West LA lacking any hip music (Los Angeles, Pasadena: rentals, cinema, college)

[alaplex]

Can someone please explain why the entire area west of West Hollywood lacks any hint of an alternative or modern music scene? I find that all best music is located areas such as silverlake, Los Feliz, Echo Park, Highland Park, etc. Used to be a pretty good scene in Hollywood but now all that's left is the primary sunset strip clubs which don't often get very good talent. The exception would be The Troubador which remains to be a front runner for quality entertainment. West of that you have places like Bev Hills, Century City, West LA, Santa Monica, Culver City. Seems like all those areas closer to the beach cities are stuck in the 70's. Examples include Cinema Bar in Culver City which is country and borderline country. Santa Monica seems to be preoccupied with every other culture including African, Mexican, etc with those horrble Pier concerts. Went to the Santa Monica Solstice festival last year and it was a bunch of tiny bands with tiny equipment playing 80's covers, Madonna and that horrible Grateful Dead cover band Cubenis. There is another festival coming to Culver City in May with a Tom Petty cover band, and another 80's cover band. Santa Monica parking lot has the LA BBQ coming with some hack country band and that Tom Petty cover band.

Just curious what is up with this area? I went to "Make Music Pasadena" last summer and they had a great free line up with bands like "Kinky", Autolux, The Raveonettes, Division Day, etc. It just seems that this entire west side is just full of over the hill hippies or something. Oh, you also have Westwood. This is supposed to be a college town? What's up with that. I went to Ohio State and I can tell you they had a thriving hip scene on High St in Columbus which is pretty normal for any college area.
On a Saturday night in Westwood you can hear a pin drop and the most exciting thing is watching people sipping their soy cappucino lattes. I really can't help but feel sorry for those students who are missing out on a thriving hip scene in their college years.

Maybe someone can explain all this to me. It's just a phenomenon I have noticed and think a book should be written on how a major part of Los Angeles has managed to sink to the level of just another boring area with no real scene.

[happ]

Sorry to hear that Westwood has become a graveyard. Many years ago there were even movie premiers & street music festivals in Westwood. I agree the music scene is more diverse\ accessible on the Eastside\ Pasadena

[Island_OnThe_Land]

My percpetion is that you are correct (the dominance of Silverlake, Echo Park, Los Feliz, etc. over West Hollywood/West LA) for hip or cutting edge music. HOWEVER, I think that has been the case since at least the mid-1990's.

Once Raji's (on Hollywood Blvd) closed in 1994 after the Northridge earthquake, there were not many places left in Hollywood proper that would book interesting bands. Spaceland (in Silverlake) came along not long after and the eastward shift you discuss was cemented.

One final comment: if you look at the people who live in West Hollywood and West LA it's perhaps not surprising that you get more bland, less cutting edge stuff there. Silverlake, Echo Park, Los Feliz residents are far more likely to go out and support hip, funky bands (IMO).

[Exitus Acta Probat]

Originally Posted by happ

Sorry to hear that Westwood has become a graveyard. Many years ago there were even movie premiers & street music festivals in Westwood. I agree the music scene is more diverse\ accessible on the Eastside\ Pasadena

It was never too big there. Not like Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood.

[graciously]

Originally Posted by Island_OnThe_Land

One final comment: if you look at the people who live in West Hollywood and West LA it's perhaps not surprising that you get more bland, less cutting edge stuff there. Silverlake, Echo Park, Los Feliz residents are far more likely to go out and support hip, funky bands (IMO).

agree seems right on.

[bhcompy]

kids cant afford to live in that part of town. music has drifted into the inland empire, orange county, long beach, etc

[Lord Lionheart]

Originally Posted by alaplex

Santa Monica seems to be preoccupied with every other culture including African, Mexican, etc with those horrble Pier concerts. .

As far as Santa Monica goes;

Have you been to Harvelle's

welcome to harvelles.com

Zanzibar is a music/DJ club;
Zanzibar - Santa Monica - California

The Temple Bar just closed not sure if the new owners will present live music?

Temple Bar - Santa Monica - Ca - Club Info

McCabe's guitar shop in Santa Monica is a landmark for meeting musicians and puts on a lot of shows;

McCabe's Concert Listings

Not sure if these are the type of scenes you are looking for as I'm out of the loop being older with 2 young kids, but these are just a few of the Santa Monica music locations. I'm sure there are more?!?!

[BennyPhoenix]

Money.
Commercial rentals in Weho and the westside is easily twice the price as the eastern parts of town.

[alaplex]

thanks everyone. I believe that Lord Lionheart just made my point for me. Harvelles (strictly blues)
McCabe guitar shop (no bar, all acoustic), Temple bar (mostly music with other cultural influences).
Never been to Zanzibar. Maybe it's worth a try. But where is the alternative rock?

[AnUnidentifiedMale]

Originally Posted by bhcompy

kids cant afford to live in that part of town. music has drifted into the inland empire, orange county, long beach, etc

Very true. The median age in West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica is significantly higher than in the region as a whole.