Today we’d like to introduce you to Kota Wade.
Kota, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve been a musician most of my life, playing in bands since I was 15 years old. When I was about 17, I was in an all-girl rock band, and we were all young teenagers, unable to play any shows that our high school aged friends would be able to attend. Frustrated, I decided to create a place for us to play, an all ages music venue where any one of any age could come and hang out and listen to live music! With just my high school graduation money, and the equipment I’d gathered over the years, my family and I set up shop in the storage room of a gift basket store in the heart of Hollywood. Within a few months we were booking national touring acts, constantly upgrading our sound, lights, and decor, bringing “Amplyfi” together.
Has it been a smooth road?
With any small business, it’s never a smooth road or always easy. Over the years we’ve dealt with a lot of difficult situations, including finding the perfect balance of cutting deals that are both fair to the bands, and us as the venue trying to stay afloat without a bar serving alcohol. There will always be small setbacks, like a bad night with low ticket sales, or sometimes even big ones, like the time we got broken into and robbed, but the community of musicians in LA keep us going, year after year!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Amplyfi – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
As an all ages music venue, we have to survive solely on just music. A lot of venues are also bars or night clubs, so their profits are mostly from alcohol and/or food sales. We’re proud to say that we’ve been able to provide a space for anyone of any age to hang out and experience new music, no matter what walk of life you may come from. Amplyfi is a very intimate space, with a capacity of about 80 people, we put on awesome shows with some of the best sound you’ll find in LA. Bands often come back time and time again, even frequently booking label showcases with us because of our good sound and great atmosphere. We also get a lot of photo and video shoots at Amplyfi because of the decor and vibe we’ve created inside.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I’ve always loved the energy of LA, you can always find somewhere to go or someone to meet, especially if you’re an artist. There is a strong community of musicians and artists who constantly grind and network and create something unique that you’ll only find in LA. Unfortunately, because the city is so lively, it sometimes cannibalizes itself, with every band or musician fighting to be heard or seen, constantly having to hound every friend they have to come out to their shows instead of going to that cool new night club or restaurant that’s opening up.
Pricing:
- Tickets are generally $10-12
- Waters and sodas are $1-2
Contact Info:
- Website: amplyfi.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/amplyfi
- Twitter: twitter.com/amplyfi
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
