Some people think the Sunset Strip is the rock and roll entertainment capitol of the world. They believe if they had a guitar, a song and some luck, they could be the next Red-hot Chili Peppers, Danzig or Zeppelin. How could the Sunset Strip, which is only a 1.5-mile stretch of land parallel to Hollywood hills, become so famous? From its very beginnings in the 1920's, it has been a magnet for eccentric, wild and brash behavior. I really decided to live in Los Angeles in the 1970's, and when I saw the palm trees dancing against the sky it was love at first sight.

Hollywood and Beverly Hills were only sleepy orange groves until the motion picture business crossed its path in 1915. This group of vagabonds was greeted with signs like no dogs no actors in the housing community. Actors and actress, directors, stuntmen, the whole industry needed places to relax. Sunset Boulevard is a movie filled with old Hollywood clichés. William Holden's character has memories of a textbook Hollywood lifestyle which he tells us from his shot dead bloated body floating in his sugar mama's ( aging ex-starlet Gloria Swanson's ) pool.

Thus came the roaring twenties when the passion for silent films was at its height. Millionaires brought their own entertainment , one of the first to buy into the scene was Rudolph Valentino who bought a piece of property for his wife, Alla Nazimova They called it Garden of Allah. After her divorce from Rudy, She ended up losing everything. Her home was sold to some shady developers and soon it became the Garden of Allah Hotel. During it's glory days it was inhabited by the likes of John Barrymore, Clara Bow, Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich and more. The Garden of Allah Hotel. Poor Alla was relegated to one little room in the hotel until her death.

The Trocadero opened it's doors in 1934, . Hollywood's studio system used it's own movie stars to keep themselves entertained with stars like Judy Garland soon the new kid on the block was Ciro's, fabulous place for dining and dancing with stars like Josephine Baker, Sammy Davis, Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin and Eartha Kitt. The location has survived many rebirths. Now it is called the Comedy Store and it is owned by Mitzi Shore (Pauli Shore's mom) , it was a Mecca for the rich and famous in it's heyday between 1939 till 1957. It was once a Twist club called the Crazy Horse in 1966; the name changed later to The Boss with acts like Tom Jones, Dino, Desi, & Billy.
Chateau Marmont is a fairytale castle of a hotel, steeped in nature, pool, piano, bungalows, it was built in 1929 as apartments and is still private and discreet, the perfect location for an affair. It is a English style manor whose former tenants include Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, Ringo Starr, John Lennon and Yoko stayed in the bungalows and rumor has it Led Zeppelin rented them for orgies. When I called for more information they would give me no information as they are ultra discreet. It was also the unfortunate location of the drug overdose of the late comedian John Belushi, well, at least he died in a nice place.

The Mocambo, which had stars nightly and featured gods and goddesses of the forties. Patrons came for dinner dancing , chatter while elegant gowns swept across the room. Another Sunset Strip generation of party goers were being entertained by the likes of Lena Horne and Edith Piaf. In the forties it was the cat's meow. It was featured on I Love Lucy and you can still see Ricky Ricardo and his orchestra there in reruns.

They re-opened as Ciro's and the club itself starred in Sonny and Cher 1967's movie Good Times. Then the Bob Dylan-Lovin Spoonful generation gave way to soul/R&B acts Marvin Gaye and the Fifth dimension.

Pandora's Box-Gone but not forgotten. The IN crowd in the 60's made this club number one on the strip. It was a beatnik club in the 50's when the strip took it's tips from the kids. Bongo's and turtlenecks were the rage for the truly hip. Buffalo Springfield's wrote a great song called 'For what it's Worth', about disturbances between the cops and the kids. Cops and kids were natural enemies in the 60's, like the snake and the mongoose. The police drew a line and forbid the rockers to cross it.

Speaking of Historical sights, in the 40's and 50's Schwabs Drug Store was featured in the movie Sunset Boulevard. It was formerly located at Crescent Heights and Sunset and was the drugstore to the stars, though it was torn down in the mid-seventies. It's new incarnation is the Virgin Mega store, Crunch Gym, and Wolfgang Puck. Though the rumor was that Lana Turner was discovered here in a very tight sweater it is a Hollywood lie which inspired thousands of girls to buy tight sweaters.
 

PART 2

Music Invasion

 

Bill Gazzari moved to the strip 1960's and opened Gazzari's. He showcased bands like the Doors, and The Buffalo Springfield. Gazzari stopped the city from closing all the rock clubs. It was home David lee Roth and Van Halen as well as the Miss Gazzari's wet tee shirt contest in the 1980's, and I remember this dirty old man trying to pick up girls 50 years younger than him as he wandered around in an immaculate white suit and a fedora. The club was rebuilt in the 90's after Bill's death. It now houses the Key Club formally Billboard Live.

The Whiskey a Go Go is still the rockinest club on the strip. According to Art Fein (LA historian ) this was the club in the sixties and seventies. The Whiskey opened in 1964. This is where go-go dancing was born. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles recorded 'Going to a Go Go' here in 1966. It was closed in the 80's for awhile and used as a movie location but it had a big re-opening party with Taime Downs from Faster Pussycat kill kill and Guns And Roses in 1986. This is City of Angel's holy ground. Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin , ACDC, Cream, The Kinks, The Doors, Iron Butterfly, The Sex Pistols, Van Halen; three generations of rock and roll have preformed miracles on this stage.

The Roxy Theater is a diamond of a theater right next door to the Rainbow Bar and Grill. Headline acts play this venue because it has Rock superstar ambiance. On any night of the week, The Roxy Theater is filled with rambunctious revelers, girls of all shapes and sizes. Chicks with fake tits, Glam guys with big hair mooning and spooning. Living the lifestyle on pizza and Jack Daniels. All year long the strip is filled with rambunctious revelers. The fashion never changes; lot's of people cruising, exchanging phone numbers in their cars. Chicks ready to flash you at the drop of a hat, Glam guys, low sparks and high-heeled boys, 'cause anything goes. Rockers dining on pizza and Jack Daniels, Fast cars and faster women.


The Rainbow Bar and Grill is the center of rock dining in Los Angeles . It is rumored that Joe DiMaggio took Marilyn Monroe here on their first date when it was called Nicki Blair's. Led Zeppelin hung out here when it first opened. It's been the home of rock and roll since 1973. My favorite place to find the likes of Lemmy Kilmeister of Motorhead at the Miss Pacman table racking up the points . Lemmy started coming to the Rainbow in 1973..Lemmy says I asked him how he thought the Strip had changed? He responded in his rough limey dialect; "It was a lot more fun in the early days. The people have declined in taste and manners. The weekends are still great here and we all know scenes go in circles.." When asked about his best times at the Rainbow. He responds "You never remember them right?" I kept probing Lemster for an example of good times and he said "Well, one of Led Zeppelin's roadies was screwing some girl under the big table in the back of the Rainbow and when he finished we gave him a standing ovation."

Nothing has changed, except now there are more bouncers and cops to protect you from the sex, drugs and D.U.I. lifestyle. The restaurant is red and very Italian, with a great menu and two bars inside and an outside patio. Signed pictures of rock stars line the walls and you will find genuine big haired up and coming bands drinking Jack Daniels and Coke. Lots of Betty's on the make looking for a good time. You might still find Slash partying from last week, hanging in his favorite booth. The Impotent Sea Snakes were so drunk there one night they hailed a cop car instead of a taxi!

The heavy metal/disco, upstairs is a semi private club called 'Over the Rainbow'. You pass a hall of cool promo shots of Ozzie Osbourne on the way up and the way down. Big Hair, Big Boobs, Little dresses and Out of control. The Whiskey, The Roxy and the Rainbow rule the Strip now, David Lee Roth, Slash, Lemmy Kilmeister, and many visiting bands pay homage to the Mecca of rock and roll. Mario Maglieri Sr. owns the Whiskey, the Roxy, and the Rainbow. He is a charming, handsome, silver haired 76 year old man (who doesn't look a day over 49) who came to Los Angeles 37 years ago from Chicago where he owned jazz clubs. I met him in 1979. Tony Vescio is the maitre de of the Rainbow. He started working at the Whiskey in 1973 and moved over to the Rainbow Bar and Grill in 1973. Tony told me as he seated and greeted the throng of patrons "All the stars came here The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Keith Moon was always around, Ringo used to hang out here with Little Richard". Another group of people come to the door and Tony continues "today lot's of young kids end up at the Rainbow, just like the old days when we had Springsteen, Elton John sitting at the bar with his orange hair, they all stopped by the Rainbow".
 

 

PART 3

Rock On

 

Many elitist clubs with the Studio 54 attitude keep springing up again, where you are judged by what you are wearing and whom you are with but they don't last very long in the face of West Hollywood's diversity. Freaks and geeks rule the streets. Old hooker hideouts have been washed clean since Hugh Grant got caught with his pants down by the police. The Rock and Roll Denny's menu isn't any different than other Denny's menus, but this Sunset Strip Denny's is the rock and roll magnet for the after 2 am crowd. The young and hip met to mingle in a carnival atmosphere after shows every night. When Glitz was king, boy's with make-up and big hair ruled the earth. Today the line is long and the wait is longer.


Coconut Teaser is Len Fagen's club and it is the home of shock, slock and cock rock. Up and coming artist flock her to be seen here by their peers. The out side patio always draws the crowd and the Booker's here are always willing to experiment which is one on the things that make LA great! Famous for their dollar taco's and the Crooked Bar for acoustic acts down stairs. I used to jam with Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix Experience) in his jazz band there in the 80's.


Guitar Center--This is where the Rock Stars shop for the sounds we love. The home of the rock and roll walk of fame including rockers Eddie Van Halen, Les Paul, Frank Zappa, Greg Allman., Stevie Wonder and many others who are enshrined in the sidewalk. It is the biggest Music store on the Strip. The top of the Guitar Center Building is always capped with paintings of their favorite rock star clients like George Clinton and Slash from Guns and Roses.

I spend a lot of time at the House of Blues it was opened in 1994, it is owned by Dan Ackroyd, it has lot's of supporters and investors it was designed by genius, Isaac Tigrett. It holds 1100 people has three floors, a stage that pays homage to all religions, lot's of folk art and an opera box dining area above club level! It's partly a Mississippi blues shack filled with religious icons and soul voodoo blues/roots folk art. It is also upscale and diverse; you can see Anthrax on a Wednesday, Johnny Winter on Friday and Rob Zombie on a Saturday, and Tom Jones loves to play here on New Years Eve. They have Elvis's birthday bash every January 8th. The ultra chic foundation room houses its private members, the rich, and the famous. Across the street is the serenely beautiful art deco Argyle formerly known as the St. James Hotel.


One of the most interesting additions to the strip comes to us from many incarnations. The Viper Room, in the early 70's it was Filthy McNasty's. In the 80's it was The Central the home of Monday night with Chucky Weiss, modeled after the British subway system. It has been and active rock and roll bar for 20 or more years. It was famous for being owned by Johnny Depp and the fact that River Phoenix overdosed on the sidewalk in front of the club. Inside is a cozy upstairs pleasure chest octagonal room a small stage, a private booth with a two way mirror for the Ultra Uber star and a no photographs policy.


Music makes money and Atomic studios, the brain child of Mark Mothersbaugh from Devo is out of this earth. Mark has acquired a big green space ship of a building on the Sunset Strip, where he's always producing music for favorites like Beakman's World, Rug Rats, Nickelodeon specials and Outside projects with a little help from his friends. Talk about whistle while you work, let me count the Emmys.


One of my favorite eatery's is Toi Rock and Roll and Thai Cuisine that melts in your mouth. Michael the Owner once played backed up Tiny Tim with his band Purple Crosses dressed in loincloths. This local is a museum filled with Rock posters, flyers, concert tickets to the Rolling Stones in 1965, small screens everywhere featuring videos like Wild in the Streets and absolute beginners. King Hustler Porn king Larry Flint is not stupid. He's a pornographer, paraplegic, and a marking legend. He built a big round brightly lit location and made it a jewelry box for the sexually hip and aware. It contains a juice bar, Greta fashion, books of all nature, and curios. It is a supermarket of sensual.


Now for something completely different try Woody Harrelson's Oxygen Bar. This place is called the 02 bar, a very unusual place filled with vegan foods, juice bar, a restaurant, a comfy oxygen room, separate table oxygen service, and bumping dance room with D.J.'s on staff. I sat with my friend with tubes up my nose eating and drinking in Radical hospital chic. A portion of the proceeds he generates goes to save the rain forest.


And last but not least lets explore The Cat Club, which was recently acquired by D.K., Slim Jim Phantom (Stray Cats) and friends, cozy, chic, and exclusive.. Taime from Faster Pussycat Kill Kill, has brought Glam and Glamor back to the Strip with his latest offering The Vulture Club which invades two nights a week. Taime moved from Seattle to San Diego and on to LA When he was 19. I asked his first impression of the Sunset Strip and he told me "This rules, I never went to the clubs to see bands I just loved parting in the scene!" The place is packed with the current wave of Hollywood stars every night.


As you can see the Sunset strip has a well deserved reputation. The people here live it love it dress it and breath it. Maybe your're the next scenemaker to make the scene. The scene is changing every day. Later you can always go and crash at Hyatt House. It's right next door to the Comedy Store and across the street from the House of Blues it has been known to be one of the rowdy hotels that rocks stars frequent. I've been at party's for the Red Hot Chili peppers where we jumped in the pool fully clothed and of course there are some secrets you don't remember if your really having a good time....