Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mostly Rock
The Dragonfly
Not one to miss a trend, the Dragonfly went from being a dance club
that offer ed liv e music to becoming a liv e stage that offers dancing. F rom “surprise”
shows b y top-notch local acts to national acts like J ane's A ddiction, the D ragonfly is
soaring. Great DJs and dancing r ock the joint, while smokers and the o verheated enjoy
its cool outdoor patio .
6510 Santa M onica Blv d., Holly wood.
&
323/466-6111.
w ww.the
dragonfly.com. Cover free-$20.
King King
I'm not normally keen on Hollywood clubs (too much über-hip dig-me
crap), but King King is a r efreshing change in attitude. The warehouse-size venue feels
more SoHo than L.A.: exposed brick walls and ceilings, dar k lighting, black v elvet cur-
tains, and a square bar on wheels that's moved to accommodate whatever's going on. The
last time I was ther e I watched a rather disturbing play follo wed by a sensational rocka-
billy band.
6555 Hollywood Blvd. btw. Hudson and Whitley aves., Hollywood.
&
323/960-5765.
www.kingkinghollywood.com. Cover $5-$10.
The Knitting Factory
Straight from the New York City legend, a West Coast branch
of the famous Knitting F actory has arriv ed in the r edeveloping Hollywood Boulevard
nightlife district. The Main Stage was inaugurated by a Posies performance and sees such
diverse bookings as Kristin H ersh, P ere U bu, and J onathan Richman; a secondar y
AlterKnit stage has sporadic sho ws. The Knitting F actory is totally wir ed for digital,
including interactiv e online computer stations thr oughout the club .
7021 Holly wood
Blvd., Hollywood.
&
323/463-0204.
www.knittingfactory.com. Cover $5-$50.
Largo at the Coronet
In 2008, this longstanding music v enue moved from its
Fairfax Village home to the aging Cor onet Theatre near the B everly Center. After some
major refurbishment, the main stage is a comfortable 280-seater, and there's an intimate
60-seat room aptly named The Little R oom. There's an eclectic array of per formances,
ranging from the plugged-in folk set to vibrant trip hoppers, and, pop-music ar chaeolo-
gist Jon Brion continues his amazing Friday-night shows, but it's (thankfully) no longer
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Jon Brion Live
When it c omes t o r eal musical talent, f ew L.A. music lo vers will ar gue that
there's a bett er all-ar ound musician than
Jon Brion.
A t a L os Angeles club
called Lar go at the C oronet (see r eview abo ve), Brion per forms an amazing
one-man show that alwa ys leaves his audienc e in a we. Producer, songwriter,
and multi-instrumentalist, he has an amazing abilit y to play multiple instru-
ments simultaneously. (He
is
the house band at Lar go.) Brion is famous f or
making up songs on the spot, usually fr om titles shout ed from the audienc e.
He's also well known for his on-stage antics and idiosyncratic takes on famous
classics such as the Beatles and Cheap Trick. Brion on Brion: “It's like spra ying
musical Raid on the classics, until each dying song flips on its back and wiggles
its little musical legs in surr ender.” His shows tend to start pretty late (for Cali-
fornians, that is), but it 's worth the wait; check the schedule at Lar go's website
to see when he's playing. And don't be surprised if Elvis Costello or Beck makes
a guest appearance. (Kanye West made a cameo rap the last time I was her e.)
