Your picks for the most rocking rooms in the country, 25 Jul 2006, Nashville, Tennessee, USA --- Located in downtown Nashville, Ryman Auditorium is the mother church of country music. 325 Glendale Blvd., Echo Park, www.pehrspace.org.
Co-owned by legendary producer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Lou Adler, and co-owned and operated by his son Nic, the club has attracted vital artists in their infancy and at their peak. — Gary Fukushima, Nick Cave at the Shrine Auditorium; Credit: Photo by Timothy Norris, Built in 1926, the Shrine's Moorish Revival architectural style makes it an L.A. landmark.
But once inside the intimate, brick-walled space, you can tell you've found something special. The venue's frequent goth, industrial, EBM and underground dance music bookings are no surprise, given the ownership’s prior background with Das Bunker. With terrific sound and generally attentive audiences, Hotel Café attracts a consistently stellar mix of up-and-comers and nationally touring acts who are usually way, way underplaying out of loyalty to a place that, likely as not, gave them a shot when they were just starting out. Even more important, acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota’s sound design makes it possible to distinctly hear every subtle nuance when the house band, the L.A. Philharmonic, plays a symphony. Recent star-studded tributes to David Lynch and Allen Ginsberg and multi-night stands from Belle & Sebastian and Jeff Tweedy have all lived up to the seated venue's gorgeous, restored, 1920s decor. (Fun fact: the club scene in 1992's The Bodyguard was filmed here.) There's loads of parking available on Sunset Boulevard, so don't pay for valet unless you're late for a gig. — Andy Hermann, The Deadly Syndrome performing at the Viper Room; Credit: Photo by Timothy Norris, Catching a show at the Viper Room is part of the quintessential Sunset Strip experience, with a mystique that largely stems from the venue’s history.
— Jason Roche, Whether you walk down the alleyway on Glendale Boulevard or downstairs from the Echo, entering the Echoplex is a reminder of the venue’s devotion to subterranean sounds. Most artists who get signed by major labels are strong, live performers, many who have established popular local followings. 301 S. Garey Ave., Pomona, www.foxpomona.com. 4 Perks Of Taking A Cannabis Tolerance Break, The Ultimate Guide to CBD and Seniors With Arthritis, Sublingual CBD: How To Consume CBD Most Effectively, Alex's Bar Celebrates 15 Years of Punk-Rock Insanity, L.A.'s Best Club for Underground Music Is in Glendale, The Regent Joins Downtown L.A.'s Live-Music Boom, The Smell: DIY Club Tries to Keep It Real (PHOTOS), My Epic, Three-Hour Journey From Santa Monica to the Hollywood Bowl, Why CDs May Actually Sound Better Than Vinyl, 3 Simple Ways To Practice Self-Care Throughout Your Day, Scenes from the All Black Lives Matter March, Councilman Herb Wesson on What Replacing LAPD in Non-Emergencies Would Mean, LAUSD Board Votes Against Defunding School Police, Beaches Closed, Firework Shows Banned for Independence Day, L.A. Public Health Explains Why Bars had to be Closed. — Philip Cosores, With its rippling layers of metal wrapped like billowing silver sails around a warmer, wooden interior, Frank Gehry’s design for Disney Concert Hall remains one of the L.A.’s most striking architectural achievements. Thankfully, they haven’t hauled Pappy & Harriet's off to D.C. yet, and this dust-blown desert roadhouse continues to host a genuinely eclectic mix of nationally touring acts and local upstarts.
This iconic spot keeps some necessary grit on the increasingly bourgie Sunset Strip and, not unlike like the wrinkled rockers buying booze at Gil Turner's up the block, reminds us we haven't lived nearly as hard as we'd like to think. Head south of Olympic to save a few bucks, or just take the subway to the 7th Street Metro Station and enjoy a 10-minute walk.