadium experience, smaller venues such as the Whisky A Go-Go, the Roxy, the House of Blues and the Troubadour are key stomping grounds for bands from all levels of fame to play live concerts to an intimate group of die-hard fans. The capacity for most club concerts is often about 700 people or less.
“The Hollywood Bowl may give you a more comfortable experience because you have a seat and you don’t have to worry about losing your place, but I prefer the House of Blues because it’s a lot more friendly and inviting, and you get really close to whatever musical act you’re there to see,” said Mauro Fernandez, a third-year sociology student. “There’s food there, there’s a small-sized area, and if you want to get to the front you can ““ you just have to be rude to get there ““ but you can. And, you can dance around with other people really easily.”
Often there is no barrier between the stage and the crowd. Stuti Desai, a third-year sociology student, has found that the close proximity can add to the concert experience.
“The Roxy was cool,” Desai said. “It was smallish so it was neat not to be in a huge venue. And, I was right at the front ““ I almost got hit by (Rooney singer Robert Schwartzman’s) guitar a few times actually, and the lead singer of Everybody Else fell on me.”
The intimate setting is not only a draw for fans.
Big-name bands who miss that close interaction with their audience book shows at small Los Angeles clubs even though they could be playing bigger arenas.
Up-and-coming acts are also easy to catch at these places, and watching the lesser-known acts often comes at a reduced ticket price.
But, if you want the Los Angeles concert experience, be prepared to battle die-hard fans. Due to the small size of the venues, fans line up hours before the show ““ even though they bought tickets the day the concert went on sale.
And because the venues are small, the audience is usually made up of a band’s biggest fans, which lends excitement to the atmosphere. Some fans are even willing to shed a little sweat and tears ““ and in some cases blood ““ to get in the smaller venues.
“My friend was supposed to have tickets on reserve for RX Bandits at the Roxy, but there was a mistake, and we ended up not having tickets to the sold-out show,” said Nikki Magdaleno, a third-year psychology student. “Luckily, my nose started to bleed profusely all over the ticket window, so they let us in to use the bathroom. We stayed inside for the rest of the concert. It was an amazing show.”