About The Smell

Lavender Diamond playing at The Smell

In 2005, Mr. Rosenberg spent a lot of time playing out with Lavender Diamond. Like anyone who's ever been "with the band," I often sat at a merch table, selling CDs and t-shirts.

One night LD was playing at The Smell, an all ages punk club in downtown LA. I was seven months pregnant and barely fit behind the table. As the crowd moved through the club a familiar face appeared, a young woman whom I had worked with on a TV show a number of years before, when I was her boss. She approached the table slowly.

"Um wow, I guess you've had sort of a career change." I didn't bother trying to explain my giant, pregnant, punk-clubbing,  merch-selling self.

"Yes, I have."


The Smell is dark and grungy and wonderful. Everyone is welcome at this Los Angeles institution and thousands of bands have played there over the years. Our friend Jim has run the club since its inception 18 years ago. Last Friday when he came to open the club, he found a notice on the door that the building has been scheduled for demolition. Immediately a group of friends of The Smell, including Mr. Rosenberg, mobilized and have been working on ideas to let The Smell continue in a new venue. You can read more about saving The Smell in this article in today's LA Times and at the club's website here and their Go Fund Me page here.

Long Live The Smell.