Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall

It is well very alive at night, nonstop raging for all the edm lovers. Best location for EDM

A favorite among many EDM artists, the Shrine is a GREAT venue to go to for concerts because there's no seating so it's a free for all as to who gets to be in front. I've been here for Dada Life and Steve Aoki, and am going back for Kaskade, never a bad time. There's a parking structure that's crazy expensive but I've found it easier to park on the streets somewhere and just find your way back. Security at this venue is pretty lax but you can't get in without being searched that's for sure. If you love your bass up and your ears ringing, the Shrine is a great place for it.

I have been to concerts at the Shrine several times and have the same complaints every time. The main thing that frustrates me is how the stage is not wide. The crowd area is forced to be extremely narrow which makes it extremely hard to get towards the middle or front. Also, maybe its the speakers or maybe its the structure of the building, but the acoustics and sound did not seem very good for a concert here. Every concert I go to here I either find myself sweating and getting pushed while trying to hold my ground relatively close to the stage or in the back feeling distant from the music. In the end, I would go to the Shrine if there is a performer who you love and you have friends going, otherwise there is no need to visit this venue unless it is to see the architecture on the outside.

I live right by the Shrine and am fortunate enough to walk past a historic LA landmark every morning on my way to class. There is usually nothing going on there in the day, unless there's an award show, in which case people like to crowd around to get a glimpse of their favorite celebrities. However, when there's a concert at night, the Shrine comes alive. I've been to Hard Haunted, Dayglow and Pretty Lights, all of which were phenomenal in their own way. The Shrine was able to transform from a simple indoor and outdoor area for Hard Haunted and Dayglow to a beautiful arena with cushioned chairs for Pretty Lights. At Hard Haunted and Dayglow, you can easily go outside and take a quick breath of fresh air before heading back in to the madness. At Pretty Lights, seating on the second floor also provided an overwhelming view of the stage, so it didn't matter where you were sitting. The way the lights at the Pretty Lights show reflected off the chandelier inside rendered me speechless. Finally, you don't have to worry about long lines at Will Call because they have multiple booths and are very efficient.

For the kind of events that I have been to at the shrine (mostly rave types, Hard Haunted, Above and Beyond, etc.) it works. I was not too concerned about the condition of the venue because the main focus was on the music and the entertainment itself rather than the state of the venue itself. However, I will agree that it has declined with age. While some awards shows are still held there I believe, it has become run down over the years and could definitely use some tender love and care. Has potential to be great again if it had the right person to fix it up.

I haven't been to The Shrine for a traditional concert, but it's phenomenal for a festival show.

Back in its day, the Shrine Auditorium (located right behind USC's campus) was fantastic. The Grammy Awards were held there at one point and it's featured in the film King Kong. However, the Shrine today is kind of grimey and like a dump; little to no cool concerts or shows come through there, except for Dayglow 2012 which was apparently fantastic, but all of my sources reported this while intoxicated so its hard to tell. Either way, I would not recommend going here unless you are getting paid to go or are literally forced. Your time would be better spent staying in that night than going to this venue.

Unlike most people who have reviewed the Shrine, I have never been to a rave at the Shrine. Instead, I attended USC graduation for my older sister here. They used the stage for the grads to walk across while family and friends sat in the comfy chairs. The walls are beautifully decorated in a timeless fashion. Additionally, I remember the bathroom having a cute makeup/wash type room that gave the bathroom such character. It does somewhat smell inside, but don't all old buildings? This is an iconic building in LA, and I love it just for that reason. It should never be taken down!

Hard Haunted used to be held here and I loved it. The place is really small and there are only two stages, indoor and outdoor (and the outdoor is really more of a long, narrow parking lot). The thing I usually don't like about raves is how easy it is to lose your friends and how hard it is to find them again, and that's never an issue at The Shrine. I can go to the bathroom and come back and do a lap and find my friends in no time. I prefer the outdoor area because the indoor kinda feels like where you'd have your high school dance, and for the most part it was kinda empty so it was like a high school dance that no one went to - even lamer. That was kinda weird seeing Zed's Dead in a half empty room, it's hard to get your head-banging on to dubstep when in a large empty room. Sound outside is not as good as inside, but overall I love how small it is.

I saw Above and Beyond at the shrine at the beginning of summer. The venue is super close to the USC campus, so you can walk there. Every time i've been to the shrine the event sell out and the place is pretty crowded inside. The VIP area upstair is pretty nice though and provides some pretty sick views of the venue from the second floor. If you can afford it I would definitely recommend paying a little extra for VIP tickets so you don't have to deal with the crowds.

I saw Bon Iver at the Shrine and through that it provided a great overall concert experience. The outside is verily simple but the inside décor is beautiful inside and takes you back to the 1930's (I have no idea when this place was built but that's the impression I got). It gets overcrowded at the bars and bathrooms which can make it seem a little too crowded. I think it is perfect for indie mellow artists, but cannot imagine going to a rock concert here because, as the review below me observes, it seems too nice.

Went to the Shrine last night to see Jack White and he totally delivered…great guitarist, great show. As for the venue itself, it’s classic style and ornate interior make it seem too nice for a rock concert. When talking to a couple folks while waiting in line they thought it looked like it belonged in Vegas (which I thought was a bit of a stretch, but stresses the point that this is no dump). While physically very nice, I did have a couple issues: 1) Limited drink counters which meant very long lines. I had to wait ~20 minutes to get a couple beers…I suggest buying at least two drinks per person to avoid in the future. 2) Parking was $20 in the lot right next to the venue. Fortunately, the venue is located right on the USC campus and there is a ton of metered street parking nearby…you may need to park a few blocks away but after 8pm parking is free and makes for an easy exit as opposed to waiting in a parking lot. This concert was during the summer and it was early enough where there were a lot of open spots…not sure if it’s the same during the school year though. 3) The sound system was just ok…not sure if it was because I was seated toward the back underneath the balcony but the sound mix was not great and at times it was hard to hear the words (although maybe that was because of Jack’s blaring guitar). Also, the auditorium is filled with seats…no general admission…so everyone is confined to their area…which can be good or bad depending how much you like to float around during a show. In general though, my trip was a smooth experience getting in and out, the security staff was pleasant and helpful, and it was nice to see a show in a mid-sized venue (I think it holds ~5,000 people) where any seat is relatively close for a good view of the action.