Rock club heaven on Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. Experiencing the club energy survived behind the three major Strip clubs.
“The Viper Room” is in Sunset Strip, West Hollywood, California, USA, located across the “Sunset Boulevard” from the “Whisky a Go Go“. From downtown “Los Angeles”, heading west on “Sunset Boulevard”, the famous club is almost on the right-hand side, on the left-hand side is this “the Viper Room” (“House of Blues” was on the left-hand side, but closed in 2015).
I have not been to this Club in 1990s since major performance was fashionable dance music and many celebrities gathered. Club entrance is not facing to “Sunset Boulevard”, located at 20m down to the side of the road along alcohol shop beside “the Viper Room”. It was difficult to recognize how the building structure is, and there was a long line, look like it was very hard to enter (When I walked down Sunset Boulevard in 2023, the alcohol shop closed).
After around the year of 2010, the boom was ended and Rock music performance was increased. While getting into the entrance, it looks like tunnel, 10-meter long, and there is a reception table in the end, on the left. Just right-hand side at the reception, there is a moderate spiral staircase leading to the upstairs stage room. Music space is much smaller than “Whisky a Go Go” and “The Roxy“.
Space in front of the stage looks like packed with 100 people, looks tough with more than 150 people. Stage height is like 20cm and therefore stage view is not so good. On the left side of the stage, there are several box seats. There is a counter bar on the right-hand side. Wall on the right-hand side of the stage is facing to the “Sunset Boulevard” and music can be heard from the outside.
There is a bathroom at the back side of the main stage and it is individual room. Inside of the bathroom is green lighted that is the club color. It is very good atmosphere and recommend to get in, even having a long line.
“The Viper Room” opened in 1993. Before “the Viper Room”, club was called as “The Central”, then before “the Central”, club was called as “Filthy MacNasty’s”. By the way, brother of the person started “Filthy McNasty’s” opened the “FM Station” listed in #9 in North Hollywood.
“The Viper Room” is famous that “River Phoenix” fell over and died in front of the club in 1993. In the 1990’s and early 2000’s, some graffiti by his fan was seen on the building wall, and people wandering around club and missing “River Phenix”, but now it is rarely seen.
Visited in 2015 and 2017.
Basic Information
■ Name of Place：The Viper Room
■ Address : 8852 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, California, USA
■ Performed Musician :
Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers, System of a Down, Pearl Jam, Iggy Pop, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Idol, Green Day, The Mad Capsule Markets, Weezer
■ Homepage : http://www.viperroom.com/
■ Others
– On the stage, the curtain (drop curtain) is lowered before the performance. “The Roxy” also uses a drop curtain on stage.
