MARY WISNIEWSKI
A&E Assistant
Freshman Michelle Howell said she likes to hear bands perform live, to be with friends as well as to get off campus.
“Music is part of my life,” she said. “I always have something playing.” Senior Angie Brij also aid she enjoys listening to live music because “live shows have a social aspect and provide a different scene,” she said.
For students like Brij and Howell, it is not a difficult task to find a concert venue while living in and around the suburbs of Los Angeles, a city that is a mecca for music.
The challenge instead is finding a concert venue that is smaller, lesser known yet maintains a funky and unique atmosphere and good music.
For those who enjoy live music, here are a few concert venues that offer artist performances for all styles of music in an intimate setting that may have gotten lost in the shuffle of bigger concert venues.
Anarchy Library
13250 Woodruff Ave, Downey, CA 90242
(562) 803-9134
If punk music is your style, the Anarchy Library is the place to be. In 2004, the Los Angeles Times dubbed the Anarchy Library as the best punk rock venue.
Besides being a punk rock venue, bartender Deana Ahlrich said the Anarchy Library is a unique place because of the live bands and interior decorations. The inside is painted black with stickers everywhere, as well as posters of older bands hanging on the walls, creating an atmosphere of nostalgic flair. There is also a pool table as well as a dartboard and jukebox.
“The Anarchy Library allows local bands to get a shot at performing,” Ahlrich said. The booking policy allows unknown bands to play and provides a comfortable vibe.
“There are no hassles,” Ahlrich said. “We’re not huge, but not too small. We hold 100.”
The Anarchy Library caters to all sorts of music that include metal Mondays, punk, blues and reggae. In the past, such bands as The Bronx, the Hunns, The Dickies and The Dwarves have performed. Generally, shows cost $5 to $10.
Troubadour
9081 Santa Monica Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 276-1158
Employee for three and a half years Juli Cotta said the Troubadour has played a little bit of everything. It opened 1957.
“It’s unique in its history and booking standards,” Cotta said. “We get the best artists.” Giant Drag, Rodney Crowell and Matt Costa are just a few of the artists that will be performing for the rest of January.
Pepperdine junior Cathy Vu said the Troubadour is “cool looking,” but has no seats and is very small.
Cotta said the Troubadour gets more of a mellow crowd and is open to ages under 21 unless otherwise indicated. Vu said the venue generates a mixed crowd.
“It’s a mixture of different ages,” she said. “Some are there for the band, and some are just there for the fun.”
The Pitcher House
142 Pacific Coast Highway
Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
(310) 374-0626
Back in 1947, The Pitcher House had no signs outside to advertise for business. According to the bartender of 12 years Celeste Carbone, the original owner only wanted customers who already knew of its existence and did not want to do any kind of promotion.
“The owner thought if you didn’t know about it, he didn’t want you there,” she said.
The Pitcher House has evolved from those days and now advertises its establishment in green, red and yellow. It has live music with various artists on the weekends and karaoke Wednesdays, Carbone said.
The walls are decorated with various items ranging from license plates to car parts that past clients have donated for a drink. “These days the clientele varies,” Carbone said.
“We have all kinds of people from age 21 to 50 and a couple of 80 year olds too,” she said.
The Vault 350
350 Pine Ave
Long Beach, CA 90802
(888) 80-VAULT
At the Vault 350, patrons are never more than 55 feet away from the stage, and the venue holds 1,000 people, said employee Ryan Rivas.
“It has a versatile design going from concert to club,” Rivas said. “DJs will also spin for some shows.”
The Vault 350, like the other concert venues mentioned, likes to have a wide variety of music ranging from country to jazz to old school.
“We try to mix it up a lot,” Rivas said. However, the Vault 350 mostly caters to the hip hop and R&B crowd, he said.
Later this month, performers include Keysha Cole, Ozomatli, Tower of Power and Van Zant. “It’s a mixture of old and young,” Rivas said.
Westchester Sports Grill
5630 W. Manchester Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 670-2366
What sets Westchester Bar and Grill apart from many other establishments is its nice atmosphere, said bartender Camille Oribio.
“The workers have a good rapport with the customers,” she said.
Also, unlike many places in Los Angeles, the parking is free.
Inside, the restaurant has 15 televisions, two big screens as well as a dance floor and stage amongst a background of many sport decorations.
Normally it is a 21 and up venue, hosting a wide variety of music including rock, blues, soul, latin, salsa, ambient, hip-hop, metal, hardcore, punk, country, rockabilly, swing, jazz and surf. However, some nights are open to 18 and up too, depending on the band that is performing.
The Vault 350
350 Pine Ave
Long Beach, CA 90802
At the Vault 350, patrons are never more than 55 feet away from the stage, and the venue holds 1,000 people, said employee Ryan Rivas.
“It has a versatile design going from concert to club,” Rivas said. “DJs will also spin for some shows.”
The Vault 350, like the other concert venues mentioned, likes to have a wide variety of music ranging from country to jazz to old school.
“We try to mix it up a lot,” Rivas said. However, the Vault 350 mostly caters to the hip hop and R&B crowd, he said.
Later this month, performers include Keysha Cole, Ozomatli, Tower of Power and Van Zant.
“It’s a mixture of old and young,” Rivas said.
01-19-2006
