The pungent odor wafting through the Smell's brick-walled interior is special. It's not just a smell; it's the grimy remnants of 170 shows booked every year by and for teenagers who come to the Smell for their own oasis amidst the junkies, drunks and cops of DTLA. For 17 years, Jim Smith's hideaway has been a de facto open-mic for diverse acts ranging from experimental noise bands to punk heroes like No Age. Once known as "the house that No Age built," the Smell is the DIY hub where everyone from Haim to Health cut their teeth, where Girlpool first met, and where labels such as Burger and Danger Collective created a cultlike following. At the Smell, "all-ages" is a philosophy as much as it is a door policy. The cooperative space offers a place for kids to choose their own family and find their own tribe.

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