Inside the Labyrinthine Bowels of the Sunset Strip

1 Early History

Since its beginnings in the 1920’s, the Strip has been the preferred playground of the wild and famous.

2 Music Invasion

When Bill Gazzari opened his doors in the '60s the stars of old Hollywood glamour days moved over for the NEW stars of the Sunset Strip.

3. Rock On

This week's elitist club will be gone next week but  the Sunset Strip still Rocks on

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 kaill 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 Theatre 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 ambience. On any night of the week, The Roxy Theatre 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 Bettys 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