Best Live Music Venue in L.A.?

Having lived in L.A. for a little more than a year, there are still tons of music venues I've yet to check out, but I find myself venturing back to the same few venues over and over. I see big shows at the Greek, mid-sized shows at the Music Box at the Fonda, and small shows at the Troubadour. It must be something about whoever books the shows at these places.

I love, love, love the Troubadour. It could be that it was just a mile from my first apartment here, it could be because it looks and feels like what a small live music venue should look like (at least to me), it could be because of the Loft upstairs, or it could be because I love faxing in my order instead of going through the Evil Empire (aka Ticketmaster). Or it could be because of all of the above.

I say the Troub is my favorite, but I haven't checked out places that continually get recommended to me, like Spaceland and the Echoplex. And I haven't been to the Wiltern yet (I had tickets to the Wilco-Okkervil River show in June, but life got in the way of music and I had to sell them).

So, Angelenos, I ask: What's your favorite place in L.A. to see live music?


By the way, the most amazing venue I have been to is the United Palace Theater in Washington Heights/Manhattan. Here's a picture of the 2007 Arcade Fire show, courtesy of Product Shop NYC. And I grew up going to shows at Red Rocks Amphitheater in beautiful Morrison, Colorado.