Nightlife Longest Running L.A. Parties Guide

With all these L.A. clubs remodeling, restructuring and renaming themselves every six months (or less), not many L.A. parties ever make it to their first anniversary. Here's a list of some of the city's favorite parties that have made it to their first birthdays...and then some. – Stephanie Ocampo

Spaceland Mondays

For the past 10 years, Monday nights at this Silverlake haunt have been famous for a) being one of the only places in LA you can catch a free show (that’s worth seeing) on a Monday and b) introducing L.A. to the some of the most notable names in music today. The Spaceland stage was the first stage in Los Angeles to host The Shins, The Killers, Arcade Fire, Bloc Party, The Faint, Scissor Sisters and Peaches and this infamous free Monday party introduced L.A. to the sounds of The Moving Units and Rilo Kiley – maybe you’ve heard of them.

The Root Down at Little Temple

How many parties in L.A. can say they’ve been around for an entire decade? Not many (besides the one above, of course). After a move from Gabah to their new home at Little Temple and the tragic loss of one of their co-founders, DJ Dusk, The Root Down Soundsystem (DJs Miles, Loslito, Wyatt Case, Expo, Ervin, and Sloe Poke) prove that they are still every L.A. soul music lover’s one-stop shop for funk, hip-hop, roots, and latin music. It’s not uncommon to catch your favorite L.A. DJ stopping by for a drink –

Firecracker at The Grand Star

Going 9 years strong, this party has been poppin’ every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Friday of every month at The Grand Star in Chinatown. Bohemian beauties and b-boys collide at this indoor/outdoor funkfest with resident DJs Kutmah, Coleman, Azul, among others. Check out our photo gallery for their 9 year anniversary party with DJ Rich Medina.

Dub Club

Calling all rastas – if you don’t call the Dub Club home every Wednesday night, there is seriously something not irie with you. For the past 8 years, rastas and those who love them have been invading The Echo – and now the Echoplex – with the city’s best place to skank (the dance, you dirty-minded umm, skanks) to classic reggae, roots, dancehall and dub.

Deep

Marques Wyatt’s weekly Sunday night party at The Viper Room became L.A.’s home for house music in January 1999. Now in 2007, Deep makes every Sunday at The Vanguard a mini-rave and heaven for house-heads with its 1600+ capacity and lavish décor with outdoor patios complete with waterfalls and a Buddha statue. Wyatt has hosted all members of house music royalty at Deep including Mark Farina, King Britt, Miguel Migs and Louie Vega.

Cinespace Tuesdays

Resident DJ and hipster patron saint, DJ Steve Aoki started throwing this Tuesday night hipster haven 3 years ago – when it used to be easy to navigate through the party without having to elbow your way through the American Apparel and Dim Mak hoodie-clad crowd. Now, the doorman turned into a resident DJ (Them Jeans), the line wraps around the corner, and artists like Chromeo and Uffie make special appearances. The most important thing has remained the same though – the Vodka is still free between 10pm –11pm.

Quality at Zanzibar

As one of the only parties in Santa Monica where Westsiders can handle some serious booty-shaking business, Quality at Zanzibar will celebrate its 5th anniversary in December proving that it is still possible to have a quality time there. Every Saturday night, resident tastemakers DJ Haul & Mason perform amazing 2x4 sets for all those ready to sweat their stress off on Zanzibar’s dancefloor. Quality has also hosted the most qualified turntablists in the world as guest DJs including DJ Premier (Gangstarr) and DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Groove Pocket at The Mint

This speakeasy-ish supperclub party hosted by the Kevin Kanner quintet has given hip jazz lovers a refuge from the Rhianna-rocking resident DJs of Hollywood every Monday for the past 2 years. With no cover and 2 for 1 beer, wine, and well drinks between 9-10pm, the amazing music isn’t the only thing that keeps the crowds coming.

Kid’s Cotton Club

For a little over a year, Danny Masterson AKA Hyde from “That 70’s Show” AKA DJ Mom Jeans has been hosting this weekly jazz musician jam fest that brings out jazz aficionados and celebrities. Recently moving from Guy’s on Sundays – where the infamous Lohan snub took place – to an unnamed lounge behind Hollywood's favorite new hotspot Green Door, on Tuesdays, Masterson knows what it takes to keep the Kid’s Cotton Club alive and kickin’.

10.

Check Yo Ponytail at The Echoplex

The youngins get a lesson in hot indie music at this year-old 18 and over party hosted by IHEARTCOMIX (Franki Chan), URB, and Viva La Rock. After the crowd got too massive for Safari Sam’s on Tuesdays, Franki & co. moved the hipster-fest to the massive crowd-friendly Echoplex every other Saturday. Flosstradamus, Diplo, and SpankRock have all checked their ponytails this year, alongside celebs like Lohan (of course), Kelly Osbourne and Orlando Bloom.

11.

Banana Split Sundaes at LAX

Last on the list, but most definitely not least, the baby of our longest running parties list just celebrated their one year anniversary in October 2007 with Fool’s Gold’s Kid Sister. As our favorite new party of the year, no other party in Los Angeles can compare with Steve Aoki and DJ AM’s FREE weekly Sunday Funday that hosts world class DJ’s (with a free keg on the dancefloor) every single week. This year’s guest DJ list has included Melo-D, Stretch Armstrong, Diplo, Z-trip, ?uestlove, A-Trak – yeah, told you no one else could compare.