An A-list folk rocker built this jewel-box concert hall, just when downtown L.A. needs it

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On a gloomy February day in Chinatown, Ben Lovett, the keyboardist for the popular British band Mumford & Sons, was preparing to release their sixth album, “Prizefighter.” The album, created with Aaron Dessner and featuring artists like Hozier and Gracie Abrams, aims to breathe new life into a discography that previously earned them a Grammy in 2013. Instead of celebrating or resting, however, Lovett was gearing up for an appearance on “Saturday Night Live” and a large arena tour this fall.

Lovett stood ankle-deep in rainwater flooding the streets after a sudden storm, right in front of a damaged warehouse. He was giving out hard hats to a Times reporter while leading his construction crew through the building’s unfinished interior, shouting instructions over the loud noise of saws.

I’m so excited for Pacific Electric to finally open in a few weeks! It’s a new music venue with space for about 750 people, and I’ve been following the project for years – Lovett and his company, TVG Hospitality, have been working on converting the space for six years now. It’s great to see a smaller, but really promising, venue opening in LA, especially considering everything the city’s music scene has been through with fires and tough economic times. But things are definitely looking up, and there’s a lot of energy around new places like this!

Music

Bar Franca, a newly renovated DJ bar in downtown Los Angeles, is hoping to bring back the energy to the area’s nightlife, which has been affected by the pandemic.

Pacific Electric is the latest venture from TVG, a company that’s become a major player in the independent music scene in both the U.S. and the U.K. over the past ten years. With this project, Lovett is also establishing himself as a promoter of live music in Los Angeles, beyond his work with his band.

Launching Pacific Electric feels especially meaningful,” said Lovett, speaking from what will soon be the artists’ dressing room. “We’ve opened six venues before, but this one happens at a really exciting time for the band creatively. I need to stay focused right now to make the most of it.”

Mumford & Sons were at the forefront of the folk music boom of the 2010s, helping launch a wave of sincere and emotional singer-songwriters to mainstream success. While other bands in that genre have seen varying levels of success, Mumford & Sons consistently remained popular, playing large arenas and festivals, and also experimented with their sound in the studio. As musical trends changed and the band spent time in different cities like New York, Los Angeles, and London, member Ben Lovett revisited his passion for creating live music experiences. In 2016, he built Omeara, a 320-person capacity nightclub in London.

Many venues in the US are controlled by a single promoter, meaning artists need to work with that promoter to play there. He finds this system problematic and believes it’s fundamentally flawed. He wanted to challenge this by creating his own venue, which meant learning everything from scratch – even things like obtaining a liquor license. While it wasn’t a perfect process, his motivation was genuine.

After two years and a few projects in the U.K., TVG received a surprising request from the city of Huntsville, Alabama: to construct the Orion Amphitheater. This 8,000-seat venue was designed to be the centerpiece of the large-scale Apollo Park project. The amphitheater, which opened in 2022, was more ambitious than anything they had built previously, drawing comparisons to iconic venues like Red Rocks in Colorado and Forest Hills Stadium in New York. This project quickly established Lovett and TVG as major players in the American music scene.

You know, when I’m not touring, life gets pretty normal. I get my kid off to school and then head to my day job – I’m at the office from 9 to 6. It’s not what most people expect, but I really admire artists like Pharrell who manage to balance business with their creative work. So, even after a full day at TVG, when I finally sit down at the piano, it still feels like I’m just happily indulging in a hobby.

Music

The Hotel Cafe, a famous and well-loved music venue in Hollywood where many successful artists first gained recognition, will be moving from its current location on Cahuenga Boulevard in 2026.

Lovett, a resident of Los Angeles, had been searching for a local spot for a while. The industrial part of Chinatown where Pacific Electric is located is popular with both nightlife enthusiasts and food lovers – it’s near Insomniac’s warehouse and home to trendy spots like the Apotheke cocktail bar and Majordomo restaurant. While the area hosts festivals at Los Angeles State Historic Park, live music venues were scarce until recently (a planned location for the New York venue Baby’s All Right was canceled due to the pandemic).

The Pacific Electric theater will be cozy, similar in size to downtown venues like the Regent or Bellwether. Owner Lovett has packed in two decades of experience from touring into the design – including peaceful, sandstone-colored dressing rooms with pianos and laundry, and a separate bar area to avoid long lines. Every seat in the house, whether on the main floor or balcony, offers a great view of the stage, which is decorated with pink neon and wooden shapes inspired by the city’s industrial landscape.

Lovett explained that working on hands-on projects and being a frequent viewer of shows has given him a deep appreciation for the incredible effort, creativity, and artistry involved in making them. He emphasized that attracting an audience is never guaranteed.

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TVG hired Stacey Levine to run the venue. She’s an experienced manager, having worked at famous places like the Palladium, Wiltern, and Ace Hotel Theatre (now the United Theater). Although she’s used to managing established, large venues, she was excited by the opportunity to create something new with an artist’s perspective.

Levine believes people are eager to experience live events in smaller, local venues again, and this particular area of downtown is poised for a surge in popularity. He describes it as a cool, conveniently located spot within Los Angeles. What sets this venue apart is its dedication to artists; while it’s not huge at 750 people, it prioritizes their comfort, offering amenities similar to those found in a well-appointed hotel.

Pacific Electric operates independently, meaning it isn’t tied exclusively to any single concert promotion company – they intend to collaborate with all major players like Live Nation and AEG. Inspired by legendary promoter Bill Graham, founder Lovett explained his philosophy: “I want to support artists and champion their careers, and they should have the freedom to perform wherever they choose. That’s a principle I’ll always stand by.”

The music will have a distinct sound, avoiding the style often associated with Mumford & Sons. The venue opens on March 20th with a performance by synthwave band TimeCop1983, and will follow up with a night celebrating the music of Robyn, a show by the hard rock band Militarie Gun, and comedy events as part of the Netflix Is a Joke festival.

Music

After recent challenges like fires, rising costs, and immigration enforcement actions impacted local nightlife, South Pasadena’s Sid the Cat Auditorium is taking a chance on reviving the area’s music scene through independent funding.

Los Angeles nightlife, especially downtown, is still bouncing back after many live music and hospitality businesses closed during the pandemic. Considering the recent struggles of the city’s entertainment scene – including fires and other difficult events – the new venue Pacific Electric will face a challenge in attracting a consistent crowd.

Recently, new venues such as Sid the Cat Auditorium in South Pasadena and Re:Frame in Atwater Village have also been taking bold risks. Lovett believes Los Angeles could support even more spaces like these.

As someone who runs five live event spaces, I heard a lot of people wondering if the pandemic would kill live experiences altogether. But I didn’t see it that way. I really believed – and still do – that the biggest thing people were missing was just being together. It’s human nature to want to gather, and if I didn’t think that would always be true, I wouldn’t be in this business!

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2026-03-05 14:34