Upon arriving, don’t be misled by the closed doors on Hollywood. Yes, the lights are on, but that’s not the entry for the recently re-opened Palladium. Swing around the back through the parking lot, where you assemble into an amusement park line; the anticipation begins for a first timer. Once inside, a long wide corridor hosts a few bars serving drinks under the skyscraper-high ceiling. As far as size goes, this one may be the largest - we’re talking cruise ship HUGE.

4,000 bodies can stretch themselves across the field of a general admission standing room. Generally, wristbands are necessary to get on the floor, so look for the walkie talkie toting staff and ask, “Are you holding?” If they pull out a bracelet, you’re in luck! If they hand you something else, perhaps you approached the wrong person.
68 years ago the venue opened with Frank Sinatra, taking the place of the original Paramount Studios. Over the decades, history laid down its shoe marks on the space—JFK had a dinner party there, Laurence Welk hosted his radio broadcast from the venue, white power riots took place in the late 80s/early 90s, AND Galaxy Quest filmed its convention scene there.

This past October, after a multi-million dollar overhaul by Live Nation to restore the crumbling place and ensure the roof will not collapse on attendees’ heads, Jay-Z came out—our modern dapper gentleman—backed by an 8 piece band and DJ AM (his first show after his plane crash). Since then, major acts of all genres have taken the stage, from Of Montreal to Rise Against. With Live Nation booking, we’re sure to see many a show stopping moment, either from behind dancing shoulders on the spacious floor, or from the vantage point of the VIP balcony wrapping around the ceiling. So if you’re afraid of heights, you won’t be jealous of the folks leaning on the glass barrier up there.

6215 W Sunset Blvd, (323) 962-7600