Viper Room and Amoeba Music

Last night a new friend and I went to the well known Sunset Strip nightclub The Viper Room. He invited me to check out one of his favorite hip hop groups playing there, Get Busy Committee. It was opened in 1993 and was partially owned by Johnny Depp until 2004. Most people know that the Viper Room is where River Phoenix died of a drug overdose on Halloween morning in 1993. After his death, the club remained and is still a popular hangout for celebrities. Henry Morton, the owner of the Viper Room hopes to turn the gritty Sunset Strip club into a global franchise by opening several live music venues throughout the world, all of which will bear the name "The Viper Room. The L.A. Times has called it "the most consistently hip club in town."

"Since its stellar opening in 1993, the world-famous Viper Room has hosted the likes of Johnny Cash, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Stone Temple Pilots, Bruce Springsteen, Oasis, Counting Crows, Lenny Kravits, Pearl Jam, Iggy Pop, Porno For Pyros, Sandra Bernhardt, Sheryl Crow, Dennis Rodman, and Hunter S. Thompson, as well as an array of other internationally-established artists and the cult favorites of America's underground.

This intimate nightclub is styled in the fashion of Harlem's great jazz clubs of the 1920's. To those who have never visited the Viper Room before, you will find it surprisingly cozy, holding only 250 people. Giving fans the opportunity to see national headlining artists that sell out arenas performing for them in such a private and personal environment has become one of the club's trademarks.

Another tradition that the Viper Room has consistently upheld is to treat unsuspecting patrons to outstanding surprise performances and special guest appearances. Customers here will find themselves treated with the same professionalism and hospitality as those familiar faces of the Hollywood limelight that may be standing next to you at the door. These character traits have set this club apart from the multitude of Hollywood nightspots, and guests here can be assured that they will leave having had a unique and memorable experience.

The club is divided into two floors. In the upstairs main room, you will find live performances, a live DJ, an open dance floor, booth seating (limited) and a full bar. The downstairs lounge opens to the public around 10:30 pm nightly and is designed like an intimate parlor. There is a video monitor that displays the live performances taking place upstairs and the lounge also hosts a fully-stocked bar."

Before heading to the Viper Room, we had some time to kill so I suggested we check out the music store, Amoeba Music. I had never been in one before and have been dying to go so I was super excited. Needless to say, I was totally overwhelmed in there! There was so much music in there!!

Since 1990, Amoeba Music has welcomed independent music lovers of all kinds to their vibrant stores in Berkeley, San Francisco and Hollywood. They stock every kind of music and movies -- from the top 40 to the best in underground rock and hip-hop, soul, electronica, new and classic jazz, world music, roots music and experimental music. They also have the biggest, most diverse and affordable selection of DVDs and vinyl LPs found anywhere. They call themselves more than just a record store -- "we are a 21st century music outlet, a website, a popular live performance venue, and together with our customers we're a meeting place for California's most colorful community of progressive and creative minds".