Best Concert Venue in LA

[luckyface]

I am relatively new to the area, so I have limited experience here. Seeing how a good portion of the board is situated around the LA area, I thought this would be a good question to ask.

What is your favorite concert venue in the LA area? And why?

I have been to about 5 or 6 different venues out here, and my favorite has been the El Rey Theatre. I love the layout, parking isn't bad, easy to see the stage from most places, and it always sounds great in there. Pantages is a close second, but it doesn't host many concerts, so I don't know if it counts.

[psychic friend]

for el rey size they are the best, and also the henry fonda theater and the vanguard for electronic

take it down a notch in size and I say the Troubadour.. spaceland... the echo.

take it up in size, i say avalon

lets go bigger, palladium, shrine, santa monica civic, wiltern

bigger, gibson amphitheater, greek theater

bigger, verizon wireless

bigger, hollywood bowl

[Omar1]

and if you cleaned it up a little The Glasshouse.

[suprefan]

House of Blues is well House of Blues. The Roxy is cool if a good band plays there. Troubadour for sure a great place to see bands. Chain Reaction also if you dont mind the drive to OC and a band you want to see is playing there and its sold out, cause it sucks there when its half full. The Echo and Spaceland are great to catch the local buzz band or the new import band thats just playing there. Knitting Factory too. I like the venues in SF a lil more than L.A. just cause of security but other than that we are lucky to have so many choices.

[bballarl]

This message brought to you by Psychic Friend. Your source for LA concert information.

[vinylmartyr]

The answer is the World Famous Hollywood Palladium.

[bballarl]

No, the answer is the Troubadour.

[AEversW]

The Palladium and Greek are my favorites.

[full.on.idle]

The Hollywood Bowl nearly took my life with its requisite climbing.

The staff at the Glasshouse are fine upstanding peoples that will return your wallet to you if you drop it on the floor.

[ThomThom]

The Bowl, The Greek, The Palladium, and The Troubadour.

[MusicIsMyBoyfriend]

Troubador
El Rey
Fonda
Avalon
HOB Sunset
Wiltern
Gibson

My faves, Gibson only if you can get pit though, anything bigger than that is too big for me. I like to be close.

[Courtney]

Anywhere that I can walk to from my house.

[fober]

Wiltern and the Fonda I enjoy.

[suprefan]

Troubador
El Rey
Fonda
Avalon
HOB Sunset
Wiltern
Gibson

My faves, Gibson only if you can get pit though, anything bigger than that is too big for me. I like to be close.

Well Snow Patrol is playing at the Greek in July, so guess you gotta deal with that right?

[mountmccabe]

My ranking, on limited experience:

1. Troubadour
2. Henry Fonda
3. Knitting Factory
4. El Rey
5. Greek Theatre
6. House of Blues
7. Hollywood Palladium
8. Wiltern (seats, several spots better if pit)

And for Phoenix, cause no one asked
(Defunct places left off the list)

1. Modified
2. Rhythm Room
3. Big Fish Pub
4. Hollywood Alley
5. Clubhouse
6. Trunk Space
7. Paper Heart
8. Brickhouse
9. Mesa Amphitheatre
10. Marquee
11. Anderson's Fifth Estate
12. Martini Ranch
13. Celebrity Theatre
14. Dodge Theater
15. Cajun House
16. Cricket Pavillion
17. Basketball/Hockey/Football arenas.

[Boourns]

My faves:
Troubadour (the best)
Orpheum (gorgeous theater)
Wiltern (pretty cool, the pit-wristband situation can be a good thing when going solo)
Hollywood Bowl (legendary and always great shows every year)

The Greek is also nice, but then again, it is an uphill mile from the closest bus stop and parking is disgusting.

My only problem with the Henry Fonda is that they put a rail between the crowd and the stage, unlike the Troubadour, and according to Emily Haines, and El Rey (I've never been).

Viper Room was unremarkable, but I loved how there was no way to exit the stage besides walk into the crowd, which made it possible for me to fall all over Emily Haines.

Avalon seemed pretty cool, but I've only been there once, and just ran straight from the door to the rail.

I've wanted to see maybe 4 acts at the HOB Sunset since I moved to LA 4 and a half years ago, and never actually saw any of them. Disgraceful. What's with all the venues on the Sunset strip always getting all the shitty acts?

Universal...sorry, I still refuse to call it Gibson is okay, but very unfortunately located in the middle of an overly-trafficked tourist trap.

Long Beach Arena was just another arena. *shrugs*

Club 1650 was pretty sweet.

[dorkfish]

Troubadour.

[Courtney]

THE ECHO THE ECHO THE ECHO

Hotel Cafe
The Troub
Disney Concert Hall
Hollywood Bowl
Spaceland
The Greek
Silverlake Lounge


The hate list:
The Roxy
The House of Blues
pretty much anything on Sunset Strip
Gibson Amphitheater

[vinylmartyr]

If people would shut the fuck up it would be the Hollywood Bowl in a landslide.

[gloanova]

[AEversW]

If people would shut the fuck up it would be the Hollywood Bowl in a landslide.

i saw the LA Philharmonic play Gustav Holst's The Planets there....It was amazing.

[vinylmartyr]

I have been to many shows there and people get drunk and talk loud. It sucks.

[tessalasset]

troub

[AEversW]

I have been to many shows there and people get drunk and talk loud. It sucks.

hrmm i didnt have that problem...that has been my only trip to the bowl. I was in the second Row right in the middle i had great seats.

[bmack86]

Troubadour is my favorite, but Spaceland and the Echo are awesome in their limited size. The El Rey has some really great shows, and I like how well it cleaned up. I've enjoyed the Hollywood bowl shows I've been to, but I'd agree that people there are overly loud. Also, you have to pay for parking there and the Greek, and they do stack parking, which is a pain in the ass. The Henry Fonda annoys me; I don't like the room setup, and it seems like it can't decide whether it wants to be a large venue or not. The Avalon has amazing sound, but feels much too impersonal to me for the bands that they book. The Wiltern is a nice place; Big, but I like the sound quality there, and I've seen some awesome shows there as well. I try to avoid the Roxy at all costs because of the drink minimum; I already bought tickets, don't force me to buy alcohol.

[tessalasset]

the best parking for hollywood bowl is in the hollywood and highland center. its $2.00 for 4 hours if you get a validation. i just go into the sanrio store and buy a pencil and voila. its a nice walk when you're not in a hurry, too. but yeah thats where i always go. still gotta figure out the greek and the fonda's parking sitch, and then i'm set.

[AEversW]

the best parking for hollywood bowl is in the hollywood and highland center. its $2.00 for 4 hours if you get a validation. i just go into the sanrio store and buy a pencil and voila. its a nice walk when you're not in a hurry, too. but yeah thats where i always go. still gotta figure out the greek and the fonda's parking sitch, and then i'm set.

the greek was rather easy last time i was there. I parked in a field about 500 feet from the entrance. getting out was easy too.

[bmack86]

I've heard that there's usually parking on Gower for the Fonda

[luckyface]

the greek was rather easy last time i was there. I parked in a field about 500 feet from the entrance. getting out was easy too.

I was lucky to pull that off for Bloc Party/BSS. But wow, I was caught in the middle of the shitstorm for Tori. Never again do I want to deal with that.

[bballarl]

I like parking illegally in order to accumulate parking tickets.