{Click on CLUBS (below) for more Sunset Strip Rock Clubs}   

CLUBS & LAUREL CANYON   

   Hollywood has had bars & nightclubs for as long as it has had homes & businesses. Many of these clubs have enjoyed links to Laurel Canyon and its residents.
Surprisingly, Laurel Canyon has not been home to a genuine bar -nightclub since The Laurel Tavern closed its illustrious doors for the final night in the early 1920s. Instead, Canyon residents would travel down Laurel Canyon to Sunset Blvd., where a less than  2 mile stretch was developing a reputation as "Hollywood's Party Strip". It had become the longtime home to an ever-changing list of entertainment  establishments, fine restaurants & funky eateries, 5 star hotels & sleazy, 'hourly' motels, swanky private lounges & strip clubs, high rise offices filled with entertainment honchos, & sleazy modeling agencies, lawyers & flashy pimps.  and ritzy supper clubs, throughout the 40s & 50s, and then gained national attention when the Warner Bros. television series, 77 Sunset Strip, became a hit in the early 60s.
'The Sunset Strip' quickly evolved from the classy party home of Movie Stars and Frank Sinatra's 'Rat Pack' , to the Home of LA's R&R Music Scene, and more importantly, Home to the revolutionary, Future Hippie Scene. 

FRANK ZAPPA'S NOTORIOUS LOG CABIN HOME IN LAUREL CANYON
Very few Laurel Canyon residents Know that the Log Cabin in which Frank Zappa and dozens of miscellaneous musicians, dancers, & freaks resided was once the home of Laurel Canyon's first & only bar - The Laurel Tavern - opened in 1916.

The 80 ft. tri-level log cabin, on the northwest corner of Lookout Mountain and Laurel Canyon, was originally built as a way-station for passengers of the "Bungalow Land" Trackless Trolley (the first in America). After a few years, the old way-station underwent a major transformation.
The Log Cabin's huge main room featured a pair of massive stone fireplaces at each end of a beautifully hand-carved sixty foot mahogany bar. Hanging from the cabin's high ceiling were three imported glass chandeliers, subtly lighting the scene below. Upholstered stools lined the bar, overstuffed couches lined the walls which surrounded the warm room, filled with tables and chairs; a scene which would inspire Western Movies' finest saloons. Like the thousands of western films which feature the "Cowboy Town's Finest Tavern", the warm, plush interior scene of The Log Cabin was in sharp contrast to its sparse, "woodsy" exterior and the surrounding rustic environment. All this, yet just two miles from the glitter of Hollywood. It's no wonder that America's richest & best-loved Cowboy Star, Tom Mix,  - "HAD TO HAVE IT!"      

The Laurel Tavern was "THE Canyon Hotspot" in the early 20s

When Tom Mix moved into the Log Cabin, it would be over 40 yrs until the Cabin would again claim the title of 'Canyon 'Hotspot'. Until that time residents would look to Hollywood clubs for nightly entertainment.   
Let's take a look at a few of Hollywood's earliest Rock Music Clubs which enabled Laurel Canyon to influence the 'LA Music scene' in the 60's. 

CHEETAH

Like the Aquarius Theater, the CHEETAH was more of a Concert Venue than a Night Club, but it is important to include it on this page. It first opened as a West Coast version of a famed New York venue, and was located in the most unique spot: an abandoned ballroom among the amusement park rides on the Santa Monica Pier. When it opened in 1967, it was (to my knowledge), LA's only real Concert Hall, other than Pasadena's "The Rose Palace".
As these posters show, it often premiered the newest San Francisco and local LA bands in the style of San Francisco's Avalon Ballroom and the East & West Fillmore Auditoriums. 

The CHEETAH venue also provided the highest quality sound system available, and also the newest, most innovated, psychedelic light shows, rivaling San Francisco's finest.

                                     

 KALEIDOSCOPE

               1228 Vine St. Hollywood, CA.   (Also 6230 Sunset) 

             
Every Major California Band of the 60s played 
the KALEIDOSCOPE at some time in their career
Kaleidoscope wasn't actually on "The Sunset Strip", but further east at the corner of Sunset Blvd and Vine Street, the same corner as 'Wallich's Music City', LA's number #1 Record Store & ticket outlet. The club was housed in the old Earl Carroll Theater, former home to The swank supper club, Moulin Rouge. The old Theater had been LA's finest venue since opening in 1938, and still featured a 60' revolving stage, and the elaborate set up required for complex sound & lights.  
A pair of young music agents from William Morris, John Hartmann & Skip Taylor, had returned from a trip to San Francisco, where they had attended a sold-out (5,000) Winterland concert featuring 3 local S.F. groups, together with an astounding light show. The pair had truly experienced the future of Rock&Roll, and especially, Rock Concert venues. Determined to replicate that type of concert venue in Los Angeles, they were delighted to find the availability of the outdated supper club, not only complete with all necessities, but located on a prime corner in Hollywood. joined by partner, Gary Essert, the trio of psychedelic businessmen set about the task of duplicating Bill Graham's San Francisco success.

April 24-25/1967  -   (left} {click to view}    
The KALEIDOSCOPE was one of the first of the new rock clubs to open in Hollywood (april11,1967). The club's grand opening was April 24-25, 1967.
they kicked it off with the Topanga blues band (local favorites),
Canned Heat, opening for San Francisco's two Biggest groups,
 Jefferson Airplane & THE Grateful Dead

The Kaleidoscope opened its Hollywood doors just months after the Cheetah, which was located out in Venice Beach.

both were Concert Venues, instead of the usual
dinner clubs, music lounges, or beer bars.
the crucial difference in categories is based on more than their physical appearance, and level of entertainment.

It's all based on Type of Liquor sales:
hard liquor, Beer & wine, or none.
and Age restrictions for admittance:
Minimum - none, 16,18, or 21yrs. of age.
All crucial components for a proposed music venue.

John Hartmann
 The man behind
 the Kaleidoscope
  John Hartmann {middle}
      with J.D. Souther
    & Jackson Browne

John Hartmann played a larger role in LA's music scene than the Kaleidoscope. Hartmann started out as an agent at The William Morris Agency's Beverly Hills office at the age of 23, and immediately assigned to the staff of Col. Tom Parker, manager of their newly signed artist, ELVIS PRESLEY, where he learned the music business during his 6 month stay. Back at William Morris, he was assigned to their TV dept., booking musical talent for "Shindig". His position enabled him to sign LA duo Sonny & Cher, and England's famed hit makers, Chad & Jeremy, to his conservative agency's talent roster. A move which signaled Hartmann's new musical-professional direction was his signing of scruffy, long haired LA rockers, THE SEEDS.
    Hartmann would leave his secure, but now uncomfortable, position as the newly named "Rock & Roll Agent", at the Morris agency "to be closer to the music", seeking musicians among the expanding growth of new bands, in need of management. For over 40 years, John Hartmann has remained a major player in the Music (Entertainment) industry, partnering with most of the biggest names in the business on various projects & investments, while maintaining his lofty position among the greats in Artist Management.
* AUTHOR'S NOTE: I first met John Hartmann in Hawaii, at the Diamondhead Crater Festival, New Years, 1976. We (Polynesian/Fire Productions) had less than 2 months to book 8-10 major acts for the 2 day music festival,to be presented inside the massive Hawaiian Landmark, in celebration of our nation's media-overhyped Bicentennial. I needn't point out that it's nearly impossible to find even a garage band for New Years, especially on such short notice.
Thankfully, my future Canadian Concert Promotion Partner, Chris Dobbin, was booking talent, and turned to John Hartmann (manager of "AMERICA") for a solution. Leave it to John to "help out". We ended up chartering a full sized commercial airliner, painting it red, white, & blue, and covered with stars. Hartmann provided our second night headliner,"America" (then at their peak) for the same fee as we were paying Seals & Crofts (also at their career peak-5 gold albums) and Bachman Turner Overdrive (ditto-career peak). In addition, we agreed to showcase several of his other new artists (Wendy Waldman, Steve Ferguson, Shawn Phillips, etc.), plus rent Hawaii's famed "Wrigley Estate" (chewing gum fortune-Chicago family), for his entourage of more than 40 members.
* SIDE NOTE: Thanks to 'befriending' Hartmann's vivacious English secretary, Pam Bishop, I gained access to his offices at Sunset's famed 'Crosswords of the World', as well as his band, POCO's rehearsal studio, next door.
Another reason for Kaleidoscope's instant success was, much like the Cheetah, they provided the audience with great Sound systems and the newest Light Shows. Sound & Lights were always on the same level as the legendary San Francisco Auditoriums (Fillmore, Winterland, Avalon, etc.)
In fact, they often featured the same outfits, including: "Headlights" (Bob Holt), Christopher Tree's Spontaneous Sound, Glenn McKay's, & the Joshua Lightshow.
Another important reason for the success of the venue was the professionalism of the Kaleidoscope's staff, under the supervision of Manager, Neil Elliott. Admission to the "Concert Hall" was restricted to 151/2 years old and up, requiring stiff enforcement by the club's security and staff.

NEIL ELLIOTT

   Kaleidoscope   
 mgr.-late 60's  

                    DOUG WESTON'S        

TROUBADOUR

   
 Although rock musicians were taking off throughout the hills of Laurel Canyon, plus becoming the norm at clubs along the Sunset Strip, most of them were evolving from the popular genre of the time, 'Folk Music'. No one was more aware of this than Doug Weston, the owner of LA's most popular "folk" club, The Troubadour. 
 Weston ruled with an iron hand, distancing his club far above the other popular LA folk clubs, The Ash Grove, and the long-time musician hangout, McCabe's (Music Store). 

The "Troub" is on Santa Monica Blvd., two doors from Dan Tana's, a popular music industry restaurant & hangout. The "Troub" featured a separate bar out front of the main showroom which became the "In Spot" for local & visiting musicians, as well as the Music Industry people, and, of course, music fans. Considered a second home by most of the Laurel Canyon musicians, the bar was where numerous bands came together (the Eagles, among many others).

Doug Weston recognized when Rock&Roll was becoming more popular than folk music, and used his powerful position within the new music industry to book the up&coming Rock acts for industry showcases. "Elton John"  {see right) 

As the "British Invasion" hit Hollywood, and more rock clubs opened along the Strip, the dominance once enjoyed by the Troubadour diminished, with the Whisky A Go Go replacing it as LA's most popular Rock showcase. Weston continued with the "softer" acts until the 70s, when he switched to booking multiple local rock bands, which essentially were forced to "pay to play" by hawking tickets to their fans. Doug Weston remained in control of the club until his death in 1999 at the age of 72. Although The Troubadour never regained its prestigious position in Rock music, it never dropped out of the race, as the 2000 concert poster {above left} indicates.         


Whisky A Go Go

In January of 1964, Elmer Valentine, a former vice cop from Chicago, along with his club manager, Mario Maglieri, first opened the doors to what would quickly become LA's premier Rock & Roll nightclub, the world famous
 Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip. the club immediately gained fame by booking popular local Pop acts (Johnny Rivers, Trini Lopez, the Standells), and featuring sexy, caged "Go Go" dancers (in "Go-Go" boots), gyrating to the music. The bands released successful "live at the Whisky A Go Go" albums which gave the dingy little club a prestigious reputation, which extended as far as the London Blues scene in England. As such, Elmer could book the new local Groups as "House Bands", and choose among the Hit British groups, & new San Francisco favorites, to headline special dates & weekend shows. {see below & right} 

    

 

    

Thanks to the club's immediate success, and valentine's recognition of the growing youthful music scene, the new club owner would open his second Sunset Strip club, almost across the street, where the former jazz club, The Crescendo once resided. "The Trip", which Valentine designed with younger music fans in mind (AKA concert venue) opened in late 1965, as the hottest new Sunset Strip venue. Though immediately popular, The Trip was besieged with a wide variety of problems from the start.
Elmer agreed with his club's talent booker, that, thanks to their large stage and related staging accessories, they were able to stage New York's newest psychedelic show, "Andy Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable", a 14 member multi-media extravaganza featuring New York's popular psychedelic sensations, John Cale & Lou Reed's "Velvet Underground" featuring "Nico". The elaborate show was signed for an extended run in early May,1966, scheduled to run to May 18th.

Like similar Clubs which sprang up during this time:
 [the London Fog, Bido-Lido's,
 the Galaxy, The Oracle &
      Thee Experience  
the club enjoyed initial success but, for one reason or another, didn't survive for decades, like GAZZARI'S, a similar club that, like Doug Weston's Troubadour, has survived longer than its namesake, Bill Gazzari.

The Whisky has never been a classy club, seating around 400, but it has remained the most popular rock club on the Sunset Strip for over 40 years. It was second to the 999 capacity STARWOOD for many years in the late 70s, but has survived many drastic changes in popular music. Many rock clubs were forced to close their doors when Disco threatened rock's survival, but the whisky evolved with the current music fads to remain afloat during lean years. The exception was the following "SCENE", PUNK ROCK. When Punk became popular, the Whisky remained one the top venues for 'The Scene', showcasing most of LA's top Punk outfits. As the bands, and their fans, became more obnoxious and destructive, plus, weren't spending any money, Elmer began to have reservations about the entire scene. It culminated in 1979, when LA's top punk band, BLACK FLAG, headlined the club which resulted in a full scale riot in the cramped club and spilling out onto the Strip & spreading through the adjacent neighborhood. Valentine had had enough, and closed the Whisky for almost 2 years, until the Punk scene had run its rebellious course. 

Elmer would reopen the club when the LA Rock scene (Heavy Metal, Glam rock, Hair Bands, etc.), became popular with LA favorites, VAN HALEN, & QUIET RIOT leading the return of Rock & Roll to the Sunset Strip, and far beyond.

With the demise of Eddie Nash's STARWOOD, the Whisky was more than ready to return as LA's premier Rock club.

sits at the Laurel Canyon end of The Sunset Strip, the other 'Bookend' with the Whisky A Go Go, signaling The Sunset Strip's beginning & end.

Like the Whisky, the building that was CIRO'S still stands, only this one has been home to another Hollywood landmark, Mitzy Shore's The Comedy Store
 for more than thirty years

Ciro's

  In the 1940's & 1950's, things were a little different at the beginning of Hollywood's Sunset Strip. During that time, there was no hotter nightclub on the planet than Hollywood's Ciro's. Owned and operated by Billy Wilkenson, It was the party destination for the Hollywood elite (Bogie & Bacall, George Raft & Betty Grable, you name it...). The luxurious nightclub provided the finest showgirls of the era with entertainment to match. The only problem for Wilkenson was to be able to sustain that high level of entertainment nightly for the wealthy celebrities that patronized the club. When the jungle-themed Mocambo opened its highly publicized zebra-striped doors, right across the street, Ciro's customers were defecting in droves to the newest, trendy night spot.
Wilkenson conceded  Ciro's #1 position to the jungle-themed upstart, and It was then that Herman Hoover took over management of the club (1942). Hoover would retain the position until Ciro's closed its doors, 'for good', in 1959. Hoover returned the fading club to its previous glory, and it remained the place to see, as well as the place to be seen. for over a decade. The club would remain at that esteemed level, establishing itself as the standard for what a truly "class" establishment should be, one that Entrepreneurs would attempt to emulate in New York City, Las Vegas, and throughout the rest of the 'civilized' world. 

Renowned as Hollywood's finest nightclub, Ciro's would spawn the careers of some of the biggest names in Hollywood Entertainment. This highly coveted reputation was really initiated around 1950, when an Italian crooner took the Ciro's stage for the first time, alongside a skinny Jewish comedian, and the Pair would go on to surpass the fame of America's greatest comedy duo, Laurel & Hardy.
Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis would Remain America's Top Comedy act, starring in a succession of hit movies, Radio & TV shows, & live performances.
{Ciro's old stage & supper club}

In 1951, an opening act for Janis Page -the Will Mastin Trio- tore the house down thanks, in large part, to the presence of arguably the most versatile entertainer in history, Sammy Davis, Jr. It was also the site of Sammy's return to the stage following the car accident in which he lost his right eye. Even when giants of our culture weren't being created on their stage, Ciro's hosted a profusion of top entertainers
-Joe E. Lewis, Andy Williams, Xavier Cugat, Nat King Cole and on and on.

As Las Vegas grew, Sunset suffered. By the mid 50s, The glitzy lounges, fine restaurants, and nite clubs along Sunset had closed their doors for good. Because Ciro's had been the Sunset Strip's Landmark club, Herman Hoover struggled to stay afloat to the end. That end came when the IRS caught up with him, demanding hundreds of thousands of dollars which he owed in unpaid taxes. Ciro's closed its doors in 1957. Hoover filed for bankruptcy in 1959, and the club at 8433 Sunset Blvd. was sold at public auction for $350,000. The sale represented the end of an era in Los Angeles. Though Sunset Boulevard remained a vital commercial artery, it would never regain the glamorous reputation it enjoyed in its
"Glory Years".
When 'the dust cleared', the new owners of Ciro's would retain the legendary name, under the impression that the former club's prestige was a valuable portion of their acquisition. They were partially correct, but the Sunset Strip was now, not only devoid of its previous class and glamour, it had become a tourist destination overrun with youthful runaways and transients. More importantly, America's music scene was in the midst of a radical new transitional period. US radio stations were still featuring the Top 40 Pop Songs, Elvis Presley, Motown, Folk, and Rhythm & Blues. Yet, on two Sunday evenings in February, 1964, everyone in America, under 40 yrs. of age, was glued to their television screens, tuned to the Ed Sullivan show to get a glimpse of this new, long-haired, British band, who was creating hysteria wherever they performed, playing those same songs.
"BEATLEMANIA" hit America. With it came "The British Invasion".

The club had unsuccessfully booked a few folk acts and decided to venture into the new music, and direct their entertainment toward the new youth, and tourist market.

Just a couple miles up the street lived a new band of ex-folkies who looked, dressed, and harmonized, just like the Beatles, and called "The Byrds".  
the Byrds had perfected their unique blend of folk and rock when their debut single, Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man," topped the charts in mid-1965.