No Age Fetes L.A.'s The Smell

Last weekend, legendary Los Angeles venue The Smell feted the 14th year of its staunchly DIY existence with two nights of sold-out lineups. No Age, the space's most famous alumnus, headlined on Friday; quintessential LA stoner hipstress Best Coast (with boyfriend Nathan of Wavves and Trash Talk frontman Lee Spielman hanging sidestage) topped the bill on Saturday. A non-profit, volunteer-staffed space helmed by Jim Smith, The Smell originally opened in North Hollywood, where No Age drummer Dean Spunt first attended at the age of 13 (admission policy has always been all-ages). Rising rents led to the venue's relocation downtown in 2002, where it's currently sandwiched between a Latino trans bar and an uber-grungy punk club. According to their website, The Smell is "dedicated first and foremost to the art and the music, and to complete artistic freedom and innovation." No Age's members first played there in 2002 in a previous incarnation, a three-piece hardcore act called Wives. For the cover of 2007 album Weirdo Rippers, Spunt and bandmate Randy Randall painted The Smell's exterior with their moniker and photographed it. According to Randall, they never intended for their name to remain there, but not only has it remained, it's become an icon of the LA DIY scene, almost as much as the band itself. At the party, one of the opening acts, Heller Keller, displayed a photoshopped version of the Weirdo Rippers cover image on their merch table, with their own name substituted in homage.  

As an all-ages environment, The Smell has always been alcohol-free. Randall recounted that 21+ attendees thus traditionally make a habit of pit stops at the closest watering hole, the aforementioned trans/gay bar, Jalisco. As a nod to this, No Age invited some of their pals from the Jalisco to perform with them for a recent video project at MOCA directed by Todd Cole. While No Age had played unannounced shows at The Smell as recently as November, they hadn't played a promoted gig there in years, so anticipation for this show ran high (although Randall, always modest, despite having just returned from gigs in Turkey and at England's ATP, expressed surprise at the turnout). Friday, the band went on just after midnight and played a full set, delighting fans young and old -- this one included. Pics from this awesome night, above.