People in L.A., need your suggestions

[bass_steak]

Hi all,

I'm planning a trip to L.A. in a couple of months and I would like to have your suggestions for music venues / clubs to go see bands (indie rock), cool places to eat and a nice reasonably priced hotel located so I don't have much commuting to do.

Forward thanks!

Mark

[noahw1]

Where in LA will you be? It's a giant sprawling suburb. Will you be in Hollywood? Santa Monica? Downtown?
One thing I can recommend is when you get here find an LA Weekly. They're free and having listings for music, art, etc etc. Its a great resource and you'll find out who's playing where.

[StyleOverShow]

Being an LA native, there is no way that you won't commute.

Having said that, places to hang and eat: Gladstones, Sunset Blvd and Pacific Coast Highway (Route 1), little pricey but sitting out on the deck looking over the Pacific is just plain nice; Venice Beach (from the I-405 SB, take Venice Blvd and head west) is a walk in the park on the weekend, with freaks and geeks strolling, rollerblading and gliding by on fixies of every imaginable ilk, Firehouse Grill on Rose/Main; Long Beach (further yest down the 405) has probably the best bar crawl for live music in the LA area with jazz and blues, and house music clubs all over the downtown area.

I guess you have to visit the Sunset Strip, although it is barely two blocks long and filled with people from Canada, (oops). Better yet is the Kodak Center at Highland and Hollywood Blvd with the (Gromans) Chinese Theatre (hand and footprints of the stars), the El Capitan and the Power House bar (one of my hwd haunts). These locales are about 15 miles inland and 20 degrees warmer on average than the coast. Los Balcones on Vine Street is just a few minutes from there, and around the corner from Amoeba Music, one of the best vinyl-CD stores anywhere, and is a fine Peruvian restaurant.

Mexican food is abundant as is Korean, Chinese, and the every present burger. I would suggest you try In-N-Out (there is one next to my store in Westwood near UCLA).

We visited your province a couple years back and it was great food and hospitable people. Hope you have half the fun we did in Montreal and Quebec.

PM me for more details...
-richard

[bass_steak]

Originally Posted by noahw1

Where in LA will you be? It's a giant sprawling suburb. Will you be in Hollywood? Santa Monica? Downtown?
One thing I can recommend is when you get here find an LA Weekly. They're free and having listings for music, art, etc etc. Its a great resource and you'll find out who's playing where.

I will basically be wherever people will recommend me to be lol. I don't know anyone there so me and the girlfriend will be staying at the hotel most people will recommend.

[mpdd]

three of clubs, silverlake lounge, spaceland, show cave, hm 157, the scene, the echo

[bass_steak]

Originally Posted by StyleOverShow

Being an LA native, there is no way that you won't commute.

Having said that, places to hang and eat: Gladstones, Sunset Blvd and Pacific Coast Highway (Route 1), little pricey but sitting out on the deck looking over the Pacific is just plain nice; Venice Beach (from the I-405 SB, take Venice Blvd and head west) is a walk in the park on the weekend, with freaks and geeks strolling, rollerblading and gliding by on fixies of every imaginable ilk, Firehouse Grill on Rose/Main; Long Beach (further yest down the 405) has probably the best bar crawl for live music in the LA area with jazz and blues, and house music clubs all over the downtown area.

I guess you have to visit the Sunset Strip, although it is barely two blocks long and filled with people from Canada, (oops). Better yet is the Kodak Center at Highland and Hollywood Blvd with the (Gromans) Chinese Theatre (hand and footprints of the stars), the El Capitan and the Power House bar (one of my hwd haunts). These locales are about 15 miles inland and 20 degrees warmer on average than the coast. Los Balcones on Vine Street is just a few minutes from there, and around the corner from Amoeba Music, one of the best vinyl-CD stores anywhere, and is a fine Peruvian restaurant.

Mexican food is abundant as is Korean, Chinese, and the every present burger. I would suggest you try In-N-Out (there is one next to my store in Westwood near UCLA).

We visited your province a couple years back and it was great food and hospitable people. Hope you have half the fun we did in Montreal and Quebec.

PM me for more details...
-richard

Thanks for the pointers Richard.

Yeah I know I'll have to commute to a certain extent but I'd like to find a hotel that's strategically located so I'm reasonably near of the places people will suggest.

Like I said, I'd like to go and see some indie rock bands, known or not in some cool venues, maybe even attend a jam night and get up on stage if I ever decide to lug my bass around as I'm a lefty. Oh are there any good stores with lot's of lefty basses?

Mostly, I don't necessarily want the typical tourist run of the mill, tourist traps and stuff. I wanna experience L.A., music scene wise and food wise, the way the local musicians do.

Cool to hear you were here and glad to know you guys enjoyed yourselves and the food.

[cyprus]

Originally Posted by StyleOverShow

I would suggest you try In-N-Out (there is one next to my store in Westwood near UCLA).

Big +1 for In-N-Out. I've been eating there since before I was born and its still every bit amazing as when I was a kid. Another favorite of mine is the original Tommy's over on Rampart. They're open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and have the greatest food imaginable at 2 in the morning when you're dead tired and just getting out of a show.

[mpdd]

ariel pink's birthday party is on friday, june 24th and fancy space people are playing too

(they are playing at slayer's space in huntington park)

i'll be photographing the fancy space people (don bolles and nora keys band)

[BigOldHarry]

You know, I'd suggest you avoid the Sunset area altogether. It's mostly a tourist trap.

Santa Monica has clubs / eating & the ocean, and is close to Venice, etc. Lots of music, some good music stores (McCabes / TrueTone) and if you MUST get on the 10, you can.

[whyseye]

For bands, Los Feliz / Silverlake / East Hollywood has a good local scene, and some good eateries, mostly reasonably priced. It's near downtown and Hollywood, and while it's a bit...gritty, you can catch a lot of local color and music.

For the LA experience, although it's a tourist trap, a trip to Venice Beach is always interesting, and a day going up or down the coast (by foot, bike, or car) will guarantee lots of food, drink, and crazy people watching opportunities. If you are driving, going up the coast to Santa Monica and Malibu will give you the upscale beach life, or south into Manhattan Beach for a more frat-party atmosphere are nearby options.

There's lots of nice hiking trails in the Santa Monica Mountains that offer spectacular views of the city, the San Fernando Valley, and the ocean.

That's the first stuff that comes mind. So much to consider!

[nixdad]

I'd check out the Baked Potato as well. Not Indy, but you'll see some of the best musicians in the L.A. area. Check their calendar for the talent.

[WJGreer]

Originally Posted by nixdad

I'd check out the Baked Potato as well. Not Indy, but you'll see some of the best musicians in the L.A. area. Check their calendar for the talent.

Since I am sitting here in Denver with no immediate plans to come to LA, the thought of checking the Baked Potato calendar sounded like a monumental waste of time to me.

But I did it anyway.

OMG.

In June alone, you could walk in there and see Brian Beller, Hadrien Feraud, Jimmy Earl, Alexis Sklarevski, Alex Machacek, Scott Kinsey, Mitch Foreman, and the list goes on.

Are you kidding me? What a joint - just when I thought we were developing a decent scene around here.