Fifty years in the past, Neil Younger and the Santa Monica Flyers walked on stage at a brand-new Sundown Strip nightclub and the Roxy Theatre was born.
On Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023 – 50 years to the day later – Younger returns to the West Hollywood theater to rejoice the type of anniversary few music golf equipment ever obtain.
Within the half-century in between, the membership co-founded by Lou Adler and the late Elmer Valentine, and nonetheless co-owned by Adler, now 89, together with his son Nic Adler, has held a uncommon place within the historical past of popular culture and the goals of artists and followers alike.
Between Younger’s six reveals over the Roxy’s first three nights and the tip of 1973, the Roxy hosted multi-night runs by Cheech & Chong, Linda Ronstadt, Frank Zappa and Genesis.
And all through the ’70s and ’80s it continued its position because the premiere small venue to play in Southern California, particularly for newer artists poised on the precipice between unknown and well-known.
In 1975, the Roxy booked important reveals by Billy Joel, Bob Marley & the Wailers, Bruce Springsteen, and Patti Smith. A yr later, Jimmy Buffett performed not less than three completely different multi-night runs and the Ramones made their California debut. (A couple of years later, the Ramones filmed their live performance scenes for “Rock ‘n’ Roll Excessive Faculty” on the Roxy.)
Lots of these, and extra that got here later, have been recorded and launched as reside albums, together with Springsteen performances from 1975 and 1978, a 1976 Marley present, Zappa’s 1973 reveals, and Younger’s club-opening run.
The Younger album, “Roxy: Tonight’s the Evening Stay,” contains not solely the primary music ever performed on the Roxy stage, however in Younger’s wry banter a nod to the constructing’s earlier life as Largo, a swanky strip and burlesque membership.
“First topless lady we rise up right here will get certainly one of these boots,” he says on the outset, referencing the cowboy boots that together with hubcaps and faux palm timber adorned the stage that night time. (At a number of factors within the reside report he additionally notes the well-known stripper Sweet Barr used to carry out in the identical room.)
Lou Adler, a movie and report producer, additionally used the venue for theatrical productions infrequently. “The Rocky Horror Present” had its United States premiere on the Roxy on March 24, 1974 and performed for 9 months. (The subsequent yr, Adler produced “The Rocky Horror Image Present” film.)
Not all of the years that adopted have been as profitable or groundbreaking for the Roxy. The Sundown Strip scene waned within the ’90s and early aughts. However the identify and the popularity by no means misplaced its enchantment. Adele performed the 500-capacity room on her debut U.S. tour in 2008.
Within the final decade, acts that way back moved as much as arenas, equivalent to Foo Fighters and Arcade Fireplace, often booked particular small reveals there. When actor Keanu Reeves and his band Dogstar determined to get again collectively after twenty years, the Roxy was the place they performed their first present in July.
So sure, there’s loads of historical past contained in the black-boxed partitions of the Roxy, and there’s loads of causes, and methods, to rejoice its residing legacy because the fiftieth anniversary arrives this week.
A Grammy Museum tribute
A brand new exhibit, “The Roxy: 50 Years on the Sundown Strip,” opens on the Grammy Museum in downtown Los Angeles on Sept. 18 and runs into early 2024.
The exhibit, which pulls closely on Lou Adler’s private archives, contains pictures of famed performers on the Roxy stage, in addition to photos of celebrities partying at On The Rox, the non-public membership Adler created above the Roxy that attracted such well-known people as Jack Nicholson, John Lennon, Keith Moon, and Bernie Taupin.
The white piano that stars like Elton John, Springsteen and Lennon as soon as performed will probably be on show, in addition to artifacts from “The Rocky Horror Present,” and a brief movie on the Roxy will probably be screened.
Go to grammymuseum.org/occasion/50andstillrockin for all the main points.
fiftieth anniversary reveals
Neil Younger and Loopy Horse kick off a run of particular fiftieth anniversary reveals on the Roxy on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 20-21, and good luck to you attempting to get certainly one of roughly 1,000 tickets to these. The reveals are sold-out advantages for The Bridge Faculty and The Painted Turtle, organizations that assist kids with particular wants which have lengthy been supported by Younger and Lou and Web page Adler, respectively.
There are, nonetheless, different reveals within the Roxy 50 collection that may be simpler, or not less than not fairly as not possible, to get into. They embrace:
Sept. 23: Wallows
Sept. 24: Stephen Marley recreating his late father Bob Marley’s 1976 album “Stay on the Roxy,” with an early and a late present.
Oct. 4: Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul
Oct. 12: Metric, celebrating the twentieth anniversary of “Previous World Underground, The place Are You Now?”
Oct. 14: MAE, celebrating the twentieth anniversary or “Vacation spot Lovely.”
Oct. 18: Rickie Lee Jones, taking part in an early and a late present.
Oct. 24: Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives
Oct. 27: STRFKR
Oct. 28: Nation of Language
Nov. 6: Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Nov. 30: Dillon Francis
For particulars on these reveals and different fiftieth anniversary reveals go to Theroxyturns50.com.
Sundown & Vinyl Market
The parking zone on the Roxy will flip right into a report market from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17. Vinyl distributors together with Report Safari, Lethal Was, Boogie Maru Sounds, AudioPhileUSA, Shattered Music, Galaxy Music, Str33t Data and extra will probably be on website.
The Roxy is positioned at 9009 Sundown Boulevard in West Hollywood if you wish to attend. And if all that report purchasing will get you hungry, there may even be meals distributors together with the close by Rainbow Bar & Grill and Holey Donuts.
The West Hollywood Library exhibit
Town of West Hollywood has its personal exhibit on the landmark live-music membership, with a largely photographic exhibit titled “The Roxy: 50 and Nonetheless Rockin.’”
The exhibit, which opened earlier this month, was organized by the Roxy Theatre and curated by Jason Emmons of the Grammy Museum.
It runs by means of Might 2024 on the West Hollywood Library, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. For extra info go to weho.org/neighborhood/arts-and-culture/visual-arts/library-exhibitions.
