Club Nokia

I saw Queensryche here.  It was in May 2013.  I liked it.. I had seats upstairs and was in some VIP bar?  I had to go up an elevator and pass through 2 or 3 places before I could get to my seats.   Not sure what that was about.  Either way, the show was great and the theatre was comfortable.  Leather seats I think.  If you have ever been to a Queensryche show... its like some cult, eveyone knows the words to every song and they sing from the top of their lungs.  (I belong too).  It was Operation Mindcrime... and a good venue to have the show.  Small enough to see all from everywhere.  By the way, Rudy Sarzo was on the Bass.  The local area is fun, because you are surrounded by other venues and places to grab a post or pre dinner/lunch.  It was a good night with friends.

worst venue ever.  just as bad as the nokia theatre.  

never going back.

***Club Nokia is a decent but not great live music and comedy venue; seating is just okay; there is not much seating and the balcony seating provides only an okay view of the stage due to the awkward viewing angle; there is not much in terms of food at this theater***

Club Nokia is the little sister venue to the Nokia Theatre; both venues are at LA LIVE.  The two venues immediately remind me of tennis' Wimbledon and U.S. Open where you have the big name player matchups at Centre Court and Arthur Ashe Stadium and then the next big names at the smaller No. 1 Court and Louis Armstrong Stadium.  Club Nokia is also a little different from Nokia Theatre.  This venue has quite a bit of standing room tickets and its open space allows for corporate gatherings and private events.

I have seen both live music (Boyz II Men, I did not know they were still around) and comedy (Cedric the Entertainer) at Club Nokia.  I was in the standing room only section for Boyz II Men and the balcony for Cedric the Entertainer.  I actually thought the standing room only section was a better value and provided a good view of the action; it depends though on where you are standing and who is front of you.

I was not a big fan of the balcony seating.  The seating is comfortable enough and not too narrow.  It also provides a decent enough view of the stage.  Unfortunately, the balcony is kind of at an awkward angle to the stage so I think the overall view from the balcony is not that great when compared to other live venues.

This club has a bar, but there is not much in terms of snacks--just a lot of run-of-the-mill packaged snacks and candy.

Service is good.  The bartenders are nice and the other staff members--from ticket takers to the security check employees (metal detector) and the ushers--are polite and not rude or pushy, which you can sometimes get at live venues.

Ticket prices vary by the performer.  I think ticket prices here are more often than not a little expensive for the names that perform.  Because Club Nokia books big names (but not as big names as Nokia Theatre), there are definitely shows that might interest you.  My suggestion though is to seek out deals through online sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial.  I have seen some very good discounts on their retail prices through these types of sites.

Club Nokia is an okay venue for a live performance.  I did not enjoy the balcony seating and I believe seating close to the stage is occasionally not that more expensive.  I would consider looking at those tickets or even standing room tickets first before selecting balcony seating.  As already mentioned, food options are not great for a live venue.  Ultimately though, I think how much you enjoy this theater will depend on how much the talent interests you.  Club Nokia does feature a wide variety of performers so there is a good chance that an upcoming performance might spark your interest.

LA LIVE has its own pay parking structure that is very expensive.  There are several pay lots near LA LIVE and they typically feature significantly less expensive parking as long as Staples Center is not holding a sporting event or special event.