The Belasco

The Belasco is on the corner of 11th and Hill, a block off the Broadway theatre strip in downtown LA. It opened as a playhouse in 1926 and has worn a lot of hats since. It ran as a movie palace, showed adult films, and housed Pentecostal and then LGBTQ+ congregations before film crews moved in during the 90s. Look up at the gold proscenium and you'll see the address, 1050 South Hill, lettered into the plaster.

These days it's a Live Nation music venue, and the main room (the venue calls it the Chapel) is standing room only. It books touring bands from around the world, local scenes and late-night dance parties. There are smaller bars too. The Chamber is a basement bar in the Annex, the Confessional is the ground floor bar and restaurant, and the Sanctuary sits upstairs.

Read the prohibited list before a dance night. Along with the usual weapons and outside drinks, the venue bans LED gloves and any other lights, plus pacifiers, dust masks, eye drops, CamelBaks and stuffed animals. Phones and point-and-shoot cameras are fine, but cameras with detachable lenses need a media pass. Keep your bag under 12 by 12 inches, because there's no coat check to take a bigger one.

There are no in-and-outs. Once you're in, you stay in. The building is old and has no elevator, though there's an ADA section on the floor for guests who need it. If you're driving, the venue sends you to ParkWhiz to book a nearby spot before you leave home.