L.a. Music History Is All Around. Here Are 26 Sites Worth Checking Out

As a child, I spent astir each play pinch my champion friend shooting hoops and jumping fences passim Hollywood.

It was ever amusing seeing visitors — particularly foreigners — statement up astir buildings and extracurricular nightclubs and lounges that held nary meaning to me, astatine nan time.

These monuments I ignored arsenic a youngster became nan must-see places of my teenage years and early 20s.

It was astatine nan Viper Room wherever a 20-year-old maine was tossed retired of statement trying to clang nan aforesaid venue wherever Pearl Jam had played.

I was first scandalized by nan value of a portion for a date’s $10 cocktail astatine nan Troubadour successful West Hollywood (I deliberation I was making $6.50 an hr astatine nan time). But I had to sojourn 1 of Jim Morrison’s favourite haunts.

So I was delighted erstwhile The Times intermezo squad compiled its database of 26 legendary euphony sites successful L.A.

It was nosy to spot favorites, but much importantly, to publication astir caller places and legends.

Hopefully, there’s a spot that intrigues you. Let’s return a look astatine a fewer selections.

(Gerald Francisco)

Capitol Records (Hollywood)

The astir celebrated building successful each of euphony was ne'er overtly intended to look for illustration a stack of LPs and a stylus needle.

“The building was not designed arsenic a animation aliases a giggle. To person it trivialized pinch nan stack-of-records story is annoying and dismaying,” designer Louis Naidorf has said of his Capitol Records Building. “There’s not a point connected nan building that doesn’t person a coagulated intent to it.”

That was nary obstacle for it becoming emblematic of some Los Angeles and nan grounds business. It’s still location to 1 of nan astir renowned signaling studios connected Earth, and its silhouette remains a Hollywood icon and a awesome of Los Angeles connected par pinch nan Hollywood motion nearby.

(Ken Hively/Los Angeles Times)

Elliott Smith Wall (Silver Lake)

The beloved singer-songwriter Elliott Smith posed astatine nan swooping mural extracurricular Solutions speaker repair successful Silver Lake for nan screen of his LP “Figure 8” successful 2000.

After he died by termination successful 2003, nan wall became an unofficial memorial for Smith, wherever fans near rubbing notes, opus lyrics and nips of liquors mentioned successful his songs.

While nan wall has been trim retired successful spots to make room for various restaurants — and it’s often covered successful much flagrant tagging — it’s still a surviving relationship to 1 of nan city’s astir cherished voices.

(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)

Chaplin Studio (Hollywood)

John Mayer calls it “adult time care”: nan historical signaling workplace down nan arched gates connected La Brea Avenue wherever celebrated musicians person been keeping themselves — and 1 different — creatively occupied since nan mid-1960s.

Known for decades arsenic Henson Studios — and arsenic A&M Studios earlier that — nan 3-acre analyzable successful nan bosom of Hollywood has played big to nan creation of immoderate of music’s astir celebrated records, among them Carole King’s “Tapestry,” Joni Mitchell’s “Blue,” Guns N’ Roses’ “Use Your Illusion” and D’Angelo’s “Black Messiah.”

Charlie Chaplin, who was calved successful London, began building nan batch successful 1917 successful a white-and-brown English Tudor style; he went connected to nonstop immoderate of his best-known films, including “Modern Times” and “The Great Dictator,” connected nan property.

(Luis Sinco)

The Lighthouse Cafe (Hermosa Beach)

The Lighthouse Cafe mightiness look acquainted from its cameo successful nan Oscar-winning movie “La La Land,” but this jazz cafe was erstwhile instrumental successful shaping nan West Coast jazz scene.

The beachside spot first opened arsenic a edifice successful 1934 and was changed into a barroom by nan 1940s. It first started to play jazz successful 1949 erstwhile nan proprietor fto bassist Howard Rumsey big a recurring jam session. The jams quickly began to tie some a vivacious crowd of listeners and a halfway group of budding jazz musicians.

Over nan years, musicians for illustration Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Miles Davis and Max Roach each made regular appearances astatine nan Lighthouse. Today, nan venue still hosts jazz brunches each Sunday and different philharmonic gigs passim nan week.

For more, here is nan full list.

The week’s biggest stories

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles news

• L.A. streetlights return a twelvemonth to fix. City Council members opportunity star power is nan answer.
• L.A. Mayor Karen Bass directed Palisades occurrence harm control.
• Three national agents injured in conflict pinch protesters successful downtown L.A.
• Casey Wasserman, nan look of nan Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, is to waste his talent agency pursuing nan Epstein fallout.
• Notoriously hazardous South L.A. lipid wells yet plugged aft decades of organization pressure.

Trump management policies and reactions

• Activists observe as migration agents depart Terminal Island.
• Trump management drops entreaty of tribunal bid blocking $1.2-billion UCLA settlement.
• Criticism by Winter Olympic athletes of Trump policies mirrors reaction to 1968 protest.
• TSA agents are working without pay owed to different shutdown.

Milan-Cortina Olympic Games

• Ilia Malinin’s illness is simply a reminder of really stressful nan Olympic spotlight tin be.
• Jordan Stolz sets different Olympic grounds to triumph his second speedskating gold.
• Visualizing success: Why Olympic skiers mentally rehearse earlier each run.

Crime, courts and policing

• Investigation into nan kidnapping of nan mother of journalist Savannah Guthrie draws scrutiny arsenic lawsuit drags on.
• No arrests aft investigators hunt 2nd location successful Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case.
• Stolen car fishy drives done L.A. River channel, starring authorities connected a pursuit.
  

What other is going on

• Cities are successful revolt arsenic L.A. County wants a healthcare income tax.
• Strong large wind group to pummel L.A. pinch dense rains opening connected Sunday.
• California coffee-growing pioneers dice of chartless causes, leaving down 3 children.
• Viral AI video of Brad Pitt fighting Tom Cruise shakes Hollywood.
• Factory-built lodging hasn’t taken disconnected successful California yet, but this twelvemonth mightiness beryllium different.
• McDonald’s sales surge connected $5 meals for cost-conscious consumers.
  

Must reads

Other meaty reads

• A dropped phone, a assemblage successful nan trunk: Inside an L.A. Fashion District heist gone wrong.
• Cedars-Sinai didn’t enactment connected four decades of complaints astir gynecologist’s intersexual abuse.
• Two Washington Post sportswriters were laid off, but they’re still covering nan Olympics.
• Opinion: In 50-year conflict to protect California’s coast, they’re nan existent McCoys, still astatine it successful their 80s.
• Opinion: The unintended hilarity of Pam Bondi’s finger-wagging testimony.
• Opinion: Free reside is valuable, but only erstwhile it leads us toward nan truth.
  

For your downtime

(Illustrations by Lindsey Made This; photograph by Rony Armas)

Going out

• Sunday Funday: Musician Sheila E. appreciates a tasty brunch astatine Leo & Lily astatine Woodland Hills during her cleanable Sunday.
• Getting to cognize SoCal: Culver City, a crime haven? Bondi’s jab falls flat pinch locals.
• Grab a slice: A prodigal L.A. pizza star returns to cook the city’s champion sourdough.
• The value is right: How this $30 Monday meal menu is fighting nan edifice affordability divide.

Staying in

• Stargazing L.A. style: NBA All-Star Weekend: What clip is nan game? What’s new?
• A bully read: Millennial women are successful midlife and they request to talk astir it. Author Emily Nemens’ caller “Clutch” talk nan theme.
• ✏️ Get our free regular crossword puzzle, sudoku, connection hunt and jigsaw games.

L.A. Affairs

Get wrapped up successful tantalizing stories astir dating, relationships and marriage.

Have a awesome day, from nan Essential California team

Jim Rainey, unit reporter
Hugo Martín, adjunct editor, accelerated break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, play writer
Karim Doumar, caput of newsletters

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