Vine: The Cheat Code to LBC’s Music Scene
Almost every night, at about 7 p.m., music sweeps down the echoing corridor that is Retro Row. If you follow that sound, it’ll lead you to what looks like an unassuming hole in the wall. But once you stop in front and peek through the big glass windows, you may be surprised by what you find.
Outside Vine. Photo by @4thstreetlb.
Vine sits cozily between the niche hobby and thrift shops that line Fourth Street. Brick walls elongate all the way to the back of the house, where an open patio invites guests to mingle like a house party. At least until 10 p.m., when the bartender comes ringing that the patio is closed.
The place offers a homely vibe, friendly staff, and a wide selection of beer and wine. But what makes this place special, and why most people keep coming back, is its cultivated music scene.
On an average night, the Vine has at least one band or performer playing. The genre fluctuates as often as what’s on tap. Wednesday could be a jazz ensemble playing rhythmically through a trumpet and keys, and Thursday could be a punk show with a mosh pit so intense that it’s hard to get through the front door.
“It’s very eclectic,” said music-lover and Vine regular Rafael Rodriguez. “They’re [Vine] pretty open to showcasing a variety of different bands, which I like.”
“I’ve seen very intimate and very high-energy shows there. So in terms of a place to showcase new artists, new sounds, it’s fantastic,” he said. “I feel like eventually, throughout the week or the month, you’re bound to run into something you like because of that openness.”
Zaine Jakeem, a local musician and show coordinator, shared similar sentiments.
“Vine has so many different things,” Jakeem said. “Go to the Vine, like, ten times, and you’ll absolutely be plugged into the music scene here, which is hard because there’s so much.”
“It’s kind of like a cheat code,” Jakeem said.
This willingness to work with different performers and highlight the local scene isn’t unintentional, or something just stumbled upon.
Current owners, Dustin and Emily Lovelis, built upon what they and others were already experiencing there. As regulars and performers themselves, they were familiar with the space and how it operated.
“The previous owner, Jim Ritson, just treated the bands really well,” said Dustin Lovelis. “It’s just kind of been this pillar of the local scene, like, sort of the music hub.”
“It became a really important place when we started booking shows with Jim because it was made so easy, and the shows were free, and he would pay the performers, you know,” said Jakeem. “We could mosh and make a mess and were invited back the next week.”
“That’s why after COVID shut down the place, we [locals] were scared it was going to close permanently, and even when it reopened with new owners, we were skeptical,” said Jakeem. “But when I heard it was Dustin, who I had literally met through the Vine, I knew it was in good hands.”
“The shows are still free, the performers still get paid, and they still let us mosh,” Jakeem said. “They did a great job in keeping the Vine what it was.”
By remodeling, extending the back patio, and keeping the musical sentiments the same, Dustin and Emily have been able to uphold the welcoming environment so many showgoers and performers have felt for years.
“We just added some upgrades to the place,” Dustin said. “But the ethos of the bar is still very much the same.”
Rodriguez explained what keeps him coming back.
“It just feels like one of those places where there’s a core group of people who continuously come back, which is nice because there’s a sense of community; you’re always going to see familiar faces,” he said. “But it also offers such a variety of functions that you’ll be exposed to many different scenes within the general music community- which is super cool.”
Oct. 30 Show taken by Jaylen Minnich.
By booking and rebooking local bands, soloists, and non-conventional performers, even offering month-long residencies, Vine has been able to create a sense of community and a safe space for people to express themselves.
Jakeem said, “There’s just a juxtaposition about the place that matches the eclectic culture of Long Beach. It comes off as this small wine bar, but I think it’s the truest place to find real rock and roll.”
“It’s just like other musicians I’ve talked to, and I have realized you just never get tired of playing Vine,” Jakeem said. “Even when you might think maybe you’re trying to expand your shows or whatever, everyone ends up missing the place because it’s really that special.”