Honda Center

Honda Center is the big arena on Katella Avenue in Anaheim, a few minutes up the road from Disneyland and right across the 57 from Angel Stadium. Plenty of locals still call it the Pond, after the Arrowhead Pond name it opened under in 1993. The Anaheim Ducks play hockey here from fall into spring, so concerts fit around the home schedule.

When the Ducks are away, the room turns into one of the biggest concert stops south of LA. Pop tours, K-pop arena runs, regional Mexican headliners and the occasional EDM production all come through. Rows are short, mostly 14 seats, so a drink run doesn't mean climbing over half the section. Floor seat numbering changes with each stage layout.

The surrounding area is being rebuilt as OCVibe, and the arena's own site now lives under that name. For a concert, general parking in the onsite lots and garages is part of your ticket, so there's no separate pass to buy. Lots open three hours early. If you're getting dropped off, rideshare and taxis use ARTIC, the glass transit hub just down Katella, and you head out through the south or east doors to meet your car after the show.

Pack light. Backpacks are out for every event, and a concert bag can't be bigger than a small clutch. There's no bag check. The building is cashless, smoking and vaping are banned everywhere on the property, and once your ticket is scanned you can't leave and come back in on it. Give yourself an hour to park and get through the doors on a sold-out night.