Historic Club in Santa Monica Boulevard, in the south of Club heaven on Sunset Strip, Making sure that Rock music is Not Dead.
This is the Club with long history on “Santa Monica Boulevard”, in the south of “Sunset Boulevard”. It is the same size as “Whisky a Go Go” and “Roxy“. Stage is relatively big. There is a bar room on the left, getting into the main entrance.
There is a plate indicating “Hall of Fame” on the top of gate at the bar entrance. This Club is known that many famous musicians have been played, and many pictures are displayed on the wall.
Stage on the backside is like 15m width, 5m depth, 60-70cm height and it is very easy to appreciate. There are also seats on the 2nd floor. Ceiling is high. Wooden building is good atmosphere to feel the long history. Capacity on the 1st floor in front of the stage is more than 100 people, and a bar area at the back side of the audience space.
The performer was “Buffalo Daughter” in Japan, when visited this Club at the first time. When arriving at the Club, there were long line in front of the Club, some people pretending some animation character with costume, some wearing a hat with poppy hat. Some people are like those people, not available on the street, and I feel something bad, however, its performance by “Buffalo Daughter” was great.
I went up to the 2nd floor with seating area, and sat at the latter part of it. Its space feels like the gallery for freak show and I like that place. There are wooden bench. There was a PA area at the left-hand side of its seating area at the 2nd floor.
During the performance by “Buffalo Daughter”, engineer in the PA having the move very hard for switching “on” and “off” quickly and repeatedly, and its scene has seized my eyes.
By the way, when I visited in 2019, I felt that the second-floor seats were a little different compared to 2002. The wooden bench seats was the same, but there is a table behind the front bench and it feels like more space.
On the right side of the stage on the second floor, it looks like there are audience seats for special guests only. Also, I felt that the space on the PA on the left-hand side became wider.
Compared to ”Whiskey a Go-Go” and ”the Roxy” on the “Sunset Strip”, this “Troubadour” is the Rock Club where you can experience history in terms of the club structure and atmosphere.
That should be related to the fact that “Troubadour” opened in 1957 that is the oldest in the area including the club in “Sunset Strip”, and playing music genre is relatively wide; famous pop and folk musicians in addition to Rock music are performed.
The area is famous for Gay Bars, but you need to walk around 5 minutes from the Bar area. Like the Sunset Strip, the crowded restaurant/bars seem to be different each time of visit, indicating the difficulty of maintaining popularity. There is no parking lot nearby, so park a car a little away from the “Troubadour” and enjoy the special area while walking beside the bar area.
By the way, “Troubadour” is a little far from the Rock clubs on the “Sunset Strip”, so it’s hard to crawl between Clubs on “Sunset Strip” and “Troubadour”. Heading south on “North Doheny Drive”, near ex-“Gazzarri’s” and ex-“Key Club”, located at the west end of the Sunset Strip, it is to be reached to the “Troubadour”, however, it is hard to walking down on the dark residential area.
The fact that “Troubadour” locates a little far from the “Sunset Strip” may be a factor that “Troubadour” has slightly different atmosphere than the clubs on the “Sunset Strip”.
Visited in 2002 and 2019.
Basic Information
■ Name of Place：Troubadour
■ Address : 9081 N Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA USA
■ Performed Musician :
Motley Crue, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Eagles, Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, LA Guns, Billy Joel, Poison, Warrant, WASP
■ Homepage : https://www.troubadour.com/
