{{Short description|Music venue in Los Angeles}} {{About|the music venue|other uses|smell (disambiguation)}} thumb|Entrance to The Smell in 2015 '''The Smell''' is an all-ages, alcohol and drug-free,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://issuu.com/subbacultcha/docs/subbacultcha-magazine_september |title=Subbacultcha-Magazine_September by Subbacultcha! |publisher=ISSUU |date= 18 August 2008|accessdate=2013-10-18}}</ref> punk rock and experimental music venue in Downtown Los Angeles, California.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesmell.org |title=Los Angeles' volunteer run, all ages experimental art space |publisher=The Smell |date= |accessdate=2013-10-18}}</ref> The Smell, notable for its DIY ethic, is home to many of the area's avant-garde performers and artists. The venue is maintained by Jim Smith, one of the four original organizers of the club, and a number of volunteers.

The Smell continues in the tradition of Los Angeles-based underground clubs such as The Masque and Jabberjaw. Aside from its primary function as a live music and performance art space, The Smell hosts a library, a vegan snack bar and a gallery space.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thesmell.org/about |title=About |publisher=The Smell |date= 5 November 2007|accessdate=2013-10-18}}</ref> The venue predates the conception of the Gallery Row district in which it is located. The Smell and the relatively new Gallery Row both border 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, Jabberjaw and the Impala Cafe, during the same week in late 1997. The Smell opened just a short time later, on January 6, 1998, with a show featuring acts: CRIB (Devin Sarno), Godzik Pink, Chick-uh Chick-ah, Nigel Lundemo, Kraig Grady and The Centimeters. The venue was originally located by the intersection of Magnolia and Lankershim in North Hollywood, but when the cost of rent rose during the NoHo Arts District boom in 1999, it 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, experimental, 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.

The building along with Jim Smith, Kyle Mabson, and Imagymnist, were all featured in the video for Connection, a song by Hawnay Troof. The video went on to become the number 2 indie video of 2008 on MTV2,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fourpawsmedia.com/hawnaytroof/misc/HT-Daggers-one-sheet.pdf|last=Handren |first=Marisa |date=October 22, 2009|title=Hawnay Troof Daggers At The Moon|work=Four Paws Media|accessdate=July 16, 2019}}</ref> and was featured on VH1<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.vh1.com/video/play.jhtml?artist=1755290&vid=268845 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006185954/http://www.vh1.com/video/play.jhtml?artist=1755290&vid=268845 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 6, 2008 |title="Connection" by Hawnay Troof &#124; Music Video |publisher=VH1.com |date= |accessdate=2013-10-18}}</ref> and IFC.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ifc.com/blogs/indie-ear/2008/09/the-troof.php |title=The Troof – IFC |publisher=Ifc.com |date=2008-09-04 |accessdate=2013-10-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090801064748/http://www.ifc.com/blogs/indie-ear/2008/09/the-troof.php |archivedate=2009-08-01 }}</ref>

In 2017, a mural was created over the façade of the venue, stating "Not Our President" with cartoon figures protesting against Donald Trump's presidency.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chakrabarty |first1=Adrija |title=Written on the Walls: Los Angeles street art illustrates history of political resistance |url=http://dailybruin.com/2017/03/19/los-angeles-street-art-illustrates-history-of-political-resistance/ |website=Daily Bruin |accessdate=August 21, 2019 |date=March 19, 2017}}</ref>

In 2024, musical duo Twenty One Pilots filmed the music video for their song "Next Semester" at The Smell.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McKenzie |first=Glam |date=March 27, 2024 |title=twenty one pilots next semester music video |url=https://www.girllovesglam.com/next-semester-music-video/ |access-date=March 29, 2024 |website=www.girllovesglam.com }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Sister project links|d=Q7764894|c=Category:The Smell|q=no|n=no|v=no|voy=no|b=no|m=no|mw=no|wikt=no|s=no|species=no}} * {{Official website}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|34|3|0|N|118|14|43|W|region:US-CA_type:landmark|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smell, The}} Category:Music venues in California Category:Social centers in the United States Category:1997 establishments in California Category:Punk rock venues Category:All-ages DIY venues in the United States