West Hollywood - Key Club

[dhoward]

Anybody know anything about this place? We're playing a battle of the bands gig out there in August...
PLaces to go, stay, etc?
Thanks!

[bigchillcar]

lol...anything like the 'key parties' from the 70's? couples come in, drop their keys in a bucket and the wives leave with whomever's keys she draws. better leave your wife at home for this gig just to be safe!
ryan

[dhoward]

LOL!
who knows?

[speeder]

It is the former Gazzari's, an old school institution that was owned by Ben Gazzari until he died about 10 years ago. Live music club on the Sunset strip for 40+ years. When it changed hands it was called the Billboard club, (as in Billboard magazine), they put some $$ in it and promptly sold it when they started losing the kind of serious dough that can be lost in the big-time club biz when you don't know what you are doing.

Now it's the Key Club, (nothing to do w/ "key parties", ha ha), it's a big pay-to-play joint that seems to be surviving. If you don't know what a PTP place is, google it I guess.

For the complete Sunset strip rocker cliche' experience, stay at the Hyatt House next to the Comedy Store, (the "riot house" w/ the pool on the roof where every rock band on earth has trashed a room back in the stone age).

[Cdnone1]

The Rainbow is just West, and I mean stumbling to it West of the Key Club.
if you go to the Key Club the place to be is the private club below the regular club.
if you go to the Rainbow make sure you get upstairs to the tiny dance space.
There is a million places to stay depending on if you want mild to wild

Steve

[Mulhollanddose]

Originally posted by Cdnone1
[B]The Rainbow is just West, and I mean stumbling to it West of the Key Club.

East. I used to bartend at the Key Club. Next-door to the Rainblow is the Roxy.

[Cdnone1]

I stand corrected
Perhaps I stumbled to many times to and from the Rainbow in my youth
Rainbow,Roxys,the Troubador,Gazzari's, I can't remember them all. Was it the Central where Chuch E Wise and the Goddam Liars played every week before it became the Viper Room?
Good time, maybe to good
Steve

[Mulhollanddose]

I don't know what the Viper Room was before the "Viper Room."...But that location is where River Phoenix dropped dead. Key Club is a wholly different animal than its previous occupier (Gazarri's) of that location. The Key Club is more nightclub format. Cool venue but just seething darkness...I have spent more than a twisted night in all those locations. I have puked on the Roxy, literally. Used to be able to buy coke from the valets at the Rainblow, so I read in some tabloid.

[dd74]

Wow, and my idea of a hot time is Olvera Street.

[Mulhollanddose]

If I was Mr. Hankie, that is where I would hang out too.

[Mulhollanddose]

Originally posted by dhoward
Anybody know anything about this place? We're playing a battle of the bands gig out there in August...
PLaces to go, stay, etc?
Thanks!

How long the stay, what days, eg. Thurs-Mon?

[dhoward]

Probably fly in Friday, play saturday night and back home Sunday. Not much time, but a few of us would like to hit as much as we can in the area. The "experience", if you know what I mean. 30 and 40 year old children...


It's the annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame / Fortune magazine
Battle of the Fortune 500 Bands. The midwest semi is at the Gibson Custom shop in Nashville, so that's where we thought we would end up, but apparently we were one of the 6 furthest west.

[Mulhollanddose]

Originally posted by dhoward
Probably fly in Friday, play saturday night and back home Sunday. Not much time, but a few of us would like to hit as much as we can in the area. The "experience", if you know what I mean. 30 and 40 year old children...

Lets narrow it down further. I reckon you want to party on Friday night, or do you want to call it early and get a full Saturday in?...Exactly what hours do you need to occupy recreationally?...Is is drunken debauchery and laciviousness you seek, a more wholesome approach, or a mixture of the two? Alcohol and other recreationals generally come at a physical and mental price that will overwhelm one's ability to take in a great deal in such a short time.

[dhoward]

Drunken debauchery and laciviousness.
Hmmm...
That would be yes.
Party Friday night. Alcohol will be a staple all weekend. We really only have to play one set Saturday, so after the festivities that night, more party.
Sunday, bloody marys or at least slightly-bruised sallys....

There will be some more wholesome people there, but we don't hang out with them....



Still need to work out travel details, now that I think about it, maybe leave on a Monday....

[K. Roman]

I played Key club in 2002. It was a pretty big space, as I recall. It was at a night for Fat Beats (hip hop record store/label) anniversary party. So it was a hip hop/rap event. I think it had pretty good sound, and the stage as about five feet off the ground. The show was sold out which meant someone was doing there job.

Key club is on Sunset. Around that area is a place called the Saddle Ranch that has a mechanical bull. Lots of beautiful girls, and hot lady bartenders. Also some escort services roaming around.

There is also the Standard hotel which has a cocktail waitress and has a DJ and a swimming pool area where people hang out and mingle.

Then there is the Grafton Hotel, which has a bar called Boa which was good. Great looking bartenders and a smoking area if you need that. I had alot of fun there too.

good luck

[K. Roman]

Oh, and stay at the Grafton Hotel. It's really nice and not too pricey. Right on Sunset at Fairfax.

[techweenie]

Decent club, dance floor not much more than a few postage stamps worth when the tables aren't cleared out. Stage at the back; BIG bar in the front. Within a block to the East is a great Chinese food restaurant.

You'll be toward the eastern end of the Sunset Strip. Whaever you want, you can find there. A couple blocks to the East and across the street is Chateau Marmont. A great place to hang and look at the best flesh this city has to offer.

[dhoward]

I knew you guys would come through.
Thanks for all the great tips.
I'll let you know where we'll be. I'll buy drinks.

[nostatic]

I played the Viper Room not too long before it became the Viper Room (was called the Monkey Bar as I recall). Played the Viper Room with Simpleflower back in 2004 (our last gig before we broke up). Never played the Key Club.

If you've never been to West Hollywood, you really should at least drive by Rage and some of the other places. Rather eye opening, especially on a Friday or Saturday night (late).

[dd74]

Rage? Really? A meat market for...ur...meat?