LA Youth » Local Music, Loco Fun

The Allen Theatre in South Gate is a cool place to go for people like me who are into the local band scene. It makes me feel at home because people do not judge me. I can wear anything I want and people won’t be staring and saying things like, "Oh my God, what a freak!" I find a lot of cool things at the Allen like friends, great music and people who bring their own ideas of style, as you can see in the pictures.

The people really grab my attention. They are all unique, which makes the Allen feel like a whole different world. You barely see people dressed like that in other places. The people sometimes come dressed in clothes influenced by really old TV shows. Natalie Mangas, 18, said her style has been influenced by I Dream of Jeannie and I Love Lucy. I like seeing people in different styles and not wearing what is "in."

Photo by Managing Editor Libby Hartigan

The Allen Theatre is a place to go chill and just lay back and skank, which is a dance you do when you listen to ska music. There is this big stereotype from parents and people who do not like rock that people at shows always get into fights. Well, that is not true. Yeah, there might be fights here and there but it is only because some people take it personally when they get pushed in the mosh pit. I mean, come on people! When you are getting into a pit, you are practically signing an agreement that people are going to push you.

"It’s good how the kids get together here at the Allen," says Ramiro, aka "Ramrod," the drummer from the band Left Alone. German, a fan, says the Allen Theatre is a really cool place to hang out. "I’ve been here for so long that I think it’s the best thing. There are other places where people go and do drugs. It’s really cool how there is security and stuff. You could actually do positive things instead of negative things," he said.

At the Allen, which is for all ages, there is strict security, no alcohol is served and everything is well monitored. It’s not monitored to the point that you can’t feel free but to the point that you feel safe. That explains why there are not that many fights there.

However, there are some things that people do not like, like the waiting and the body searches. A lot of people complain that the line gets too big because of the searches. But I believe that the searches are necessary because we don’t want some lunatic coming in and stabbing someone with a knife. There are other gigs where this really happens.

Once you get inside the Allen, just kick back and listen to the music. There are ska, metal, heavy metal, punk, emo and indie rock shows. If you would like more information about The Allen Theatre, go to www.allentheatre.com for show dates, band info, etc.