Los Angeles is full of artists and performers. The newbies are doing everything they can to get seen and be heard. The pros are making their rounds to make that money. What that means for the city is a lot of entertainment opportunities…if we know we know where to look for it.
The following venues are some of the best places to see live music in Los Angeles.
1. The Hotel Cafe
The Hotel Cafe is a longstanding music venue that’s really popular with up and coming performers. There are two different stages in the intimate venue, which means plenty of opportunities to see some great artists do their thing. There’s also a full bar. Of course.
2. The Roxy
It feels pretty rockstar to even say The Roxy out loud. Right? We think so. The West Hollywood nightclub and performance venue opened in 1973 and kicked things off with three nights of Neil Young. It’s still one of the best places to discover the next big thing in music. P.S… the venue participates in AEG 1EARTH, AEG’s corporate environmental sustainability program. It’s a lot of wins for one spot.
3. The Sayers Club
The Sayers Club is an SBE-owned lounge with regular live music performances. If you prefer flatbread and fancy cocktails with your music experience, this might the spot for you.
1645 Wilcox Ave
4. The Mint
The Mint is cool retro vibes all the way, which makes sense since the venue has been there since 1937. They also serve tasty food like Philly cheesesteak and tacos.
5. The Troubadour
The Troubadour’s history is nuts. It’s been the stage of debut performances from artists like Neil Young, Elton John, and Joni Mitchell. The Eagles’ Don Henley and Glenn Frey met there. Even Cheech and Chong were discovered there. We could go on all day.
6. The Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is an outdoor amphitheater that’s been in business since 1922. Besides huge touring acts this is also the spot to see the L.A. Philharmonic and shows accompanied by fireworks. Grab a picnic and make a night of it.
7. The Fonda Theater
The 1920’s venue fits 1,200 people in its Spanish Colonial Revival style structure. See endless up and coming artists as well as established acts.
8. The Theater at the Ace Hotel
The Theater at the Ace Hotel is a Spanish Gothic-style theater from 1927, that was more recently restored. They house the Pop-Up Magazine shows and RuPaul’s Drag Race live show in addition to a variety of different concerts.
9. The Echo
The Echo is located in…Echo Park, of course. It’s a music venue and a nightclub so show up in your dancing shoes. This also means that most of the space is standing room only, but the fun, intimate performances are worth it.
1822 Sunset Blvd
10. The Forum
If you’re looking for a big production concert like Ariana Grande or the Jonas Brothers, The Forum delivers. The Inglewood-based venue is actually part of the Madison Square Garden Family. So…major.
11. The Novo
The Novo is located in downtown Los Angeles at L.A. Live. It’s booked by Goldenvoice, (the same people who do Coachella), and the venue fits about 2,300 people.
12. The Palladium
Hollywood’s Art Deco Palladium was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. It’s a big one, there are multiple levels and 4,000 fit on the floor level alone.
13. The Greek
The Greek theater is a 5,870-seat music venue located inside L.A.’s Griffith Park. It’s one of the more popular spots for sitting under the stars to enjoy those shows.
14. The Wiltern
The Wiltern hosts as many comedy shows and q&a’s as it does concerts. Like many other venues on the list, the Wiltern has been around since the 1930s and was actually a flagship location for the Warner Brothers Western Theater chain.
15. The Orpheum
The Orpheum is home to many an shoots for performance shows like American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. But it also dates back to Judy Garland doing her Vaudeville thing in 1933. Check their events calendar for consistently interesting live performances.
Let us know if you have any other favorite places to see live music in Los Angeles.
