KCRW DJ Jason Bentley's Favorite L.A. Places

Any attempt at introducing Jason Bentley will ultimately sound like a gushing love letter. As KCRW's Music Director, he is a huge part of the L.A. music scene, and his show "Morning Becomes Eclectic" featuring live in-studio performances by artists like Fink and Laura Veirs, is like a local on-air institution. Whether it's African folk music or the latest from The Black Keys, this DJ delivers a varied playlist of unexpected, super-cool songs and styles. His podcasts have a cult following well beyond the great state of California, and we highly recommend you check out the "MBE" site to cop his curated list of what to listen to now (ie: Grizzly Bear and Florence + The Machine). No doubt, Bentley is barometer of all things worth listening to and seeing in L.A., so you know we had to ask this seriously astute So-Cal sir to give us his lay of the land, from the best place to get your drink on downtown to the West Coast equivalent of Coney Island.

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Here are Bentley's 5 L.A. must stops:

1. Venice Boardwalk: "Disco roller-skaters, body-builders, and Michael Jackson impersonators make this carnival by the sea an essential destination on any given Sunday afternoon."
The Venice Boardwalk, 1800 Ocean Front Walk (between Venice Boulevard and Rose Avenue); No Phone.

2. Downtown L.A. Pub Crawl: "A constellation of watering-holes will guide the tenacious inebriate through the dark night. A few spots that inspire include The Association, The Edison, Broadway Bar, and The Varnish."

The Association, 110 East 6th Street (between Spring Street and Los Angeles Street); 213-627-7385;
The Edison, 108 West 2nd Street (between South Spring Street and South Main Street); 213-613-0000;
Broadway Bar, 830 South Broadway (between 8th Street and 9th Street); 213-614-9909;
The Varnish, 118 West 6th Street (between South Main Street and South Los Angeles Street); 213-622-9999.

3. The Village Recorder: "A one of a kind recording studio in Los Angeles located in a former Masonic Temple. Within these hallowed halls, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Steely Dan, and countless others have recorded classic albums."
The Village Recorder, 1616 Butler Avenue (between Ohio Avenue and Iowa Avenue); 310-478-8227.

4. Sawtelle Boulevard: "With considerable history among the Asian American community, if you're looking for legit noodle houses, sushi, or serious Korean BBQ, this street has it all. You'll also find Japanese botanical nurseries, anime shops, and tea importers."
Sawtelle Boulevard (between La Grange Avenue and Olympic Boulevard).

5. KCRW: "It's not just a job, it's an adventure."

Locals, tune in to 89.9 at 9 a.m. PST and check out Eclectic24 for the station's new online music channel.

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