Top 5 LA Rock 'n' Roll Hotspots
Many a music artist has used their songs to pay homage to the city of angels – The Mamas and the Papas said they’d be “Safe and warm” if they were in LA and Donna Summer described Sunset Boulevard as being “Alive below your feet”. There’s no doubt that Los Angeles is a rock ‘n’ roll city.
1. The Troubadour
The Troubadour was opened in 1957 by Doug Weston, after he was inspired by a trip to the then newly-opened Troubadour café in London. Located in West Hollywood the club is best known for helping to break a vast range of singer-songwriters, who all went on to achieve global success – they include Elton John, Neil Diamon, Eagles, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison and many more.
2. The Rainbow Bar and Grill
The Rainbow Bar & Grill in West Hollywood has been a rock n’ roll institution for decades, since it opened in 1972 with a party for Elton John, who had made his US debut at the Troubadour two years earlier. Before its incarnation as the Rainbow, the venue was The Villa Nova restaurant from 1944-1968. Attracting the biggest stars of the time, it’s famous for playing host to a blind date between Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio and to Judy Garland’s proposal from film director Vincente Minnelli. Whilst many believe the Rainbow was named as a tribute to Judy Garland (who sang “Over the Rainbow” in The Wizard of Oz), it was actually named to signify peace and freedom, which were often associated with rainbows during the early 70s.
3. The Whiskey A Go Go
Opened in 1964, The Whiskey A Go Go (often shortened to ‘The Whiskey’) is located on Sunset Boulevard and is one of the city’s most historic rock venues. It has been the launching pad for countless world famous bands including The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Kiss, AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crüe, Alice Cooper (who recorded a live album there in 1969) and Metallica, who met their legendary bassist Cliff Burton there when he was playing with his band Trauma. The club was the first ever live music venue to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
4. The Greek Theatre
The Greek is an amphitheatre located in Griffith Park and famously featured in the movie ‘Get Him to The Greek’ Starring Russell Brand and Jonah Hill. It is also notable for being the filming location for the “Shallow” scene in the 2018 version of ‘A Star is Born’.
The Greek hosted its first performance in 1931 and has a capacity of 5,000. It is now used for concerts, stage shows, and graduation ceremonies and over the years has played host to hundreds of acts, including Neil Diamond, whose live album ‘Hot August Night’ was recorded there.
5. The Viper Room
The Viper Room is a nightclub located on Sunset Strip, famous for being part owned by Jonny Depp and a popular haunt amongst young Hollywood elite in the early 1990s. After opening in 1993, it quickly became associated with stories of celebrity excess and is most widely known for its link to the death of actor River Phoenix, who died outside the venue aged 23 from a drug overdose in 1993.
In early 1995, at the birthday party of Depp’s then-girlfriend Kate Moss, Jason Donovan suffered a drug induced seizure and survived and in 1997, Australian Rockstar and INXS frontman Michael Hutchence played his last ever public gig there before his death.
Over the years, The Viper Room has undergone several changes in ownership and continues to host live music across genres including rock, metal and punk. In addition to being a live music venue, it is also home to an extensive whiskey bar.
