Category: Live Music

My first impression of the world famous Derby club in Los Feliz was a good one. The inside décor offers a comfortable atmosphere, even if the club fills up (which happens more often than not). It also offers some of the best live performance sound of all the Hollywood music clubs. Yet, from a performance standpoint, the on stage sound, and sound crew leave a lot to be desired. Of course, the majority of you will be there to enjoy the music, and I’m here to tell you, you will.

As you walk through the front door you are presented with a choice. To the left is a small acoustic room for solo performers and singer-songwriters, and to your right is the main live room where the bands tear the roof off! There are way too many acoustic rooms in Hollywood, so make your way to the right.

Upon entry you will be greeted by the martini bar stuck very inconveniently in the center of the room. I only say this because when things are busy and packed, it makes it very difficult to get a drink. To the right of the bar you’ll find several tall bar tables with comfortable chairs. These also offer the best view of the stage (granted they are also closest to the speakers so if you like it loud, than go ahead!). On the other side of the bar are a collection of well designed, but unpractical booths. Though they offer supreme comfort, the visual element is supremely lacking.

So once you’ve positioned yourself it will be time to listen to the music. Caddy corner from the booths is the stage – with enough room to fit a four member group comfortably. For those bands who have pianists (such as mine), the Derby has a great sounding baby grand already miked up (a huge plus for us who have to move our own equipment). Though the onstage monitor system lacks the punch of most other clubs, the balance of the instruments is surprisingly good, and the sound from the crowd is excellent.

So bring your friends down to the corner of Hillhurst and Los Feliz to see some of the best bands in Los Angeles (not just any band can play the Derby). The Derby is sure please!

There are good things to say about the Verity Room, a small performance hall located in Simi Valley, but majority rules for the bad. This small room, located in the back of a low budget music store (don’t get your hopes up, I wouldn’t look for Fender or Gibson here), is supposed to be a haven for young singer songwriters, and artists. Instead, The Verity Room is an overpriced sweat shop family oriented performance space.

Let’s start at the beginning. Upon entry to Guitar Merchant (located, but well hidden on Topanga Canyon Blvd) you’re charged seven dollars for admission to the back room. You walk through the small hallway and are at once greeted with a very pleasant sight. The first good thing I’ll say about the Verity Room is that its image is top notch. It’s visually pleasing to the eye, but comfort is a problem. Though there are plenty of seats, very few of them are actually comfortable. I think it’s safe to say that the tables are from the outdoor section, and the lonely pillows on the ground are missing their couches.

So grab a seat now. The performances are usually top notch, and places like this are always known for breeding the next wave of amazing talent. The room is also home to a very beautiful, and great sounding grand piano, an instant plus for piano playing performers. There’s enough room on the stage for a full band, and the sound system can handle just about as much as it needs.

There is one major problem that will always hurt the Verity Room. The one thing that always brings people to a performance in L.A. is Alcohol. The Verity Room, on the other hand, does not sell Alcohol or any other beverages at all. That lack of liquid equates to a lack of ticket sales. It’s really hard for young emerging bands to pack people in based on the music alone. And to top that of, when the room does fill up, it heats up, a major pain for those performing.

I will say that from a performers point of view (I have performed their on a few occasions), the help is really great, and they treat bands right. The sound is usually top notch for what they have, and performances are often quite spirited. All in all, their hearts are in the right place. With a little work, The Verity Room could be a great place to bring your friends and enjoy some local talent. Instead it’s a work in progress that warrants a visit, but it’s not a top priority.

If you’re into all things rock, and are looking for a drink before you hit the Whiskey or the Roxy, or if you’re looking for some good food, The Rainbow is where you need to be. Of course it doesn’t hurt that it’s a world famous bar where rock stars still hang out, and where the eighties are still alive and kicking. Known as THE hangout spot during the heyday of the Sunset Strip, The Rainbow still attracts the likes of Tom Morello and Lemmy on a regular basis.

One of the reasons that this place stood the test of time and why the stars still come back is the menu. The Rainbow’s menu is a top notch collection Italian and American favorites, perfect for curing hangovers with the band, or out on the town with the misses. My food recommendation would be the homemade Lasagna, but I must say everything I’ve eaten there has been good.

Now it wouldn’t be a rock club without live music. The upstairs portion of the bar offers live acoustic music by some of Hollywood’s finest emerging talent. Though I will say that the upstairs is not as roomy as the lower portion. As you would expect, the entire bar gets incredibly packed on Friday and Saturday nights and getting around is a little hard to do.

There is a bar located on the outside, but during busy hours it’s almost impossible to get to. You’d be much better off just getting a table and ordering all your drinks from there. It’s a much more proficient way to get your drinks while enjoying the amazing menu. Oh, and don’t be afraid to glance at the dessert menu.

The Rainbow is located right in the middle of such famous clubs as The Whiskey A Go-Go, The Roxy, and The Key Club, making it a real Mecca for musicians and music appreciators alike. Overall, The Rainbow is a great place to get a fresh taste of what the Sunset Strip is all about.

A local favorite that makes midtown Long Beach the place to be on a cold winter night. Located at the corner of Junipero and 4th St, Portfolio is the traditional coffeehouse you grew up with. In a world surrounded by franchise monsters like Starbucks and Coffee Bean, it’s nice to see a small place like this (though it is not necessarily small) thriving within the community.

On the visual side of things, Portfolio offers a fantastic indoor and outdoor atmosphere. Outside the doors there are plenty of places for you and your significant other to sit, sip, and feed off of each other’s warmth. There are also a wide variety of shops within walking distance, making late night that much more fun.

Once through the doors your eyes will typically be greeted by people and laptop computers. Portfolio’s free wireless internet, and limited amount of noise make it a Mecca for writers, and college students alike. There is hardly a person inside whose eyes aren’t glued to their screens, which makes for little, or no conversation (besides laptops, iPod’s are very popular here as well). I would say that there is a feeling that whatever conversation you have inside should be hushed and quiet.

If you are just popping in by yourself, it is a perfect atmosphere to get some thinking done. The walls are adorned with an interesting array of paintings, which I would assume are from local artists. They also sport a wide variety of magazines for sale (consisting of mainly music magazines, Rolling Stone, Mojo, Etc).

When you reach the counter, portfolio offers you typical coffee house fare. There’s coffee, mocha, tea’s, etc, all of which is good, and worth you four dollars. I would recommend anything from the mocha category, as well as the teas. For those who’ll be spending an extended amount of time there, Portfolio also offers a pretty extensive lunch menu.

Things then change on Friday and Saturday nights when Portfolio’s back room becomes a hot spot for weekend entertainment. At around nine o’clock, you should make your way to the back room where you can see the cream of the crop of local singer songwriters performing the best they got. I think that’s what really makes this place feel like the traditional coffeehouse I grew up. They are grooming house for the best talent that Los Angeles has to offer. To top that, amateur talent can show their stuff on Wednesday nights Open Mic, also starting at nine.

Portfolio is only a hop, skip, and a jump from my house, so I spend a good amount of time there. It’s a fantastic atmosphere that serves many purposes. So, whatever you’re feeling, Portfolio Coffeehouse is a good place to go to think about it, or not think about it.

The Knitting Factory is many things. On one hand it is a first rate concert facility stocked with three stages (all of which have their own sound and bars). On the other, it is a little small and barely manages to hold all of its occupants. Yet overall, the Knitting Factory is a fine place to spend an evening with friends and catch Hollywood’s finest local talent.

Being a musician myself, I’d like to begin by saying that playing the Knitting Factory has always been a pleasant and enjoyable experience. That being said, the quality of the music that graces the stages is usually as good as it gets. Because of the Knitting Factory’s relatively small size, most people get full view of everything that’s happening on stage. This intimate atmosphere adds major points to the appeal of the Knitting Factory.

Once you enter through the front door your eyes will be greeted by some very comfortable plush couches, and the first of three bars. Treat yourself first to one of many over priced drinks, that is if you can squeeze your way through the mob of people. If you make a right you’ll see the second stage. This is where the lesser bands, and touring indie bands play. This stage is nice, but there is not a lot of room to stand and it can get annoying if you find yourself in the path of traffic from the other rooms to the bars.

Next I would recommend making a quick stop by the Alterknit Lounge. This small little room is a haven for local singer songwriters looking to get their talent out there. If you need to, you can make your way to the second bar in the back of this room. Though it’s not as stocked as the one up front, you can still get an overpriced beer or two. This room doesn’t usually have as many people in it and is a nice place to get away and still enjoy the music.

If you leave this room, the only other place to go is the main stage. This is obviously where the larger bands come to play. The room is smaller than the House of Blues, but holds the same atmosphere. The visibility is pretty clear from all angles, and offers the same intimate feeling that the rest of the club has. Also, as with all the other rooms, the main stage room has a fully stocked bar. I would not recommend going to this bar due to the loud noise from the stage. It’s a lot easier to get what you want from the front room.

The Knitting Factory is even smoker friendly with the convenient exits in back of the room. Overall, I would say that the Knitting factory offers a good concert going experience, as well as just an old fashioned good time for everybody.