The front of the Orion Theater at 740 S. Broadway, downtown Los Angeles, with the red star on the teal wall

Panic 39 in 2002: Nights at the Orion, the Smoke Out and Beyond - Los Angeles, CA

2026年10月17日

740 S. Broadway, downtown Los Angeles. A teal wall, a red star, and the word ORION. If you were out in 2002, you know the place.

The Orion runs deep in Panic 39 history. We vended there two or three nights a week, for many years. These are the 2002 photos we've got so far, from the Orion and from other nights around SoCal.

At the Orion

Teknoklub - February 2002

Teknoklub (yes, with the K's) was a recurring night at the Orion. This one was February 2002. The fence outside was covered in flyers for other raves, which is how word traveled before everybody had a feed: paper, a fence, and people talking.

Woman in a Panic 39 tube top and kandi necklace in front of a fence covered in rave flyers at Teknoklub, Orion Theater, February 2002 — *Teknoklub, Orion Theater, February 2002. Panic 39 tube top, kandi, and a fence full of rave flyers.*

March Madness - March 2002

DJ at the decks, a crowd packed around the booth, a speaker stack against a blue wall. The visor in the foreground is Panic 39.

DJ at the turntable with a crowd and a Panic 39 visor in the foreground at March Madness, Orion Theater, March 2002. Photo courtesy of Rave Media — *March Madness, Orion Theater, March 2002. Photo courtesy of Rave Media.*

Gravity - April 2002

Gravity at the Orion. That's a Panic 39 hoodie on the left, designed by Amen.

Four people at Gravity, Orion Theater, April 2002, one in a Panic 39 hoodie. Photo courtesy of Rave Media — *Gravity, Orion Theater, April 2002. Photo courtesy of Rave Media.*

Around SoCal

Candy Kids Kickback - October 2002

Candy kids were the ravers who made and traded kandi, the beaded bracelets and necklaces, and a lot of their meetups got organized online. The Kickback wasn't at the Orion. Here's the DJ in the Panic 39 Four Elements tee, and the crew outside.

DJ in headphones and a gray Panic 39 Four Elements tee at Candy Kids Kickback, October 2002

Crew standing outside at night at Candy Kids Kickback, October 2002 — *The crew outside, Candy Kids Kickback, October 2002.*

The Carousel, Chinatown - 2002

The Carousel was a Chinese restaurant in LA's Chinatown that doubled as a party venue. It's closed now. Chinatown has a long history of Chinese restaurants turning into music rooms, and the Carousel was part of that. There's still a Carousel in San Francisco, but it's not a venue. These shots are from different parties there in 2002, all in Panic 39 tops. That's Christy in the white tank.

Woman in a black Panic 39 halter top and jacket at the Carousel in Chinatown, Los Angeles, 2002

Christy in a white Panic 39 tank top at the Carousel in Chinatown, Los Angeles, 2002 — *Christy in the white Panic 39 tank, the Carousel, 2002.*

Two women in black Panic 39 tops at the Carousel in Chinatown, Los Angeles, 2002 — *Black Panic 39 tops at the Carousel, 2002.*

Free - Los Angeles

Free was a party in Los Angeles. This is one of the guys on the floor in the white Panic 39 movie shirt.

Man in a white Panic 39 movie shirt at the Free party, Los Angeles, 2002 — *Free, Los Angeles. The white Panic 39 movie shirt.*

Audiotistic - April 2002, National Orange Show, San Bernardino

Audiotistic, Meelo Solis's "future sound festival," took over the National Orange Show grounds in San Bernardino in April 2002. OutKast headlined, and hip hop was the big draw that year. That's a Panic 39 crop tank by the ID check booth.

Woman in a black Panic 39 crop tank and jacket at Audiotistic, National Orange Show, San Bernardino, April 2002 — *Audiotistic, National Orange Show, San Bernardino, April 2002.*

Want to hear what the room sounded like? Here's a DJ Happee and Dinoh scratching showcase from Audiotistic 2002, and a mix CD from that year's festival.

DJ Happee & Dinoh scratching showcase @ Audiotistic 2002. Watch on YouTube.

AUDIOTISTIC-2002 Mix CD. Watch on YouTube.

Cypress Hill Smoke Out - 2002, LA Memorial Coliseum

The fifth Cypress Hill Smoke Out, and the first one held at the LA Coliseum. Snoop Dogg capped the day, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Everlast were on the bill. Two photos from Panic: one in a white Panic jacket and Panic tops, and Sylina (right) with her sister (left) in Panic tops.