On any given weekend in Boyle Heights, crowds of all ages wrap the corner of the historic Paramount Ballroom. Some come to sway their hips to cumbias, mosh to metal, or skank to ska punk.
It’s a vibrant scene for attendees and performers — and it all happens on a stage with decades of musical history.
“Being able to perform at the Paramount feels like you just achieved a milestone,” said musician Norma Sanchez, who plays alto saxophone in the local band Negra Azul. “It’s really exciting to be able to say that you have shared the stage with some of these icons.”
A stage with deep roots
Many of those icons can be seen on the venue’s walls, which immediately speak to its history.
The hall of fame photos showcase artists who have performed there over the decades, including Benny Goodman, Celia Cruz and Tito Puente.
Built in 1924, the building originally operated as a community center run by Jewish social activists. In the 1960s and ’70s, it became a home to Chicano rock groups like Cannibal & the Headhunters and Thee Midniters. By the 1980s, punk and new wave acts like Los Illegals and Thee Undertakers brought a new energy to the space.
The Paramount’s long legacy mirrors the neighborhood around it — a place shaped by racial diversity activism and cultural expression, said artist and historian Rubén “Funkahuatl” Guevara.
“What I love about the ballroom and about Boyle Heights is that it’s one of L.A.’s first multicultural communities and it kind of set a model for organizing and for a community of different racial backgrounds to work together,” Guevara said.
A new era
A new era started in 2004, when real estate developer Frank Acevedo acquired the property and began renovations. His vision was rooted in preservation and community.
“We wanted to demonstrate that there are ways to preserve buildings for another 100 years,” said Acevedo. “To keep the architectural significance, to keep the charm that a building has to be able to continue to serve community.”
The renovation also made room for new tenants. A portion of the ground floor is used by the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory, a nonprofit that trains local youth and operates a radio station. In November 2020, chef Mario Chisterna opened his Brooklyn Ave. Pizza restaurant in one of the ground-floor storefronts.
More than music: A hub for community
Matamoska! performs at The Paramount on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (Photo by Alma Lucia for Boyle Heights Beat) 
Artists including Stevie Wonder, left, and Little Ray Jimenez, first portrait in top row, spent time in the historic building. (Photo by Erin Stone/LAist) 
The Paramount hosted many famous musicians when it became a popular music venue in the midcentury. Featured here are Fats Domino with DJ Dick “Huggy Boy” Hug, a popular radio DJ at the time. (Photo Courtesy of Frank Acevedo / The Paramount) 
The exterior of the Paramount Ballroom, which also houses Brooklyn Ave. Pizza Company, in 2011. (Photo Courtesy of Frank Acevedo / The Paramount) 
From left to right: Jose Cano, Denise Carlos and Hector Flores of Las Cefeteras pose outside the Paramount ahead of their sold-out show. (Photo by Andrew Lopez/Boyle Heights Beat) 
Ear Ringers perform at The Paramount in Boyle Heights in an undated photo. (Photo by Rudy Torres) 
Matamoska! performance at The Paramount on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (Photo by Alma Lucia for Boyle Heights Beat) 
The Paramount and Brooklyn Ave. Pizza. (Photo by Antonio Mejías-Rentas/ Boyle Heights Beat) 
Youth during the SessionsLA music production class at the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory. (Photo courtesy of the BHAC)
Today, the Paramount is more than just a music venue. “It’s like a hub building community,” said Guevara.
It continues to welcome Eastside-rooted artists who’ve gained fame — including Grammy-winning La Santa Cecilia, East L.A. ska-punk band Matamoska! and Las Cafeteras — while also opening its stage to new talent building a following.
While many venues across Los Angeles have come and gone, artists describe the Paramount as an example of what preservation and community investment can look like.
“We just hope to continue to be a venue that provides a space where youth and bands and others can express themselves, and community can come together,” Acevedo said.
Former Boyle Heights Beat intern Luis Cano contributed to this story.
