The Bellwether

The Bellwether is a 1,500-capacity music venue at 333 S. Boylston Street in downtown LA. The main room is a ballroom with a wooden dance floor, a d&b sound system and custom lighting, and a balcony wraps 270 degrees around it. The venue calls itself a music venue and nightlife destination, and its calendar has room for concerts and DJ bookings alike.

Most shows are general admission and standing room only. Down on the floor you're in the thick of it. Up on the balcony you can see over everyone's heads and watch the crowd move while still hearing everything. The paid Looking Glass Lounge add-on has its own entrance, a private bar and a stage-adjacent viewing section on the balcony level. There's also an open-air patio, plus a restaurant and bar called The Virginian that's usually open to the public about an hour before doors.

Doors usually open an hour before the listed time, but that shifts from show to show. Most shows are all ages, some carry age limits, and nobody gets in without a ticket, whatever their age. The venue is cashless, so the bar takes cards and phones only. It's non-smoking and non-vaping, which rules out lighting up between sets. Bags and backpacks have to be under 14 by 14 inches, and security may inspect or remove any item.

There's no re-entry once you leave, so sort out your jacket and your ride home before you go through the door. On-site parking is limited and sold ahead of time for each show through Ticketmaster. Most people use the nearby lots and street parking instead, or take the Metro A or E Line to Grand Ave Arts/Bunker Hill and walk about six blocks. Lyft is the venue's official rideshare partner.