CIA

The Scene – Located in an industrial area of North Hollywood, the California Institute for the Abnormalarts (CIA) is a strange circular maze of funhouse decor and bizarre relics. Somewhere between the shrine to a dead fairy, the skull of the smallest Freemason and the body of fishboy, one begins to question if it's really a live music venue or artifacts from Ripley's Believe it or Not museum. Co-owner Carl Crew is a lifelong lover of the unusual, and an ex-mortician; both traits are evident in his carnival-like club, which he refers to as a "multidimensional art space." – –…

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Editor's Tips

Parking:: This isn't the safest neighborhood around, so try to go in groups. Single women would be well advised to get an escort to their cars at the end of the night.
Know Before You Go:: After a very long wait, the bar finally has a license to serve beer and soju, but still no hard alcohol.

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User Reviews (15)

ambiance	50.0% positive	“the atmosphere is great the people are great and sum really great acts have been booked there.” “The people you meet have a common interest in either the strange or the type of music, and so the crowd is united at least somewhat, giving people at least one thing to talk about, assuming the decor isn't interesting enough.”
drinks	33.3299994468689% positive	“It's my favorite bar to go every weekend.” “If you don't like evil clowns and dead perserved things on display while you drink your rolling rock.” “The bar isn't cheap, but the CIA is basically the worst place to get drunk anyway.”
food quality	100.0% positive	“Bizarre props tucked in every corner, including a pseudo-museum area leading into the club containing items purported to be authentic mummified clowns, petrified magician arms, and other creepy circus paraphernalia.”
overall	0.0% positive	“This might not be the best place for you.”
service	66.66999816894531% positive	“The people you meet have a common interest in either the strange or the type of music, and so the crowd is united at least somewhat, giving people at least one thing to talk about, assuming the decor isn't interesting enough.” “but they do have really great bands and performers,the staff is really friendly and great,if you are into the dark and mysterious then this club is definately for you!” “They are the worst people you will ever meet.” “the atmosphere is great the people are great and sum really great acts have been booked there.” “The club owners are quite friendly, and the social scene is quirky like the club.” “This venue may look 'interesting' but it's a RIP OFF and the owner is a SLEEZE who will LIE to get people into the door.”
value	0.0% positive	“The bar isn't cheap, but the CIA is basically the worst place to get drunk anyway.”
wait time	50.0% positive	“It did have a bit of a freak show feel as a beautiful freak with a scary mask and plastic bikini danced to a slow, creepy punk song.”

01/10/11

My FAVORITE club in the world!!!

by cravencroft

This is the most amazing creative club Ive ever had the pleasure to attend and perform at. I grew up in London, and spent my early teen years in kicking around clubs in Amsterdam and Paris, and this is the coolest nightspot Ive come across. My band and myself had a great experiance here, everyone on the C.I.A. staff treated us first class. Our fans loved the club too, and we have already booked 2 more shows with them. All the photos taken of us performing at that show came out beautiful, colors and backgrounds are completely psychedellic and freaky. Wish they had clubs like this back home. 5 stars!!!!!

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11/25/10

AWESOME!!! VENUE TO PERFORM AT!!!

by patrapee

This club is the best venue I performed in, and amazingly its not pay to play which is the norm for a club of this caliber. The entire staff was cool, and our fans who came can't wait til we perform there again.The sound was fantastic !!! great acoustics. The drinks are reasonable, and the freakshow theme is really cool. They have a Thai food bar inside the club that has great beef sate, better than Thai town. National Geographic channel was there that nite tapping a show hosted by Henry Rollins and meeting him was cool. I highly recomend this club to bands and patrons alike.

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04/11/10

Worst experience in America!

by FackieFopez

What an awful place. Bands and musicians beware, stay away! We have toured all over this country and never have we been treated with so much disrespect and nastiness. Totally unprofessional management with a great con-game to get out of paying bands that packed the house. We were told to be there at 7pm and then no one showed up till 9pm. Sound guy was an atrocious control freak who would not let all of the members of the band into the building at one time. Made a pregnant band member stand out in the cold, would not allow her to use the restroom until they were ready to let customers in. We could tell the staff was taking pleasure in being uncivil to us, like schoolyard bullies. We were left SHAKING WITH ANGER!! And this place is plugged as some kind of interesting or weird or cool circus themed club. This place is very stupid!!

Filled with junk made to seem like it's interesting. A bunch of foam rubber props! Fake artifacts made in China! Wishes it could be the Museum of Jurassic Technology, but it's a con! It's in a very sketchy and industrial part of North Hollywood. Just say no to the CIA. Everyone, stay away from this putrid, soul sucking nightmare!!!

Pros: Nothing charming about this place.
Cons: Unsafe neighborhood, staff is so rude!

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09/01/09

Best place to be in North Hollywood

by theruiner663

First off I love the place, I love horror theme night clubs! I would go more often if LA had more local bands that didn't have an ego and could actually play music! Some of the people that go there are rude, if they bump into you they don't say sorry. Just goes to show you the type of people those crappy bands bring to see their crappy music. The bands don't care about sound quality just how loud they can be. I saw this band play with japanese girls once and it was just horrible, they took forever setting up, and about the time they went on I was ready to go home! I love this place but I wish they would find better talent!!!

Pros: Great venue, love the decor.
Cons: The crappy bands that play there, they are all too loud for

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06/15/09

JERKS JERKS very very very RUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by varnr

BANDS!!! DO NOT PLAY HERE!!!!!

1. YOU HAVE TO "Tip" the sound guy to mic the kick drum. hahaha. he doesn't do ANYTHING but the 3 mics for vocals. He(Justin) even said "if you tip me, I will mic the kick drum but i only have mics for vocals, it is going to sounds horrible anyways because I don't care" ........ what the hell???? so pointless. just they want to be BAD BAD PEOPLE

2. YOU ALSO HAVE TO TIP THE GUY TO CHANGE MUSIC ON THE FLOOR. COST YOU $20. ASK THE OWNER BOB HE COULD BE REASONABLE.

3. BE CAREFUL with JUSTIN, CARL at the place. They are the worst people you will ever meet. I was shaking by how rude and heartless they are.

4. Bands only get water. ha!

5. DON'T EVER NEVER PLAY THIS PLACE. the place looks great. but it doesn't worth anything to deal with these AMAZINGLY HORRIBLE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!

CIA

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Tara Lis

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Editor's Tips

01/10/11

My FAVORITE club in the world!!!

by cravencroft

11/25/10

AWESOME!!! VENUE TO PERFORM AT!!!

by patrapee

04/11/10

Worst experience in America!

by FackieFopez

09/01/09

Best place to be in North Hollywood

by theruiner663

06/15/09

JERKS JERKS very very very RUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by varnr

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