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 What Your Favorite Los Angeles Music Venue Reveals About You
March 3, 2025 | Sophia Cortez
The moment the background music fades and the lights begin to dim, the room buzzes with  palpable excitement as your favorite artist stands under the spotlight. Whether there are 100 audience members or 17,000 in the crowd, their cheers are deafening. From the towering stadiums to intimate theaters on Hollywood Boulevard, the venues here are just as diverse as the artists who play them. Everyone has a favorite, a go-to spot where they feel most at home in the crowd.  But whether you realize it or not, your preferred concert venues might say more about you than just your music taste. Here are five different venues and what they reveal about you.

1. The Hollywood Bowl
Photo courtesy of the Hollywood Bowl
A reliable venue for a reliable person. You might not go to concerts every weekend, but when you do, you’re all in for the experience—the live music, the energy of the crowd, and the simple joy of dressing up with your friends. You don’t always go because you love the artist, but because there’s something magical about dining with live music under the stars. You romanticize listening to jazz from the 1930s-1950s while doing chores or taking long walks. When asked about your music taste, you probably respond, “Oh, I like a little bit of everything—except country.” Reliable and effortlessly charming, you, like the Hollywood Bowl, always draw people in.

2. The Fonda Theatre
Photo courtesy of Mike Hume (Historic Theatre Photos)
Okay, we get it—you have the best music taste. Indie pop and alternative music rule your playlists, and your Spotify wrapped is a personality trait. You’ve definitely quizzed someone to name three songs by an artist you’re surprised they even know, and you can’t help but mutter, “Yeah, I knew them before they blew up” at least once a month. Playlists are a serious art form for you, complete with obscure, mood-based titles like “Playing Wii Sports in a Gothic Library During a Thunderstorm.” With its checkered floor, gold proscenium arch, and murals on every side of the room, the venue is truly one of a kind. Like The Fonda, you're overflowing with character, quirks, and an eclectic taste that sets you apart.

3. The Novo
Photo courtesy of AEG
 You have all the music taste of a Fonda fan—but without the pretentiousness. Cool without trying, you give off major “intimidating, older, cooler sister” vibes. The sleek and unassuming exterior, contrasts the interior, where the classic theater atmosphere meets a modern twist with mood lighting casting a warm glow across the space. Everyone wants you on AUX because you always read the mood perfectly. While you love early 2000s pop and alternative, R&B and hip-hop will always hold a special place in your heart—and playlists. Fashion-wise, you’re just as put-together as The Fonda crowd, but your style leans more timeless and classic. At concerts, you don’t care where your seats are as long as you can hear the music and dance with friends. You’re sophisticated with a playful edge, much like The Novo itself.

4. The Kia Forum
Photo courtesy of LA Conservancy
You definitely camped out to be at the front of the barricade for your favorite artist at least once. You love the Top 40, and you’re proud of it. At concerts, you scream more than you sing, fully prepared to wake up with a sore throat as a badge of honor. If you’re lucky, you scored amazing tickets during presale; if not, you overpaid for them in a panic once tickets sold out. Regardless, the excitement builds as you start planning your outfit, maybe even coordinating with friends. It doesn’t matter that the concert is months away. Kitschy merch? You always make sure to purchase a new piece before the performance. You wear it out in public with no shame. Either way, you keep coming back to the Kia Forum for the same reason—it feels like home.

5. The Smell
Photo courtesy of Raina Douris (NPR)
You don’t love The Smell for the venue itself (or its graffiti covered bathroom). You love it for the nights spent discovering a brand-new punk band before anyone else. That leather jacket you’ve worn for years is so broken into that it's become a second skin. At a show, you are usually the first person to start a mosh pit and the last to leave. Sure, the years of pounding music might leave you with a little ear damage, but it’s a small price to pay for the lifelong memories you’ve made with both strangers and friends.

While there are countless venues in Los Angeles, only a select few capture the diverse personalities of Los Angeles concert goers. Whether you’re basking under the stars at The Hollywood Bowl or getting tossed around in the mosh pit at The Smell, take a moment to consider what your favorite venue says about you.

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