The Smell
3132779
225555380
2008-07-14T08:17:06Z
76.167.220.96
{{Notability|date=April 2008}}
{{Primarysources|date=February 2008}}
{{Citations|date=April 2008}}
[[Image:thesmell.jpg|thumb|Jim Smith with [[Brendan Fowler|BARR]] and [[Hawnay Troof]]. Photo by David Horvitz]]
'''The Smell''' is a [[punk rock]]/[[noise]]/[[experimental]] venue in [[Downtown Los Angeles|Downtown]] [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[California]]. <ref>[http://www.thesmell.org TheSmell.org]</ref> The Smell, notable for its [[DIY ethic]], is home to many of the area's [[avant-garde]] performers and artists. A few who are known as Smell "regulars" include [[Abe Vigoda (band)|Abe Vigoda]], [[Ancestors (band)|Ancestors]], [[Brendan Fowler|BARR]], [[Carla Bozulich]], [[David Scott Stone]], [[Health (band)|Health]], [[Lavender Diamond]], [[The Mae Shi]], [[Mika Miko]], [[No Age]], [[Silver Daggers]], [[Thrones (band)|Thrones]], and [[Upsilon Acrux]]. Some of these bands are gathering a devout following nationally and have reached high levels of critical acclaim. The venue is maintained by Jim Smith, one of the four original organizers of the club, a constantly evolving group of volunteers, and the Danny and Frank security street team.
The Smell continues in the tradition of Los-Angeles-based [[underground music|underground]] clubs such as [[The Masque]] and [[The Jabberjaw]]. Aside from its primary function as a live [[music]] and [[performance art]] space, The Smell hosts a [[library]], a [[Veganism|vegan]] snack bar, and a gallery space. The venue predates the conception of the [[Gallery Row, Los Angeles, California|Gallery Row]] district in which it is located. The Smell and the relatively new Gallery Row both border [[Skid row#Los Angeles|Skid Row]].
==History==
The Smell was founded by Ara Shirinyan, Jarrett Silberman, and Jim Smith as one of the few all-ages art/performance spaces in Los Angeles, after the demise of two local venues, [[The Jabberjaw]] and [[The Impala Cafe]], during the same week in late 1997. The Smell opened just a short time later, on January 8, 1998. It was originally located by the intersection of Magnolia and Lankershim in [[North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|North Hollywood]], but when the cost of rent rose during the [[NoHo Arts District, Los Angeles, California|NoHo Arts District]] boom in 1999, the venue relocated to cheaper Downtown Los Angeles. Shirinyan gave up his ownership before the venue's move, so Silberman, Smith, and Mac Mann constructed the new space. Silberman left in late 2000, leaving only Smith to carry on with its maintenance. The venue continued to thrive, serving as a community hub for [[punk rock|punk]], [[experimental music|experimental]], [[noise music|noise]] and weirder electronic music fans, underage and otherwise. However, fire-code violations forced the club's closure in February 2003. Instead of shutting down for good, Smith, now its sole owner and its only full-time employee, used his own money and worked with volunteers to renovate the venue. Since reopening in September 2003, benefit shows help keep the space open and up to code.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.thesmell.org Official website]
* {{myspace|thesmell}}
* [http://www.laweekly.com/music/music/stink-for-yourself/3218/ LAWeekly.com]
* [http://www.la.com/nightlife/5667411.html LA.com]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smell, The}}
[[Category:Music venues in California]]
[[Category:DIY spaces]]