Comments (0) Best All-Ages Venue You Don’t Know About - 2007

The Clinic

Ah, the all-ages venue. You love it when you’re younger, ecstatically grateful to have a place where you are able to witness your favorites perform live-and-in-person . . . or just to have a place where you don’t feel too young. But as you grow older, you start hating the very thought of it—kids milling about, the idea of even more people crowding up a show for your band (you were totally listening to them, like, way back when they only played garages and basements and had a self-recorded, three-song demo) and, the absolute worst, no alcohol. Well, there’s a happy medium. Sort of. There’s still no booze involved, but at least it’s a place you can still snoot about to your friends. You know how it goes: You always feel cooler knowing about a place not many others do. Santa Ana’s the Clinic is a venue where mostly local punk bands play. Its No. 1 agenda is supporting the local scene and showcasing bands in an environment where everyone is able to watch. Best of all, the Clinic isn’t one of those cursed pay-to-play venues (LA, we’re looking in your direction) where bands are required to presell a certain quota of tickets in order to perform. The Clinic’s official website makes a good point about the no-alcohol-thing, anyway: “Being an all ages venue, there is a strict no alcohol policy. Drunk kids/adults cause drama; we don’t like drama.”