247 S Main St
(Second Street)
Los Angeles,
CA
90012
34.0504
-118.2453
Neighborhoods: Historic Core, Downtown, Central LA
What People Are Saying About The Smell
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
In Short – Sharing the block with a ranchero bar and pool hall, the Smell is an anonymous building with a decidedly spartan interior. Essentially a non-profit, the club's cover rarely goes above five dollars, but for a warehouse in a terrible neighborhood, it manages to book some of the best indie bands on the scene. With attendance usually well below capacity, shows are always intimate. Audiences are rarely less than attentive, and with little separating the band from the crowd, the music is thoroughly accessible. – –
This place ain't for everybody
by julesf402 at Citysearch
The Smell is aptly named. You can smell Skid Row and everyone pees on the side walk. It's basically just a place to see bands play - not a bar, not a club, more like a rundown house party. The crowd is mostly young punks and hipsters. I've seen moshing and crowd surfing. There's no A/C or ventilation, so it gets very hot and sweaty. You hang out in the alley to smoke, cool off, drink beer from your car. You will be bombarded by bums asking for money. There's no way around it in this part of town. It's a pretty fun place, but it's definitely not for the faint of heart.
- Pros: an experience all its own
- Cons: Hot, bums, teenagers
vegan food, great bands, great price!
by aerosolburns at Citysearch
The Smell is unlike any other trendy venue/club in Los Angeles. It is the only D.I.Y. all ages venue around, with shows ranging from loud experimental punk to jazz. The cover is $5 bucks 99% of the time, which goes directly to the bands. There is an all vegan snack bar, with a vegan cook who makes affordable (everything is $2 or $3) food hot, to order, cold drinks, hot teas, and deserts. The showroom was recently remodeled with a brand new stage, new and better sound equipment, and a knocked down wall to expand the size of the show room. The venue is covered with miscellaneous art by various people, as it is an open art gallery as well. One has to also appreciate the character of The Smell, as it is in an alley of downtown by Skid Row and also next to a Mexican transvestite bar.
- Pros: cheap/free parking, social, good affordable food
- Cons: sketchy neighborhood
This is the gate to hell
by cityangel at Citysearch
I'm all for the dive bars. But I have my limits. This venue is in a horrible part of town. Which is skid row/"tent city". The streets are desolate, except for piles of trash and vagrants. And the venue is in an alleyway. In order to get to it, you have to pass another bar thats filled with I'll be kind and say "unique" individuals, and you'll have to step over many different forms of body fluid as well. Once inside the venue, its nothing more than a hollowed out, decripet old building. The only furniture is broken down chairs strewn against the walls. And even though its a large building, the bands perform in a small, enclosed room in the back. Which gets too crowded to even see the bands.
The Details on The Smell
Category:
Live Music, Music Events, Bars & Clubs, Alternative Rock Events, Art Galleries, Choral Performances, Experimental & Eclectic Music Events, Punk Music Events
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