Los Angeles Visitor Guide : Nightlife

Hollywood's multi-purpose nightlife mecca the Avalon, owned by John Lyons, has hosted everyone from Prince to Daft Punk over the past few years. Before its rebirth, the Avalon Hollywood was known as The Palace and claimed bragging rights to infamous headliners including The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Nirvana, the Beastie Boys, Smashing Pumpkins and Soundgarden. On any given Saturday night, the club is packed with party people...both downstairs in the main room (where a crowd hellbent on dancing grooves until the early morning hours) and upstairs on beautifully restored balcony. During the week, the action is often at Avalon's hip sister lounge, Bardot, located atop the Avalon. Here you will likely see a celebrity or two, as actors such as Ryan Gosling have been known to drop by and DJ or just hang out under the Hollywood stars (the real stars, that is, as Bardot has an open ceiling and is technically outdoors; allowing for smoking under the sky).

The Bungalow Club is on the exciting Melrose strip. It's undoubtedly a one stop destination as it's beautiful decor and innovative share-plate and entrees menu by Executive chef, that any foodie would appreciate. The concept Designed by Anat Escher, the restaurant/ bar seamlessly transforms throughout the night from a sophisticated relaxed dining atmosphere into a lively lounge and bar scene. The venue is divided into 3 distinct areas, each with its own character while allowing for an easy flow between all the levels. Fantastic lounge and bar scene with a great festive atmosphere, gorgeous patio with private bungalows and VIP private lounge upstairs.

"Our main priority is to please our diverse clientele by bringing the best jazz talent to Hollywood and continue to do so far for many years to come" said club owner Catalina Popescu. This supper club, with its Old World charm provides a warm and inviting environment for its guest, while enjoying a superb meal and great live jazz. Catalina Bar & Grill has certainly lived up to its slogan "Nothing But The Best In Jazz" by presenting a veritable Who's Who of jazz legends such as Dizzie Gillespie, Art Blakey, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, Ray Brown, Joe Williams, Max Roach, Carmen McRae, Betty Carter, Ron Carter, Joe Henderson, Benny Carter,Tony Williams, Joe Zawinul, Marcus Miller, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Michael Brecker, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jimmy Scott and many more.

Club Nokia is located in the center of the entertainment capital of the world: the L.A. LIVE complex.
Goldenvoice is booking the best in intimate live performances at Club Nokia. Goldenvoice, AEG Live's Southern California-based regional division, hosts the most critically acclaimed music festivals in the U.S. Goldenvoice created and operates the award-winning annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival as well as Stagecoach, California's Country Music Festival. Accommodating over 2,300 guests, Club Nokia is the perfect venue for emerging music acts and cultural shows while also providing excellent space for corporate events and private parties.

Having swept onto the L.A. social scene in 1998, the Conga Room earned a following with its hip ambiance and hot performers. It hosted record launches, movie debuts, award shows and parties, including the 2001 Latin Grammy Award Presentation. It featured concerts by top Cuban and Latin tropical legends such as Celia Cruz, Tito Puente and the Buena Vista Social Club and its stage was graced by the likes of Shakira, Juanes and Carlos Santana. The world famous Conga Room was founded by real estate entrepreneur Brad Gluckstein and co-owned by Jimmy Smits, Jennifer Lopez, Paul Rodriguez, Sheila E., Amaury Nolasco, Baron Davis, Trevor Ariza, and will.i.am. After closing its original doors, the Conga Room reopened in December 2008 as part of L.A. LIVE, the new downtown entertainment district, offering a significantly larger, more sophisticated destination for loyal patrons and all those seeking an exciting, authentic Latin sabor.

House of Blues Los Angeles opened in 1994 and is located in the heart of West Hollywood. This location is home to unique pieces of art and architecture, such as work by Alan Sainte James Boudrot and our Jake and Elwood movable bars. The Los Angeles venue is covered in tin from a gin mill that was just 500 feet away from the Delta crossroads — the mystical field where Robert Johnson created his famous partnership with the Devil for his soul. Notable acts that have played House of Blues Los Angeles include the last live performance by Tupac Shakur and Prince with Maceo Parker. In keeping with tradition, the House of Blues Los Angeles displays the "Crazy Quilt" and keeps a metal box of mud from the Delta Mississippi underneath its stage.

The Key Club fits the bill of a typical Sunset Strip venue, featuring nice decor that's short of fancy or opulent and a staff of headset-clad security personnel with unresolved anger issues. This is a great place to see bands, though, since the sound is excellent and the room design gives everyone a good view of the stage. If you're just there to hang out on the Strip, head to the downstairs room. Depending on the night, you might or might not get in, but it's a much more relaxed vibe--and there's food service if you're hungry. Two groups of people end up here. One is the crowd that wants to see a specific band. The other is primarily tourists and club-hoppers trying to hit as many Sunset Strip clubs as possible in one night.

Everybody knows there's a heavy hipster herd of artists, musicians, writers and the like residing on L.A.'s Eastside, namely Echo Park and Silver Lake. And it's also well known that, with this crowd, under-the-radar music is a must. And this cousin of the scene-making Spaceland is a great spot for new grooves. Located in a former Latin disco, the dusty floor, sticky vinyl booths and mirrored walls may resemble the interior of a seedy strip club, but this place is about fresh sounds, not fancy digs. Every DJ-oriented night is different, and offers a chance to see and hear groundbreaking styles and sounds before anyone else. There's a definite freestyle fellowship that extends from the DJs and performers to an audience comprised of b-boy cats and funky felines. This vibrant vibe creates an abstract ambience where anything can--and does--happen on the stage and the dance floor.

Three decades on, the club has also been a popular performance Mecca for other entertainment, including stage productions, comedy shows and performance art. Among the club's unique features are comfortable booth seating... The club itself has the potential to be intimate, but the acts that play this legendary spot in Hollywood are far too wild to keep things quiet--especially not with one of the best sound systems on the Sunset Strip. Floor-level and raised standing area (with some occasional seats), a spacious dance floor/mosh pit, and a bar loaded for beer all add up to an authentic Hollywood experience. Eclectic to the max.

Small, dark and ultrahip, the Viper Room pulls in Hollywood locals, celebrities and tourists looking to hear live tunes, dance to DJ-spun beats or grab a drink. With only a few (typically reserved) black-vinyl booths lining the walls, the venue is generally standing room only. When not restricted to VIPs, the small downstairs lounge is relaxing, boasting plush seats and TVs simulcasting the upstairs action. The small upstairs bar lends itself easily to intimate rock shows, which are especially memorable when the likes of Tom Petty, Pearl Jam and Iggy Pop decide to stop by and jam. The lounge is glitterati catnip; celebrity sightings are common, even with a maximum capacity of only 250.