Tips for Best Los Angeles Clubs

[hwalsh2004]

Hi. I just moved to Los Angeles (from New York) and I would love some suggestions for the best harder-faster dance clubs in the LA area. I love trance/house music and venues where I can converge with the music and just dance. I am familiar with the UK dance scene (I can't believe that the Fridge was just raided. I used to hang at their after parties after Brixton Academy). Fav. DJ's incl. Oakenfold, Tiesto, Phil Reynolds, Sasha, Digweed, BK, Johnathan Peters, Sander K., etc. I see that Sandra Collins is spinning in San Diego at the end of the month, but that's a bit far for me to go. Anyone know of upcoming artists coming to LA? Would love to get a group together who enjoys my type of music for a night out...

[theseeker1981]

Avalon usualy gets the best DJs, though there are some people who feel that it is a inferior club due to the lack of interest/dancing/humanity in the usual crowds; I agree because I have seen the crowd have a powerful negative effect on my favorite DJs. I only go there if Sasha or psytrance is playing, those bring in a completly different crowd and I end up having a blast. Spundae is probably what you are looking for, but they usualy don't get the best acts. However, I am looking forward to Judge Jules. I saw him two year ago at monster massive and he kicked ass. Speaking of Massives, they are hit and miss. Make sure there are atleast 3 people on the lineup you wanna see and be prepared for 14 year old drug pushers. I've heard great things about the king king and bosonova on Fridays but I have yet to hit either one. I havne't been to Heaven on Fridays, but I don't know anyone else who has either. It is kinda the forgot club. Keep an eye on the Vangaurd and the 740 club. They aren't as regular as Avalon or Spundae, but I usualy have more fun at them. Monday night social is pretty bad ass, but more about chilling then dancing. Not such a bad thing though, it is on Monday nights. Deff worth going to if you don't have to get up early on a tuesday. Hands down the best is the Mayan. It holds about 2 or 3 events a year but I wouldn't miss a single one if you paid me. Digweed plays there in June, he ALWAYS blow the roof off the place.

I have heard rumors of a third club from new york opening up over on this coast, but so far it has just been a rumor.

I go to a website the sells tickets and has a groove (stupid censorship) and leave the search box blank with the region set for So.Cal and that has kept me pretty well informed. Metropolis on 89.9 from 8-10pm keeps me well informed too.

Oh, and see Donald Glaude. No self respecting So Cal clubber hasn't seen him atleast once and he is a pretty f'ing fun house DJ.

[lalate]

Great post.

Only thing would disagree with is the incorrect generalization about the undergrounds. I would greatly disagree with that generalization.

a) some of the nicest people youll ever meet

fine to go alone almost all the time

c) the demographic 50% of the time is 19-mid twenties, and for the burners is early twenties to mid fifties.

[weyes]

man, i don't have the energy to get into it anymore, so i'll just print the abridged version:

spundae: yay

avalon: boo

p.s. theseeker's on point.

[hwalsh2004]

Thanks Seeker for all your great suggestions! I heard of Vangaurd so will def. check that out (it's often hard to tell what the scene would be like until you get there so I really appreciate the insider info.) I was actually thinking about going to Monday Social @ Nacional this week but read some really neg reviews, but will be sure to check it out for a chill evening (you can't go too crazy on a Monday night anyway.) I went to college in Boston and so I used to hang at the original Avalon on Landsdown St. way back when and I've been to the Avalon in New York, but actually preferred the scene when it was the Limelight - now they do get lots of topliners but it's not as much fun. I assumed that Avalon LA would be much of the same, and agree that most of the time the biggest clubs names are not the venues where you have the best time.

[theseeker1981]

Great post.

Only thing would disagree with is the incorrect generalization about the undergrounds. I would greatly disagree with that generalization.

a) some of the nicest people youll ever meet

fine to go alone almost all the time

c) the demographic 50% of the time is 19-mid twenties, and for the burners is early twenties to mid fifties.

Burner parties have the absolute best people in LA and I get to spin fire poi with my friends. I love going to those.

Too bad I usualy hate the music they are playing.

[lalate]

Burner parties have the absolute best people in LA and I get to spin fire poi with my friends. I love going to those.

Too bad I usualy hate the music they are playing.

Great comment. Yeah burners are amazing people. 90% of them are top in their respective industries, not all creative industries.

If i want great dnb or b beats, I do undergrounds .... genearlly in the summer.

[theseeker1981]

Great comment. Yeah burners are amazing people. 90% of them are top in their respective industries, not all creative industries.

If i want great dnb or b beats, I do undergrounds .... genearlly in the summer.

Most of the underground raves I have been to in LA have a small dnb room, a hardcore/happyhard core room, a ton of highschool kids and the cops that show up at 1:30 like clockword.

I'd be interested in the ones that you go to, cause outside of burner parties every uderground party I have gone to has ended up very badly.

[jimmymaheras]

what's a burner party exactly?

[weyes]

what's a burner party exactly?

on the reals. explain, please.

[theseeker1981]

what's a burner party exactly?

I am sure that you have heard about burning man already, so I won't attempt to explain that.

A burner party is a party usualy thrown by one of the groups/tribes that put up camps at burning man. They are usually in the downtown area (ie: Space Island) and you park in the structure by little tokyo and a bus takes you to the party. Pretty sweet deal, actualy.

Some are held outdoors, I went to fire drums up in santa cruz last weekend and greensector throws a badass parties up in the Angeles forrest. Infact, one is going on this weekend. If it weren't for Sasha I'd be there. That and I was cold enough last weekend. I will be going again for the 4th of July party though, that one is always fun. You can find out about the parties through tribe. Or go to mutaytor and make nice with one person there and get info through them (not hard to do)

The music is usualy Psytrance and Break Beat. Or hippie drums.

You know you are at a burner party when:

There are fire performers, that one is a BIG hint

The first question you are asked by someone new is: "How many burns have you been to?"

EL wire is fricking everywhere

Two words: Hoola hoops

One Word: FUR - everyone is wearing fake fur.

And the biggest signal is that everyone around is really fricking cool, nice, real and friendly.

[lalate]

Most of the underground raves I have been to in LA have a small dnb room, a hardcore/happyhard core room, a ton of highschool kids and the cops that show up at 1:30 like clockword.

I'd be interested in the ones that you go to, cause outside of burner parties every uderground party I have gone to has ended up very badly.

No way, really?

Never been to a party closed down. And all of the ones Ive been to the djs were 18 to early 20s, the promoters the same, and the clientele about the same to older.

And the great thing about them is that they are so much fun they get pretty addictive, you end up wanting to go to one every weekend. But where to go is a domino effect. You go to one, and when you leave you get hit up with no less than one dozen flyer invites to other events.

And gotta say - their flyers rock the industry. Amazing stuff they do on flyers.

[theseeker1981]

No way, really?

Never been to a party closed down. And all of the ones Ive been to the djs were 18 to early 20s, the promoters the same, and the clientele about the same to older.

And the great thing about them is that they are so much fun they get pretty addictive, you end up wanting to go to one every weekend. But where to go is a domino effect. You go to one, and when you leave you get hit up with no less than one dozen flyer invites to other events.

And gotta say - their flyers rock the industry. Amazing stuff they do on flyers.

Yeah, I guess I just started off at the wrong parties, could you PM me when you get some info? Though DnB and breaks aren't really my thing, I have been looking for something new. Too bad I can't find a good mind-twenties underground electro house scene.