Music is strongly associated with memory—you tend to remember the places and faces around you when you first heard a favorite song. Now that finals are over and summer is wide open, there’s no better time to advantage of Long Beach’s wide-array of quirky music venues to make these types of long-lasting memories.
Fingerprints
420 E. 4th St,
Long Beach, CA 90802
Good ol’ Fingerprints has been a go-to for audiophiles and vinyl-heads for over two decades. Apart from curating and selling music, they periodically host intimate in-store performances by an eclectic range of acts. The shows are all ages and typically free, but RSVP’ing won’t hurt—especially for bigger acts.
Upcoming:
June 4: Bearcoon
Alex’s Bar
2913 E Anaheim St,
Long Beach, CA 90804
This punky dive is notorious for guttural, hell-raising shows that leave you in a buzzy, sweat-soaked daze. Inconspicuously located, the bar is accessed through the rear—as is the parking lot. The interior is soaked in blood red and filled with Transylvanian kitsch. Unless otherwise noted, the venue plays host to fuzz and feedback Thursday through Sunday, and the cover charges range from $5 and up. Sorry rascals, but shows here are exclusively for the 21-and-over crowd.
Upcoming:
May 23: The Humpers, Pinata Protest, Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders ($12-14)
May 24: Infra Riot, Abrasive Wheels, Schleprock, and more ($10-12)
The Federal Underground
102 Pine Ave,
Long Beach, CA 90802
This Underground can be found in the basement of the old Security Pacific Bank building in downtown Long Beach. Accessed from a staircase inside The Federal Bar, its red-curtained stage is adjacent to a giant 19th century bank vault. Complete with steampunk décor and a conjoined speakeasy, this spacement provides a sophisticated and intimate setting to watch a performance. Age-restrictions and cover charges vary by event.
Upcoming:
June 4: Little People with YPPAH (21+, $8)
June 12: Matthew Santos (21+, $8)
4th street Vine
2142 E 4th St
Long Beach, CA 90814
Literally a brick-and-mortar, this wine bar on Retro Row doubles as a performance space. Musicians playing against its exposed brick walls are so close to patrons that it wouldn’t be surprising to see a busker’s hat at their feet. The establishment holds a weekly event every Wednesday called The Rhino Takedown, which features performances by local bands. Shows are typically free but strictly 21 and over.
Upcoming:
May 20: Vine With Rats in the Louver, The Pretty Flowers, One High Five
May 23: Feral Kizzy, Crazy Eyes, Early Icon
Haskell’s Prospector
2400 E 7th St,
Long Beach, CA 90804
The Prospector isn’t the type of joint that usually comes to mind when you hear band names like Teenage Exorcist or Future Graves. But don’t be fooled by its middle-of-the-desert-steakhouse feel. Walk past the dinner tables, through a glass-and-wood door and eureka!—a whiskey-soaked haunt that somehow manages to reconcile its trove of Gold Rush accoutrements with its appetite for local rock n’ roll. Shows run Tuesdays through Saturdays, and generally all you need to get in is a fiver and a drinking-age ID.
Upcoming:
May 21: Needs, Exorcisms, Assquatch, Band Aparte ($5, 21+)
May 23: Radiohearts, Savoys, Future Graves, Slush Box ($5, 21+)
Que Sera
1923 E 7th St,
Long Beach, CA 90813
Although its name is scrawled out front in a sinister font, this is another spot that’s easy to miss if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Once inside the cavernous venue, you’ll find a long bar that leads to the dance floor. The stage and its backdrop of gold-colored, space-age foil hosts a different style of music every night of the week. Visitors should expect a good dose of body-bumping and thumping underground sounds. They’ll also encounter single-digit covers, a cash-only bar and a bouncer who’ll turn away anyone under 21.
Upcoming:
June 11: Mast, Breathing Effect, Lobo Incognito, Dripping Gem ($3)
July 30: Decibel, Diode, Lucky + Love, A Million Machines, Echolust, Mgoglktko ($5)
DiPiazza’s
5205 E Pacific Coast Hwy,
Long Beach, CA 90804
The tried and true mix of pizza and entertainment will make any Chuckie Cheese graduate feel at home here. Not to mention, DiPiazza’s is located in a dull-looking strip mall, which somehow adds to the novelty. Inside it’s a different story; the mostly high-octane acts attract audiences looking for good-natured ruckus and the occasional mosh pit. The venue charges a cover and most shows are all-ages, though some are 18 or 21 and over.
Upcoming:
May 30: South Hollows
June 5: Crowbar, Battlecross, Lord Dying’s ($18, all-ages)