Barry Zito's guided tour of
Los Angeles music hot spots
Los Angeles is made for music lovers. From intimate jazz clubs and cozy acoustic cafes to the pulse-pounding Sunset Strip, there's something happening every night of the week in the sprawling Southland.
For the inside scoop on the coolest spots in town, we turned to 2002 Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Barry Zito. An accomplished guitarist in his own right, Barry got his first taste of the local music scene when he played college ball at USC. He also has deep musical roots: His father, Joseph, wrote and arranged songs for Nat King Cole; his mother, Roberta, sang backup. Barry still occasionally drops in to jam at Los Angeles clubs with his sister Sally, who heads the Sally Zito Project band.
Barry's lineup of music winners
A real organic place, The Mint
is an awesome venue. It's dark, with a plain, simple vibe—not a lot of bells and whistles. It's all about the music. Mainly locals hang out there, but it has a national reputation among musicians.
There's no place in the world like the Sunset Strip; it's the epitome of "happening." When I want to catch some cool acts, I go to Troubadour
and Whisky A Go Go . They're both classic L.A. clubs—famous, full of the beautiful people, with tons of history. The Roxy Theatre has got a cool bar with VIP seating, a great stage, and a small dance floor in front. It's a great setup, and it also has lots and lots of history. Genghis Cohen is another cool place. It's a small, intimate, cabaret-like room attached to an amazing restaurant—best pan-Asian I've ever had.
I've gotten into jazz in recent years. Catalina Bar & Grill
is the best place in L.A. to hear jazz. It has a real good vibe. I also love to go to the Hollywood Bowl. I saw the Dave Matthews Band there not too long ago. I want to see Coldplay and Stevie Wonder next time they come through. For big-name acts, you can't beat it.
