The 5th installment of Hard Summer is right around the corner. I know where I’ll be, I know what I’ll be doing August 3rd and 4th. That’s right, the one-day festival is expanding to a two-day event for the first time ever this year. Hopefully that’ll underscore the fact that Hard really is a destination festival right in the middle of downtown Los Angeles. Skrillex, Bloc Party, Miike Snow (Live), Boys Noize, Bloody Beetroots (DJ set), Nero (Live), Magnetic Man, Squarepusher, James Murphy, Little Dragon are but a few names at the top of the bill.
To maximize your fun meter, the folks at Hard rounded up a few of this year’s performers and asked them share some of their favorite downtown Los Angeles spots.
They have Skrillex talking Little Tokyo, the Association with 12th Planet, Low End Theory with Gaslamp Killer, the Standard with Destructo, Chinatown with Dillon Francis. They basically made it impossible for you to not know what to do if you find yourself in DTLA. So here you go… 10 things to do from the people that do ‘em.
Skrillex Recommends:
I love Little Tokyo and all the different shops. The Kyoto Grand Hotel is right there, too… that’s where I recorded Sirah’s vocals for the song. And Hama is a real good sushi restaurant.
Hama Sushi
347 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Popkiller
343 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Kyoto Grand Hotel and Gardens
120 S Los Angeles St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
12th Planet Recommends:
When I’m not on the road, I’m at the compound in the historic core of DTLA. I love to eat at Mai’s Mexican food and of course, LA Cafe because it’s open 24-hours and very close to the studio. Some of my favorite moments have been hanging at the Association with my friends enjoying good whisky.
The Association
110 E 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
LA Cafe
639 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
Mai Mexican Kitchen
633 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
Gaslamp Killer Recommends:
Low End Theory at The Airliner right outside of Chinatown is the place to be every Wednesday night for the last five years. Residents DaddyKev, DJ Nobody, D-styles, Nocando, & myself playing our favorite music for kids 18 and up. It’s $10 and always rad. Urth Cafe is the bizness. It’s on the east side of downtown LA right by the I-5 freeway—always fresh and always bangin’.
Urth Cafe
451 S Hewitt St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
The Airliner
2419 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90031
Low End Theory
Destructo Recommends:
Yang Chow in Chinatown. This is the go-to spot for me near the LA State Historic Park. Get the Slippery Shrimp. In 2002 I helped launch the Standard with my Sunday Service parties at the rooftop pool; I always love the great view and cocktails. For the perfect way to close out your HARD Summer weekend get Dim Sum Sunday morning at the Empress Pavilion.
Yang Chow
819 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012
The Standard, Downtown LA
550 South Flower Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Empress Pavilion
988 N Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Sirah Recommends:
Little Tokyo is my jump off. I go to a grocery store that’s tucked into the corner of a shopping center and make myself a concrete picnic.
Marukai Market
123 S Onizuka St. Los Angeles, CA 90012
Nijiya Market
124 Japanese Village Plz Mall, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Jason Bentley Recommends:
Little Tokyo and MoCA. Take a stroll through Little Tokyo’s gift shops, stop in for sushi or shabu shabu, and take in some art at the Geffen Contemporary at MoCA before heading over to HARD festival grounds, just a short distance north on Alameda.
Japanese Village Plaza
335 E 2nd St #223 Los Angeles, CA 90012
Museum of Contemporary Art
250 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
152 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Oligee & U-Tern of Oliver Recommend:
La Cita. It’s a little bar/Mexican restaurant near 4th & Hill in downtown with a great party called Dance Right on the Thursday night.
La Cita
336 S Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Dance Right
Dillon Francis Recommends:
I like to buy fireworks and tiny turtles in Chinatown and feed homeless kittens.
Friday, August 3:
Bloc Party, Boys Noize, Miike Snow (Live), Chromeo (DJ Set), Little Dragon, Magnetic Man, Erol Alkan, Bootsy Collins & The Funk Unity Band, Fake Blood, Gesaffelstein (Live), Breakbot, Buraka Som Sistema, Araabmuzik, Joey Beltram, Craze, Alex Metric, Surkin, John Talabot (DJ Set), Danny Brown, Action Bronson, Riton, Oliver, Jokers Of The Scene, Light Year, Nick Catchdubs, Jim-E Stack, Mr. Muthafuckin’ Exquire, Brenmar, Baio, Sound Pellegrino Thermal Team
Saturday, August 4:
Skrillex, Nero (Live), Bloody Beetroots (DJ Set), Squarepusher, A-Trak, James Murphy (DJ Set), Datsik, 12th Planet, Zedd, Dillon Francis, Brodinski, Claude Vonstroke, Birdy Nam Nam, Justin Martin, Gaslamp Killer, Trolley Snatcha, Destructo, Alvin Risk, Zombie Disco Squad, DJ Antention, Codes, Huoratron, Kill Frenzy, Smims & Belle, Jason Bentley, Lunice, Nick Thayer, Amtrac, The Starship Connection
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