Say good-bye to the Sunset Strip

[chrisr777]

It is on the way out. Hustler and the House of Blues are going to be hotels. At this point the Roxy, Whiskey and Rainbow are going to be all that is left. High rise hotels are going to kill the vibe of the area. The L.A. music scene may never be the same.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-05/porn-out-hotels-in-as-sunset-strip-reborn-real-estate.html

All that remains of my misspent youth. Gone. Memories of stumbling down Sunset Blvd in the 70's. It has already changed quite a lot over the years, but at least it is still the Strip. Mega hotels will change that. It will only be a matter of time before we lose Carney's and the Pink Dot the way we lost Tower Records. I can only hope that the resident' opposition will win out.

 

[Tone_Boss]

Happened to NYC a long time ago. Welcome to the corporatization of america.

 

[Lucidology]

Yes ... but maybe those same High Resort hotels will pay musicians to play ...
Other than Musicians having to pay to play ...
(Always like to look at the positive or hopeful side of change ... )

 

[Peteyvee]

Joseph, The HOB pays decent. It's just hard to get a gig there unless it's showcase night (which pays very little), you have a huge following or you're famous.

In any case, that sucks...

 

[Ladera]

Sunset is expensive real estate. The clubs should move somewhere else.

 

[Peteyvee]

Sunset is expensive real estate. The clubs should move somewhere else.

I'm pretty sure that Live Nation (who owns the HOB brand since Ackroyd & Friends sold it about 10 years ago) has tons of money and owns the land that it's on. Maybe they'll make enough by selling the land to buy a nice big chunk of land nearby with a parking lot that's actually useful...

 

[Mike H]

Frankly, I'm surprised it hasn't already been developed out.

 

[chrisr777]

Sunset is expensive real estate. The clubs should move somewhere else.

The clubs are the reason it's the Sunset Strip.

I'm pretty sure that Live Nation (who owns the HOB brand since Ackroyd & Friends sold it about 10 years ago) has tons of money and owns the land that it's on. Maybe they'll make enough by selling the land to buy a nice big chunk of land nearby with a parking lot that's actually useful...

The story says the hotel taking over the HOB lot will have an entertainment venue. Maybe they are building the HOB inside. Kind of like Mandalay Bay.

 

[2HBStrat]

 

[chrisr777]

Strangely enough, my last post was post seven after seventy-seven views. I am, of course, Mr 777. So I naturally thought of that show.

 

[spakuloid]

Here is what is awesome about that whole deal. A Saudi group and Marriot and a few other developers are tearing down these known and established landmark Sunset Strip tourist destinations to build luxury condominiums and Hotels - so that people can come in and visit the infamous Sunset Strip - and go and see the known and established landmarks which are now luxury hotels and condominiums. Good job! It is a land grab by and for the uber class. That is all.

If you are not in a national level touring band with press and support - OR - are a member of Steel Panther - this doesn't affect you. And if you are - then you still have Key Club which is the best venue on the strip anyway (after HOB main stage). Locals are all paying to play there anyway. Viper Room and Whiskey are still there and part of the old sleaze and are great rooms if you have 50+ loyal fans willing to pay for parking, overpriced drinks, being treated like **** by the bar staff and a generally ****** mix - which is called the L.A. experience. The strip "scene" pretty much died with Gazzarri's (now the Key Club) and was buried with Coconut Teaszer's demise and Tower Records closing - both about the same time.


My advice? Take Fountain.

 

[ksandvik]

Sorry I could be wrong but for me Sunset Strip has been a nostalgic museum area for years' now -- only tourists go there thinking it's the scene.

 

[Monotremata]

Here is what is awesome about that whole deal. A Saudi group and Marriot and a few other developers are tearing down these known and established landmark Sunset Strip tourist destinations to build luxury condominiums and Hotels - so that people can come in and visit the infamous Sunset Strip - and go and see the known and established landmarks which are now luxury hotels and condominiums. Good job! It is a land grab by and for the uber class. That is all.

If you are not in a national level touring band with press and support - OR - are a member of Steel Panther - this doesn't affect you. And if you are - then you still have Key Club which is the best venue on the strip anyway (after HOB main stage). Locals are all paying to play there anyway. Viper Room and Whiskey are still there and part of the old sleaze and are great rooms if you have 50+ loyal fans willing to pay for parking, overpriced drinks, being treated like **** by the bar staff and a generally ****** mix - which is called the L.A. experience. The strip "scene" pretty much died with Gazzarri's (now the Key Club) and was buried with Coconut Teaszer's demise and Tower Records closing - both about the same time.


My advice? Take Fountain.

Nail. Head. Hit! The 'strip' has been pay to play and gouging local bands for so long it wont really matter to most of us.. I can keep my memories of 'the good old days' thats fine. Id rather go watch a show at The Troubadour or The El Rey than any of those spots anyways.. That whole area died for me when they ran The Knitting Factory off Hollywood Blvd. I hope the Rainbow sticks around though.. Id hate to see Lemmy lose his favorite video poker spot!!

 

[Peteyvee]

Where they filmed that is two blocks west of the HOB on Sunset and there's a plaque in front of it. It's a high rise office building. I found it by accident one night while parking in front of it to go to the HOB...

 

[Rick Lee]

I can't imagine anyone wanting to stay at an expensive hotel or buy an expensive condo in that neighborhood unless it were closer to Sunset Plaza. How does that business plan look?

As for the Strip being for tourists, I got to chat with Lemmy, Chris Squire and Peter Criss all in the same hour at the Rainbow a while back. That was one of my best tourist experiences anywhere and I go to LA all the time.

 

[gmann]

The clubs are the reason it's the Sunset Strip.

Were the reason.

 

[chrisr777]

I was at a bourbon tasting at Pearl's right next door to the Whiskey a couple of months ago and they offered to let us in free to have a couple of drinks. It was a Michael Jackson cover band so I passed. I have not been in there in quite a while, but some of my friends have kids that have been playing there recently. I'll have to go to a show before they decide to tear that down too. HOB I have been to a couple of times this year. I keep getting emails for comp tickets.

 

[Marc Roy]

A buddy of mine was living there back in the 80's during the hair band era. Wound up there by sheer luck. Some band from out there heard his guitar work on somebody's album and offered him a gig.

I love his stories. He frequented all those legendary clubs back then and yes, it really was that raunchy. Would have loved to have experienced it for myself.

 

[vashuba]

Let's revolt! That's crap there are tons of hotels on sunset. They don't need anymore

 

[louderock]

Well at least Black Market Music is still there. Oh, wait!