Music plays a large roll in our family’s everyday life; in fact as I write this I can hear my older son practicing his guitar in the other room. Lucky for us we all have similar taste in music. I’m not sure how this happened, but I know we really lucked out, and I’m so grateful! Especially, since the loud noises coming from the other room actually resemble songs I like!
Simon has been joining us for live music events since he was six years old (yes, we use earplugs), and now that Elliot is old enough all four of us are going! We’ve been busy these past few months exploring LA’s music scene.
Here’s the scoop on sound, seating, parking and everything in between at the 5 different venues we’ve recently visited. We’ve even included a few of our favorite songs for your listening pleasure!
Table of Contents
5 LA Places to Get Your Groove On:
The Rose Bowl
Band: Green Day
The Rose Bowl is located in Pasadena, about 25 minutes from Downtown Los Angeles. It is of course famous for hosting THE Rose Bowl of football fame, which is held on New Year’s Day, but it also plays host to a monthly flea market. The stadium is open air and seats just under 91,000 people.
Billy Joe Armstrong puts on a fabulous show.
We all agreed that the sound was great! We had general admission floor tickets for this show, and if possible I would recommend them. The Rose Bowl is quite large and the stage is far from the stands.
A great show all around!
There were plenty of food and drink options inside the Rose Bowl, however if you have time you might consider grabbing a meal in Old Town, Pasadena, which is a fun place to explore.
Loved all the confetti!
Parking options: Parking at the Rose Bowl is expensive. There are shuttle options, but we wanted flexibility, so opted to pay the whopping $40 fee to park in the official lot. In the end it was worth it for the convenience, as it turned out we exited the parking lot right near the freeway.
Tip: Purses were not allowed at this show. You’ll want to check the venue’s website prior to your show for any restrictions.
Green Day: She from the album Dookie
Video of “She” from the show:
Forgive the quality of the video, but… dancing!
We saw this yummy treat in Old Town when we passed by Stray Cat Poke & Dessert! Funny thing is… we were on our way to dinner.
The Regent Theater
Band(s): Night Riot & The Dreamers
Located in Downtown Los Angeles, The Regent Theater originally opened in 1914, and is the oldest building on the block. The venue is quite small with a capacity of only 1,100 people, which in my mind makes it the perfect place to see a show. We all agreed the sound was good, and because of the intimate size of the theater so was the viewing.
NIght Riot
We had a great time at this venue, and will definitely be attending another show here! Its downtown location means you’ll find plenty of both parking and food nearby. We like Little Damage for it’s ice cream, Birdies for it’s chicken and waffles, and Kazu Nori for its hand rolls. Kazu Nori is just across the street!
The Dreamers
The Regent hosts other events as well, one of which is the Rock n’ Roll Flea Market held on the 1st Sunday of the month. I’m looking forward to checking this out soon!
The Dreamers and Night Riot opened for The Maine.
Tip: The Dreamers was an all ages show, but you’ll want to check before purchasing tickets.
Dreamers: Sweet Disaster from the Album This Album Does Not Exist
Night Riots: Contagious from the Album HOWL
Sweet Disaster Video:
Little Damage just happened to be on the way to the car, so of course we had to stop!
The Greek Theater
Band: The Shins
The Greek Theater is located inside Griffith Park and is an outdoor venue. The Theater seats less than 6000, and in my opinion is a great place to see a show. Tim wasn’t as sure, as he is more partial to the northern Greek Theater located in Berkeley, California. We both agreed the sound was only okay, but I loved the setting.
The Shins
There are concessions including a bar onsite, but as the venue is inside Griffith Park there are no other food options. You might consider grabbing a bite in nearby Silver Lake or Los Feliz.
A rare date night.
Parking options: There is plenty of parking available. We paid $15 and walked a short distance uphill to the Theater. Had we paid online in advance we would have saved $5, or alternatively we could have paid more and parked even closer to the venue’s door.
Tip: Purses were not allowed at this show. You’ll want to check the venue’s website prior to your show for any restrictions.
The Shins:
The grilled bread was delicious
Prior to the show we grabbed dinner at Wolfdown a fun laidback restaurant in Silver Lake, one of my favorite neighborhoods.
The Hollywood Bowl
Band: Depeche Mode
The Hollywood Bowl is located one mile from the famed corner of Hollywood and Highland in… You guessed it, Hollywood! The Bowl seats 17,500 people and is an open air venue. Getting there can be a challenge, but it’s worth it! I think the sound at the Bowl is great, and so is the service!
We chose to eat an early dinner on Hollywood Boulevard and walk to the venue, but there are plenty of food options within the venue as well.
Tip: Our seating choice came with the option to order food and beverage directly, which was very convenient. We ordered a bottle of wine right to our seats!
Parking options: Parking at the Bowl can be challenging and expensive, and once you’ve parked you can’t leave until the show is over. If you don’t want to drive there are shuttle options. Check the website for more information. We chose to use Lyft, and it worked perfectly for our needs.
Tip: if you must drive, and you don’t want to park onsite, park in the Hollywood & Highland Complex and walk one mile to the Bowl.
Even with a fancy ticket our seats weren’t that close.
Depeche Mode: Precious from the album Playing The Angel
Somebody Video:
If you’re hungry after the show look for the danger dog vendors. They can usually be found outside of any major event, and all over the city. I recently had my first one…Delicious!
The Forum
Band: Fall Out Boy
The Forum, located in Inglewood, is the former home of the Los Angeles Lakers, and only about 3 miles from the Los Angeles International airport (LAX). Depending on the event The Forum seats as many as 17,500 people. I thought the sound was only okay, but my son loved it, and these tickets were his 15th birthday present, so in this case that’s all that mattered.
Not the best seats, but we had fun!
There are plenty of food and beverage options inside The Forum, including Pink’s Hot Dogs, which I happen to love. There is also a full bar. People were incredibly helpful and overall our experience at this venue was great!
Thankful I still get to come along
Parking options: Parking at The Forum ranges from $25 – $40, and traffic getting there is everything bad thing that you’ve ever heard about LA traffic, especially on a Friday night. We chose to take a Lyft, and there is a well marked dedicated area at the venue just for ride sharing services. They even had charging cables and coffee available while you waited for your ride.
Plenty of merchandise options.
Tip: If the line for merchandise is too long, there are places to buy inside as well.
Fall Out Boy: Immortals from the move Big Hero Six
Fall Out Boy Video:
Pink’s Chili Cheese Hot Dogs are an LA institution, so of course I had to have one!
You might also be interested in: The Soundtrack Of My Life! Volumes 1 & 2…
Pin for later:
joylovestravel
Wow, you are spoilt for choice here Hilary – so great you all go to gigs together!! Our son shares our music tastes too and we do the same, it’s so much fun. Love the food suggestions here too…
stripSearchLA
Lovely article. As someone who plans to have a family in the coming years, it’s nice to see that there are fun activities to enjoy with the whole family. Cheers!
Hilary
Yes! Having a family only increases the opportunities for fun!
Are We Adults Yet
What a fantastic activity to share with the fam! I also absolutely LOVE The Troubadour, The Fonda, The Wiltern, and The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever… keep your eye out for upcoming shows there, too!
-LBK
Hilary
Thanks!! We’ve been to Hollywood forever and the Wiltern too! Both great locations! I’ll look into the troubadour!!
California Globetrotter
These all look like awesome concert venues! I’ve never made it to any of them, but always wanted to check out the Rose Bowl. That’s cool that your son plays the guitar! #CityTripping
Hilary
The Rose Bowl is a great venue and if you like flea markets theirs is pretty awesome!
connie
Love the mix of venues and of course, being a food-fanatic, I am loving your handy recommendations for where to eat too! #farawayfiles
Trish @ Mum's Gone To
Imagine having all those fantastic venues on your doorstep – fantastic! I love all the treats to eat too.
#farawayfiles
Hilary
We are so lucky we have a ton of fun venues to explore here!
Clare Thomson
Love the way you’ve combined trips to the music spots with the best recommendations for food to eat on your way there and back! I did enjoy listening to that bit of Green Day. This is such a useful resource for people wanting to see music in LA. #FarawayFiles
Hilary
All that music makes you hungry!!
Amanda Afield
That’s awesome that you have similar taste in music and the food looks fantastic. This post makes me want to look for concert tickets-it’s been way too long since I’ve been to a show! #FarawayFiles
MummyTravels
Now I love the idea of a venue where you can order a bottle of wine directly to your seat – super civilised! #farawayfiles
Hilary
It was pretty nice!
Angie
Food and music what a great combination. So many great venues. Whenever I go to see a band I always wonder why I don’t do it more often….. #FarawayFiles
Jessica @ Independent Travel Cats
Hi Hilary – I haven’t been to any of these places but a great mini guide for someone looking for some of the big music venues in LA! Looks like you have been definitely getting your groove on 😉
katy@untoldmorsels
One of my best friends flew to LA from Australia just to see U2! There are so many iconic venues in LA – thanks for all the suggestions for making the most of them #FarawayFiles
Hilary
Wow! That’s dedication! We saw U2 last year in San Jose.
fifi + hop
Fun post! Love that you can order a bottle of wine directly to your seat at the Hollywood Bowl. I do find it strange that at some of the venues you can’t bring a purse. Am I just really out of the loop?! #farawayfiles
Anisa
It’s so nice you and your son share a love of music! I would love to see a concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard.
Elizabeth (Wander Mum)
So wonderful that you all share a love of music – and similar tastes too. What a great thing to do as a family and what a useful post! I’m totally in the LA know now on its music scene! Thanks for linking #citytripping
Staci
I love the Rose Bowl (U2, 2009) and the Hollywood Bowl (Bright Eyes, 2007). I must have seen The Shins just days after you — at the SDSU Open Air amphitheater here down in San Diego. Thanks for the lowdown on the other LA venues! I would love to see a show at The Forum someday especially since the renovation. I love renovating old buildings instead of replacing. The San Diego Sports Arena could take a page out of the LA Forum’s book! #TheWeeklyPostcard
Hilary
Yes! The forum was a great venue! I’ve also seen great shows at The Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Staples, the Whiskey and the Viper Room. Their are so many great options for music around here aren’t there?!