Gibson Amphitheatre
House of Blues® Sunset Strip
NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Wiltern
The Ford Amphitheatre
Grand Performances at California Plaza
The Greek Theatre
Hollywood Bowl
With so many creative people living in LA, the live music scene is supported like nowhere else. Just about every national act on tour books at least one show in LA, and the quality of local talent is unmatched. So whether you’re looking for a big, arena-rock experience or just a taste of local music at a smaller venue, you’ll find what you’re looking for on LA’s stages.
The live music calendar is a vast, rapidly changing lineup of national acts and local legends, so sometimes the best way to keep track is to know the venues and find the niche that fits your taste. But keep in mind that this introduction to LA’s live music venues is just the beginning.
Located at Universal Studios Hollywood, the Gibson Amphitheatre is an indoor venue that began life as an outdoor amphitheatre before being converted in 1982. Today, the venue seats up to 6,000 people and hosts an exciting calendar of events and concerts by well-known national acts. The acoustics are excellent, and the layout is close to perfection, providing an excellent listening experience throughout the venue. So whether you’re in the front row or up in the nose-bleeds, you’ll enjoy every minute of the performance.
The House of Blues® Sunset Strip hosts all kinds of musical acts. You’ll catch hip-hop, heavy metal, alternative, gospel, country, 80s pop and many other genres. Of course, you’ll also get a healthy dose of blues acts passing through. From the outside, the venue looks like something transported straight to LA from the Mississippi Delta, with its rusty corrugated tin roof and factory-like water tower. Inside, the venue is as polished as any in LA. Be sure to check out the Sunday gospel brunch, which is a must for any LA visit. The Foundation Room is a VIP area where guests can order from a special dinner menu and enjoy spaces perfect for private parties and events.
The newest theatre in LA is the city’s crown jewel of live music venues. NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE opened in fall 2007 with a six-night stand by the Eagles and the Dixie Chicks. The venue also hosted the American Music Awards in November 2007, making its television debut. With 7,100 seats all situated no more than 210 feet from the stage, there’s truly no bad seat in the house. And the theatre happens to have the largest stage in Southern California, measuring 180 feet by 80 feet.
If you’re a fan of classical music, this venue can’t be beat. It boasts perfect sight lines throughout and finely tuned acoustics that make every seat worth the money. If you’re a fan of great sound, you might want to take in a performance just to hear the venue’s natural amplification; it makes music come alive. Opened in 2003 to widespread acclaim, the architecture often gets mentioned first, but the venue was built to host live music, and it lives up to its promise. The Los Angeles Philharmonic performs here from October to June. They play at the Hollywood Bowl in the summer.
Located in one of LA’s most distinctive Art Deco buildings, The Wiltern regularly hosts popular national acts in several different genres. With capacity topping out at about 2,300 (depending on seating configurations), the theater feels intimate and close-knit without being overly crowded. A tiered-floor configuration also allows for optimal viewing throughout the venue. The acoustics are excellent at this venue, earning The Wiltern a reputation for being one of LA’s best live music venues for bands to tape their shows. The theater is located at the final stop on the Metro Purple Line on Wilshire Boulevard at Western Avenue. In fact, this is where the name came from — by combining the first part of “Wilshire” with the last part of “Western.”
Owned and operated by the County of Los Angeles, this outdoor venue in the hills north of Hollywood has an eclectic calendar highlighted by world music, ethnic dance, folk music, blues, jazz and bluegrass. With 1,200 seats and an outdoor setting, it’s a venue that feels as intimate as anything in LA.
There’s nothing better than a free show, and these no-cost performing arts events taking place throughout the summer have earned a special place in the hearts of local music fans. Known for presenting tomorrow’s stars today, the lineup features local acts performing during lunch hours, in the evenings and on the weekends. Located in the heart of Downtown, the plaza can handle crowds of up to 6,500 people in an urban garden surrounded by water features.
Located in Griffith Park, The Greek Theatre has been around since the late 1920s. An outdoor amphitheatre along the lines of Hollywood Bowl, it’s an intimate venue with a seating capacity of about 6,000. Neil Diamond once played fourteen consecutive nights at the Greek in 1986, and plenty of other musical legends have made their mark here. National acts tend to be the norm on the schedule, with the amphitheatre operating from April to the end of October.
There aren’t many venues in LA (or in the nation) as legendary as the Hollywood Bowl. A concert here can include a picnic dinner and a bottle of wine, a setting sun casting a warm glow over the proceedings and a festive, family-friendly atmosphere that’s as laid-back as anything in LA. More than 17,000 people can attend a concert here, so the energy level is always high. Make sure you plan in advance because concerts here tend to sell out. During the summer, the Los Angeles Philharmonic leaves behind the Walt Disney Concert Hall and sets up shop here for regular performances.
