by Priscilla C. on I've been Exchange twice now and for both times I've had a really good time. Granted the music could be better, but nonetheless I can boogie-oogie-oogie so its not too bad. Although, my favorite song to get down to at the moment is 'Right Above It' by Lil Wayne and last time they totally cut that song barely halfway while I was just getting started. SIGH Mr. DJ you suck ass. As far as the crowd goes...I usually go clubbing on either Fridays or Saturdays which is the typical Asian night for a lot of Hollywood/LA clubs. Which is fine with me as long as everyone can speak English fluently and not touch. However unlike the fob clubs I've written about this place also had a bit of a more diverse crowd, I mean no matter what, the crowd was predominately Asian, yet the non- Asians didn't stand out as harshly. I feel like this club has the best looking girls compared to other Asian night clubs over the weekends. Not saying everyone is drop dead gorgeous, but this place definitely attracts a prettier and nicer crowd of Asians than the rest- as far as girls go. Or maybe I've just been going to the wrong clubs? Outside the bouncers can either be really cool or just power tripping in their black trench coats. I mean the lines are already ridiculous and we're all touching arms with strangers, but they bark at us to get closer. CLOSER?! How the fu.... The interior of the place is pretty nice, a decently sized dance floor. Apparently they went through a remodel, but I can't tell the difference. First time I we went through the general guestlist. That night MTV's ABDC Poreotix performed so it was way packed and we ended up waiting for at least 20 mins before getting in. The second time around we had bottle service so got in VIP style. For bottle service its better to get a table upstairs bc you get to look down at the crowd and won't have clumsy ass drunks cramping you and your posse's style. Our girl at the table who poured/mixed us our drinks, Mesa (her name) was really cool and really cute. She did a great job at getting the bday boy smashed. Although I don't smoke I have to criticize the smoking patio. Not as bad as Industry's ghetto micro-sized indoor smoking area, thank God, yet still pretty ridiculous. For all the people that visit Exchange I don't understand how the people in charge don't reconsider expanding that area. Their website boasts that over 1000 people come out on the weekends, but their smoking area has a 30 persons capacity. I'm going to assume that there are more than 30 people who want to go outside to either smoke or just get some 'fresh' air. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the fights start in the smoking area, because everyone is so packed together it would be hard for someone's personal space NOT to be invaded. Overall, this club isn't too bad, or maybe I've just done the right thing and gotten intoxicated to the point where I was bound to have fun no matter what, but if you're a chain smoker or are really into music, might want to to look around for another spot a little more.
by ikoi h. on I've only been here mainly for Giant Saturdays, so I really can't say what this place is like on other nights. I'd never go to a club just to go- I'm always there to either dance to a DJ I know or really like. I almost always come here with a group of friends so I can't comment on the crowd here- I really have not paid attention to them. The one time I was here alone for Mark Farina (he rocked it), I ended up having to fend off aggressive creepers trying to cop a feel on the dance floor- but I think for women, clubbing alone in a big club is just like that for the most part- especially in hell-aye. :( Sad, but true. That said, I have met some really friendly people here- especially a few girls that were cool and invited me to join up when they found out I was alone. The effin drunk and rude dudes ended up ruining my night- WTF, guys. Seriously, don't go creeping up on women to try and cop a feel. What I do like is that they bring in the world-class DJs like Sasha and Armin. Few nights I remember best...I saw Sasha here and he killed a packed dance floor with encores. Fedde Le Grand also kicked ass @ this venue, sending the whole floor into a dancing frenzy. Blank + Jones and Cosmic Gate also had this place rolling like the last day on Earth. This is one of the LA venues that big name EDM DJs hit, so I invariably end up here if I want to see them. They also have an excellent sound system, and a nice rooftop patio where you can actually SIT DOWN, have a smoke/drink/converse and just get away from the dance floor, which gets PACKED whenever I'm here. I've come here pretty early because I wanted to see some of the opening acts, and it was still busy. They DO have a DJ spinning on the rooftop, but it's low-key and not loud at all- so a normal conversation is very possible. Bottom line: I'd come out for the talent as long as I can bring a few friends with me to join in on the fun. My one complaint is the 40 dollar minimum charge at the bar if you use a card, and the drinks aren't that strong, either. BAH! WTF... granted, the price of drinks = expensive here, so it's not hard to do 40 bucks, and I'm a damn lightweight. So, if you're not looking to drink a lot or just have water (you can only buy bottled- and they're 5 bucks), be sure to bring cash. Also, I'd like to say that the bouncers outside are often dicks- while the ones that putter bout on the floor tend to be much nicer. Buy your tickets before the show, come as early as you can and dance like a mofo.
