Pacific Electric

Pacific Electric takes its name from the streetcar system that once stitched Los Angeles together, and it sits at the end of a cul-de-sac on Naud Street where the warehouses of Mission Junction run into Chinatown. The address is 1729 Naud St, a short walk from the Metro A Line stop at Chinatown Station.

The room holds 750 people, the sweet spot for touring acts that have outgrown the clubs but do not yet fill a theatre. The booking runs wide: indie bands, soul and hip hop acts, punk shows, DJ nights and the occasional comedy or community event. Live Nation lists it among its Los Angeles rooms, and the calendar leans on underplays, club nights and touring acts that would normally play bigger places.

A few things to know before you go. Your phone is the ticket, and printed pages are turned away, so charge it and have the box office as a backup plan with photo ID. The venue is fully cashless, cards and Apple Pay only. And once you are in, you are in, because there is no re-entry. Bags are capped at 12 by 6 by 12 inches and every one gets searched.

Food is a step up from standard venue fare: Badmaash, the Indian street food crew, serves handhelds like chicken tikka poutine and butter chicken tacos, and the bar pours cocktails pulled from the 90s and early 2000s alongside wine, beer and soft drinks. There is no single-use plastic anywhere in the building. Paid parking sits at the venue and street parking is easy on the surrounding blocks, while rideshare drops at Naud and Wilhardt.