The Smell is an all-ages, alcohol and drug-free,[1] punk rock and experimental music venue in Downtown Los Angeles, California.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.The venue continued to thrive, serving as a community hub for punk, experimental, noise and weirder electronic music fans, underage and otherwise.
