This month, the Echo is celebrating 15 years of putting on some of L.A.'s very best concerts and club nights. The venue has been a proving ground for performers, from Diplo and M.I.A. to Future Islands and St. Vincent, and has remained a constant as the Echo Park neighborhood has changed dramatically around it. In celebration of a decade and a half of great music and memorable moments, here are some essential facts to know about the beloved club.
In a given year, between 425 and 450 ticketed events light up the venue. That includes concerts and weekly dance-party nights, like the long-running staples Funky Sole and Dub Club.
When a new act called LCD Soundsystem played the club in late-2004, L.A. wasn't quite ready and only 60 tickets were sold. This year, the band headlined FYF Fest, a festival for tens of thousands. FYF itself was incubated at the Echo, with the first five years of the festival taking place in the club and adjoining spaces.
Attend a sold-out show at the Echo and you'll be sharing the experience with about 350 fellow concertgoers. If that's too many bodies for you, head out to the patio for some fresh air; the semi-hidden door is just past the end of the bar.
One text message to talent buyer Liz Garo was all it took to set in motion a surprise Rolling Stones gig in 2013. The band wanted to play a small room for a night and someone in the know told them to skip the old Sunset Strip haunts in favor of the Echoplex, the downstairs sister venue of the Echo.
Walk up to the door on a Monday night and you'll likely be treated to an artist's residency performance. For these residencies, an up-and-coming artist will play the club every Monday for a month to gain experience and exposure—and, best of all, tickets are free. This series has kick-started the careers of now-famous bands like Local Natives and Foster the People.
The Echo may primarily have a reputation as an indie-rock club, but they host music across all genres. In fact, their first performance ever, on December 19, 2001, was hip-hop group Antipop Consortium. Halfway through the set, the new club's power went out and the band had to finish a cappella.
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