In 2001, Mitchell Frank opened The Echo and put Garo in charge of filling the venue with acts throughout the week. Only Echo Park was a tough sell for music lovers in the early days. “People don’t remember, but there was a time when no one wanted to play The Echo or Echo Park,” says Garo.
Many bands that have graced the stage at The Echo have gone on to the national scene. Acts like Foster the People, Local Natives and Avi Buffalo are some of the most recent acts that played early in their careers at The Echo, thus solidifying the venue as a tastemaker. There is no one genre of music that’s played at The Echo, with various theme nights, album release shows and residencies filling out the calendar. In 2013, The Rolling Stones surprised everyone with a show at The Echoplex….