Summertime in Los Angeles always seems to be a time to experience new things. With amusement parks, beaches, hiking trails, museums, parks and nightlife fun, such as clubs and theatre, there is always something to do in the city of entertainment.
Regardless if one is busy taking summer classes or involved in summer jobs, there’s always the hope in trying to go out and enjoy themselves a few times in L.A. The city is home to a great amount of small music venues that are in reach for all music lovers to experience live music. There is a strong presence within the music scene in L.A.
Even though, one’s favorite artist might not come to town during the summer, there is still the possibility of enjoying what a music venue has to offer. These L.A. music venues offer an environment of intimacy, comfort, glamour and contagious energy that will satisfy anyone who wants to experience professional live music in the summer.
Darkness Meets Groovy Intimacy- The Echo
For those who crave and admire an intimate type of setting. The Echo, in Echo Park, allows one to be in the very back of the small venue, sit on some comfortable cushioned sofa type of seats that wrap around the entire place, and feel the same energy of those who are inches away from the artist on the small, slightly elevated and squared stage.
The Echo’s capacity reaches at 350, so even in a sold out show everyone in attendance gets the experience to believe they are sharing the stage with the artists performing. The level of darkness inside the Echo persuades one’s vision to only focus on the artist on stage.
If one decides to walk around for a different view, a sense of groove will emerge with each step. Walking in the Echo’s darkness due to dimmed lighting, can make one feel similar to Freddie Mercury, lead singer from Queen, strutting with a groove on stage with high confidence.
With such powerful sound quality, the Echo’s walls tremble and shake within the beat and rhythm of any song playing. One won’t be able to simply walk around the venue without automatically transitioning into some dancing.
Royaljag, a band with a trio from San Bernardino, consists of twin brothers Jay and Roland Garcia, 26, and best friend friend David Ajoku, 26, have all shared memorable experiences at the Echo and other LA music venues. They gained experiences as musicians elevating the energy in these venues, and as casual showgoers experiencing it from the other side as the audience.
“You really feel the music at the Echo, wherever you stand,” Jay Garcia said via email. “Performing here to us is just plain fun. You can feel the history flowing through this place.”
The Echo is located at 1822 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, Calif. 90026.
Play Some Pool, Take a Sip and Vibe To the Beat – The Hi Hat
The Hi Hat is a venue that offers a cozy, and somewhat intimate, music environment, with a capacity of only 300. The venue offers more of an authentic type of comfort for those who want to unwind with some live music playing in the background.
The Hi Hat is divided within two areas for music lovers. The entry side greets one with a couple of pool tables, an extended bar combined with a mini kitchen and some barstools with high tables scattered around.
The deep side of the Hi Hat is is where their stage is located. The spaced-out floor for a crowd lies in between the stage and a setup of elevated benches in the back wall for those who wish to sit in that area and face the stage.
The stage is at a sideways angle, which allows the audience from any area in the venue to experience live music in a convenient matter. The sound quality is very thunderous, but in a pleasing way.
“This venue is enjoyable to perform at because its stage doesn’t have walls on either side, so you as a listener can find a good spot to be and watch the artist performing,” Roland Garcia said via email.
The loud sound quality makes any style very impactful and entertaining for those who want to experience the music up close and personal to the stage. Though, the sound also suffices for those who want to casually listen to live music playing in the background as they are conversing at the bar or simply playing a friendly game of billiards.
The Hi Hat is located at 5043 York Blvd, Los Angeles, Calif. 90042, in Highland Park.
Don’t Judge This Book By Its Cover- Lodge Room
The Lodge Room is a venue that will transport one to a dimension of a glamorous, energetic and classy environment.
The Lodge Room is the epitome of a diamond in the rough. The venue lies within the second floor of its building.
The formal entrance is through the side of the building mixed in an alley of backyard driveways to houses. The first entrance into the building isn’t too attractive as well, leading into a long beat-up walkway inside the building, with a sewer type of environment that leads to a long staircase.
On the other end of the staircase, on the second floor, is a door that presents the inside of the jaw dropping, gorgeous and spacious ballroom type of hall, that provides a charming feeling that makes one wish they wore a prom fit in honor of the venue’s captivating environment.
The energy of solely walking into the venue will make one believe they are floating among the stars at night within any type of music playing. The vibrant, slightly dimmed lighting inside will influence one to walk with an elegant posture, especially under the spotlights of its glamorous chandeliers from the ceiling.
“The Lodge Room is pretty dang glamorous. It doesn’t seem that way from the outside, but it’s really beautiful on the inside,” Ajoku said via email. “The overall vibe of the Lodge Room is beautiful, and you are going to have a good time.”
With a capacity of 500, it’s a little more spaced out. The venue allows one to have the comfort to roam around near or far from the stage, with the stage at such a huge size, one does not struggle to witness the artists performing.
“The music experience is really nice at the Lodge Room. Performing here is really cool too,” Ajoku said via email. “It’s a pretty big sized venue, so you can move around without bumping too hard into your homies.”
The Lodge Room is located in Highland Park, at 104 N. Ave 56, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, Calif. 90042.
Best of Both Worlds- Bootleg Theater
With what appears to be a beat-up warehouse from the outside, the Bootleg Theater makes one rub their eyes as soon as one enters, due to the clever and aesthetic structure inside with dimmed red lighting, decorations of stickers and furniture that connects two areas for different music experiences.
There are two separate stages inside the venue. The entry stage near the bar, requires one to only stand during a performance. The entry stage stands out for smaller, smoother and intimate types of performances, allowing one to be in the spirit of the music close to stage. While the main stage in the back of the venue caters to larger crowds for artists whose style will have crowds tear the house down.
The main stage is spacious with a dance floor that offers a few rows of theater seating with comfortable cushioned seats, in the back of that area facing the stage. One can decide to take a comfy seat in the back and oversee the crowd and the artists perform. Even from a distance away from the stage in those seats, the view of a crowd’s energetic chaos within any music is incredible to soak in.
“Both parts of the venue are enjoyable because the sound is really nice and very clear,” said Ajoku via email. “Which ever side the artist performs, you will experience great vibes.”
Both stage areas are connected indoors within vibrant colored mazes of hallways to get through. It’s a rarity that shows occur simultaneously in both spaces, but both sides share plenty of room to go around for any music experience.
The Bootleg Theater is located near Downtown LA and Echo Park, at 2220 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, Calif. 90057.
All of the venues offer fairly different locations, atmospheres, sound quality, stage setups and crowd sizes. However, all of the venues embrace the same energy in providing an environment for all. These venues allow showgoers to enjoy themselves and leave their worries as soon as they walk in, due to the energy of live professional music.
