My son is in a band and recently played a show at The Paramount in LA, so this was my first time…read morechecking the place out. Such a cool spot for live music. The place was lively and had a great atmosphere. They have a nice selection of beers, and there's a pizza spot right next door, which is a huge plus. You can grab some food and take your drinks inside while enjoying the show. I was also really impressed with the sound quality. Everything came through clear and the venue has a great setup for live bands. Between the music, drinks, pizza, and overall vibe, we had a great time. Definitely a cool LA music spot. I'd come back again, especially to catch another live band!

We were mostly an older audience 40-80's and no seating! People walked away. We were in line on a…read moredirty street dodging a couple of rats. Si, ratones! We were on time at 7pm but the doors opened a half hour later. The show didn't start until close to 9. WTF Love Olas Perdidas, but this venue nos perdio. I heard complaints of bad knees, feet and backs. No coming back here again. Sound system sucked. Such a great band.

I took my daughters to see Em Beihold at the Troubadour... it was the first time seeing a…read moreperformance there, and my first time as well. It is a great intimate venue with lots of history and great sound. We parked about a half mile away and a public lot by the West Hollywood library, parking was only 12 bucks and it was a nice short walk to the venue and no traffic getting g out when we left the show. The event was sold out, and we got there right when doors opened. The line out front was not too long and security kept everybody moving really quick. Full bar and food inside. The main room is tiny, so anywhere you stand you will have a great view of the performers. I definitely plan to come back to see another show here, wish I had caught shows here in the past... Great venue.

The experience was everything but the service was horrible!…read more So after standing outside for 45mins my baby and I finally got to go inside. We thought we were so lucky by standing by the stage but then one of the workers tells us we need to move because it was cleary handicap and we did. The manager a female came to yell at me and my son along with a father who was there with his autistic son and a young lady visiting from Nashville. We were told that once show starts and no one uses space we can return to our spots. Opener came on and we moved to our spaces but then we were told only four guests had permission to stand in those areas. A lady who had shown up with her babe and the father and son. The lady got loud with me as if she was there prior to my son and I, like lady it is not that serious and I have a child! Other than the terrible experience with customer service it was an epic show. Blake Whiten even handed my son a guitar pick he used which was super awesome for his first experience at a concert!

Strong drinks, dim lights, and the best new artists!…read more Its been almost 20 years since I first went to a Hotel Cafe, before they had the second stage (which is a great room), when they still had a parking structure in back. It was all a foreign concept to me. Booking three or four or five acts in one night, charging you admission only once based on which act you came in for and most of the time if you came to the first you could stay through the 5th, or as most did, they came to see who they intended to see and maybe saw some of the act that was after and then went out to Hollywood to get some eats with their friends. Hotel Cafe is going away in 2026, but it is not gone, they will just be moving from their iconic Hollywood location, that small room that barely held 150, a small stage in the corner, a few low tables and a bar in the back to a new location in Los Angeles. It is the place where the singer-songwriter movement of the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s hard launched a revival. It's like what the Troubadour was to the Laurel Canyon singers in the 1970s. Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson, Greg Laswell, Priscilla Ahn, Meiko, Cary Brothers and many others. Adele even played here before her first album released in the US. I saw Sara Bareilles here once and she left everyone in tears after her song and bolted out the back door. I went to the front of the house and her family were blowing out the last of the signed copies her tour posters for only $10 since it was the last show of her tour. I bought a few. I have come here to see a friend like Big Phony sing, and then exit into the back room/lobby and see Hollywood stars entering to see their friend who would be singing next. It's that kind of local spot. The sound was always great and the drinks were well crafted and strong. I recently saw Priscilla Ahn sing here again and it brought back memories of the first time I saw her here, when she only had a 5 track EP CD. When she sang Dream again this year, it felt like everything had come full circle, since that first CD released 20 years ago. I cannot wait to see what the new building looks like, but a huge part of me, like for everyone else that has been here, will miss that little room in the back of the alley, where young dreamers became singers, where singers became stars.

We got to go to the SoCal Sound's Women Crush Wednesday concert to benefit the best radio station…read morein the LA area. The tickets were very reasonably at only $36 per person. Glad we got there when they opened so we could snag seats. There were only about 25 seats with standing room behind. There is a bar. It was very dark inside. And the guitars were mixed TOO LOUD! But the concert was fabulous and ran for 3 hours.

This is my first visit here, and I came to see Pearl and the Oysters, one of my favorite bands…read more It's very old place but well taken care of. It used to be a Masonic Lodge, but now it's taken care of and used as a music performance stage. There are two ways of getting in, but the one in the back is used for guest list invite and people who will call their tickets to a concert. I did Wilco, so I ended up in the alleyway behind the building. It didn't take long for me to go in, and meet up with an individual with a computer who checked me in. They do a short bag check and you're pretty much up the stairs to the left, wear your band might have a merch stand going up. When you walk into the hall, there's a bar in the center of the back of the room. They seem to have everything you could want to make a good drink. The place can fit it as many as 500 people. Last night when I went, there was about 3 to 400. The band I went to see is really good and I really enjoyed my time there. I can't wait to see which one of my favorite bands ends up playing there again. For me, it was a very short walk to the metro station, just a block away. There are a lot of good places to go eat and drink before you get there. The only thing I didn't like about the place but I can get over it quick is the fact that they didn't have anywhere to sit. So wear comfortable shoes when you visit.

Went here for LOTUS JUICE's PLAYER ONE TOUR and it's a great and intimate venue for a concert…read more There's paid parking lots, metered parking, and if you're brave you can get free street parking! Just make sure to read the signs. My friend and I were here for Ultra VIP and the sound check and other activities were around 4:15 PM. We got there a bit earlier and I'm glad at that time, the entrance is at the side, so the building provides shade over the waiting area and there was a gentle breeze too which was nice. Staff is very friendly, helpful and assistance. We had to transfer tickets over and it was as simple as a super short, brief explanation to staff/provided the ticket owner's name and it was all good. None of that BS from larger venues or if we had to deal with a QR code or crazy ticketing system. Huge relief. Thank you for being independent! We got VIP wristbands and they also card you for a wrist band if you want to order alcohol since there's a bar in the back. The concert area is upstairs and it's neat that it's historically a masonic lodge too. Neat door like backdrop to the stage and the historic wooden feel to it is nice too. Restrooms are a bit small, so it can get gross after a show, but we went beforehand so no issues for us. Free water throughout and trashcans everywhere too. Love that logistical planning. There's food and apparently an adjacent restaurant, we didn't get a chance to go, but it smelled good when we were leaving. Lights were a bit glaring but was adjusted and changed throughout the concert versus when it was on for sound check, just adjust the lighting settings on your phone. Good acoustics and sound quality, it got a bit warm at times, but not horrible, so AC is quite strong here. Wouldn't mind coming back here for another show!

We showed up here for the first time last night to see an Oakland band we love play their first LA…read moreshow. Walking into the venue (which must be entered from a remote back alley) people just outside said to us "you're walking into a WEIRD vibe". We thought that meant "punk", and we weren't completely wrong- but we were promptly informed the lead singer of the first band had dislocated her knee and torn her ACL on the stage- it is not known whether the stage caused this but most said the singer was not doing anything crazy in terms of movement. The ambulance was called, and the people in charge were managing the situation to the absolute best of their ability but that poor lead singer was on stage incapacitated with people all around her giving her conflicting advice. This poor thing. They moved all the bands down to the floor level after the first band in order to mitigate the situation. There were some massive sound quality issues, the lights stayed on for the entirety our out-of-town friends set, which they still played like champions- the closing band even had the guys in charge of wandering on the stages behind them and even onto the stage with them, mid-set- (to fix issues I'm sure). I just felt so bad for everyone involved: the injured band, the fans who paid and had to wait a long time through delays, the bands that played after the incident (the band we saw had the lights on the entire set too), and the crew running the show who were clearly just doing their best given the circumstances. I will say it was a calm intimate venue when it all went down- everyone was trying to help, just a crazy first impression of The Smell for us.

The venue has always been marketed by word of mouth, and has always seemed like an exclusive place…read moreto find new artists. My impression from this was that the venue was somewhat better kept than what it was. I had a wonderful time seeing my friend's band perform, and they were absolutely fantastic. They delivered an amazing show, despite sound issues that persisted here and there throughout their set. The community the place brought out and together was also great and a huge plus to the whole night. But the thing that I cannot get over is how absolutely gross this venue is... I was so grossed out that it's actually the reason I had to write a review. I just took a shower, cleaned all the clothes I was wearing while there, and I still can't shake how gross I feel! I think the venue is a great size, great layout, great potential for the atmosphere... and hey, I get that it's summer and it's hot and all, but it was so damn hot, I took my shirt off, stripped only to my bra, and I could barely ignore the heat while trying to enjoy my friend's performance. People were moshing, as this was a punk show, and sweat droplets were flying everywhere.... I mean, it almost felt like I was standing in a shower (gag). Because of this, the whole place ended up just... smelling. Which, I guess, at least they weren't kidding with that name! You'll come across a lot of different smells in your time there, and leave with some new ones of your own (double gag). The bathrooms were... I'm sorry but just absolutely gross. I've seen a few other reviews saying it smells like urine outside... maybe cause it's more desirable to do your business in the alleyway than the bathrooms. There was a roach in one :( I enjoyed a lot about the venue, and I love the community that it attracts, but come on... can we keep it cleaner? And at least cool enough that people don't nearly faint from the lack of air flow? I'm so completely baffled at how this place seems so exclusive in terms of the artists it showcases, and then the venue itself is just genuinely nasty.

This was the last stop in a night where Conrad and I stepped out to LA to have a good time. So by…read morethe time I got there I was tipsy. I was not falling down the stairs, nor was I slurring my words, nor was I misaligning my pool shots, but I was definetely feeling the good inside my blood. I note this, not to highlight my cool factor as if I was a frat bro in a Florida party school, but more to describe how my experience was fogged by my consumption. This place was definetely a hot spot to hit, but I just will not be able to descrbie everything with speicifc detail, more, broad strokes of a good time. The place is reached by going down a flight of stairs, which feels like one is going to catch the J line in New York. I think I felt this more because of the Spring St sign- a famous stop in NY, NY. As soon, I got there, the goal was to continue the good time and this place allowed that at a reasonable price. They had these can drinks that I really responded and they were only 7 dollars. Ok, I know that saying something is only 7 dollars in this economy can seem out of touch. But a drink in LA most of the time will run you at least 12 to 16 dollars, and I think it is mostly on the 16 side. So finding a 7 dollar drink in a hot spot is refreshing. It was a Suncruiser- a vodka spirit based drink- that was part of their specials for their night. maybe is more expensive on other nights when it is not on special? After the drink Conrand and I stepped into their floor. It was the first time we were there and it is basically a basement game room on whatever it is that Bane takes to make himself go from puny human to muscle-on-muscle-on-muscle villain. There is a lot of pool tables maybe like 5, and I saw ping pong, and other table games. Additionally, instead of a speaker or a recorder- the one's that spin old timey records- there was a band. I took a short video of the band but I could not tell you if this band was good or bad or their name or their style of music. I was partly present, and I just heard the music, I did not appreciate the performers. It happens. So Conrad and I play all the time together. And I saw a guy playing by himself. We quickly introduced oursevles and then we played pool. Here is the thing that I am happy to write about this place. Unline a regular bar with a pool table, where every one knows your name, this place had the opportunity to meet new people. And I enjoyed playing with this guy. He was a new challenge. He had fresh stories. And he offered a view of the world I enjoyed. So this place offers the opportunity to meet new people over a game of pool. If pool is your thing than this place will make you happy an if pool is your way of meeting new folks then this place will make you happy and give you opportunities to find the folks you imagine you need in your life. In the final analysis, I want to go here again, and experience the place more broadly. Not sure if I will write a new Yelp, because even though I bared bone this one, it still gives the primary messages I want to. And to the guy who I played with thanks for having a good time with me, even if it was short. And sometimes, short, can be just enough.

Band AMAZING Drinks Good…read morePo boy 2/10 I was given my poboy on stale/hard bread. As a cook, how did you not take enough pride into what you're serving people to not notice? After picking thru it because I was hungry, I spoke to an manager and he just seemed as if I was not being honest, so I pulled the broken bread pieces out to show him; and he didn't offer anything in return. I won't be back.

Last time our party came here to see a comedy show in May 2022. This time our party recently came…read moreto this historic venue to see Michelle Branch's concert and here are some of the key points: * It was impossible to find any street parking in this part of Koreatown, so I highly recommend parking at the designated parking structure behind the theater as (1) it was very convenient just a block away and (2) it had security guards. The parking structure only accepts cash and the flat rate was $35 on Saturday night. * The venue didn't have the strongest A/C so there was no need to bring extra layers. * The interior architecture remained stunning, but the seats in the mezzanine section (2nd level) definitely need some upgrades as (1) there wasn't enough legroom and (2) the seats had poor ergonomic design. * A fairly intimate venue even in the mezzanine section (2nd level) with good sound quality. * While Mezzanine Row A had a good view, the seat was quite low so it was annoying to have people constantly walking through the main aisle and blocking the view of the main stage here and there throughout the concert. This theater probably needs some improvements, but it still got the job done.

The good: This music venue is in Koreatown so there's tons…read moreof good food options around before or after a show. I saw Dominic Fike here and enjoyed my time. The security line was quick and efficient. There were free street parking spots around but I parked in a garage for $19 ten minute walk away. I had mezzanine seats. The bad: It was pretty warm inside. I was sweating. The fog machine inside made the visibility of the stage difficult. The upstairs bathroom had only 3 women's stalls girls would crowd around the mirror making it difficult to get to the sink or exit. The interior isn't as ornate as other historical music venues in LA. The interesting: The mezzanine seats aren't super steep so if you're shorter your view might be blocked by slightly taller people sitting in front of you. I was pregnant at the show so I preferred to sit but I had to stand in order to see because everyone else in front of me also stood.

Came for an event and Adrian was really clear on the instructions. Was also very informative of how…read morethings were going to play out and answered all my questions. The venue was also kind enough to provide waters because it was hottt.

I loved seeing a concert at the El Rey Theatre! It's a cozy venue with a bar downstairs and…read moreupstairs. It felt very old school theater which was so cool. It also had beautiful lighting and a cool stage. I saw Mr. Fantasy here and it was such a fun time! It's mostly general admission, with ADA seating on the sides and some table seating upstairs. Parking is in a garage a few streets down ($20). I really loved this venue and will definitely be back!