The Smell
The Smell is an all-ages, alcohol-free music and art space at 247 South Main Street in Downtown Los Angeles, with its entrance on the alley behind the storefronts. It opened on January 6, 1998, in North Hollywood and moved downtown in 1999 when rents rose there.
The space is volunteer-run, with the people who book shows, work the door, run sound and staff the snack bar drawn from its own community. Jim Smith, one of its original organizers, became its longtime owner. Along with the stage it keeps a small library, a gallery area and a vegan snack bar, with water, tea and coffee for a dollar or two. It closed briefly in 2003 over fire code violations and reopened that September. Hawnay Troof shot a 2008 music video in the building, and Twenty One Pilots filmed a music video there in 2024.
Shows are usually $10 to $20, with advance tickets sold online and door tickets available at most events. No alcohol or drugs are allowed. Historic Broadway station on the A and E lines is about two blocks away.
Know Before You Go
- Venue type: DIY Venue
- Opened: 1998
- Operator: Independent (volunteer-run nonprofit)
- Programming: Punk, noise, experimental and indie bands in an all-ages, alcohol-free space
- Ages: All Ages
- Nearest rail: Historic Broadway (A and E lines)
This profile is part of The 824 Journal Guide to Live Music Venues in Los Angeles and Orange County.
Official Links
Sources
Photo: UpdateNerd via Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Share this:
Venue Details
- Address
- 247 S Main St
Los Angeles, CA 90012 - City, State
- Los Angeles, CA
- Indoor / Outdoor
- Indoor
- Standing / Seated
- Standing Room Only
- Parking
- Paid lots are nearby; the venue has no parking of its own.
Amenities
- Food
- Limited
- Drinks
- None