At the risk of being labeled a poser and burning out the spots, I will go against the time-honored punk tradition of gatekeeping and present all the vestiges of proper DIY punk bars and venues in L.A. County. Many have come and gone throughout the last four decades, some engraved forever in the annals of American punk history. To hopefully prevent these refreshingly grimy venues from joining the ranks of Al’s Bar, The Vex, and hell even, CAFE NELA.
Los Angeles has always been the epicenter of American punk rock and hardcore. Contrary to the belief of many, punk never died after that first wave, made strong by the likes of The Germs, Youth Brigade, The Dickies, and dozens of other bands that came out during that era in the late 70s and early 80s. Punk rock in Los Angeles is a living, breathing force that depends on fresh faces and emerging anti-everything attitudes to keep these bars alive.
I’m putting out this official list to enjoy what will perhaps be the last generation of rundown punk bars in a city that is looking to overdevelop all of these counterculture community spaces into the post-gentrification abyss. Most importantly, most of these venues give the bands all their door sale money to the bands! Support, take it easy on the pre-gaming for once, and buy booze at these places to ensure they stick around as long as possible.