Troubadour

The Troubadour has been on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood since 1957, and its address is 9081. You'll spot it by the Gothic lettering running across the awning and the tall sign out front that still says Doug Weston's Troubadour. It's a small room, so even a band that could fill a theatre ends up close enough to see their shoes.

Most shows are general admission and standing room. A few are seated, and the event page will tell you when. Doors usually open an hour before the show starts, and nobody gets in before the posted door time, so there's little reason to camp outside all afternoon. If the opener isn't your thing, the front bar is a good place to wait.

The box office opens at door time and only takes cash, which matters if you're hoping to buy at the window on a night that hasn't sold out. Inside, the bars and the food counter take cards and phones as well. A small kitchen cooks bar food every night. If you're 21 or older and want to drink, show your ID for a wristband. That same band is how staff let you step out and come back in, on nights when re-entry is allowed at all.

You can carry a bag up to 14 by 14 inches. There's no coat check, so a bigger one goes back to the car or stays home.

Driving here takes patience. The club runs no lot and no valet, the street signs nearby carry restrictions worth reading twice, and the paid lots within walking distance include the one at West Hollywood Park. The Troubadour itself steers people toward rideshare and transit, and on a busy weekend that's good advice.