Viper Room: Iconic Nightclub in Los Angeles

The Viper Room is a live music club on the south side of the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, CA. While there is a door on Sunset Blvd, the entrance to the club is discreetly located around the corner on Larrabee Street.

The Viper Room
8852 West Sunset Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA
(310) 358-1881
Hours: 8 pm – 2 am nightly
Cover: Varies
viperroom.com

The Viper Room: A Historic Venue

History

In the 1940s, this site was home to the jazz bar known as the Melody Room, frequented by notorious figures such as Bugsy Siegel and Mickey Cohen. The location hosted a venue called The Central, which was an integral part of the 70s music scene, continuing into the 1980s when it faced financial struggles.

In 1993, actor Johnny Depp and musician Chuck E. Weiss acquired a majority share in The Central from owner Anthony Fox and rechristened it The Viper Room. Depp expressed that his intent was to create a space for good music and to host his friends “without having to suffer the bad taste of others.” According to TheSunsetStrip.com, the club’s name was inspired by a group of pot-smoking musicians referred to as Vipers.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers headlined the opening show on August 14, 1993. Consequently, the venue became a hotspot for A-list celebrities and musical legends alike.

The club’s notoriety peaked with the tragic overdose of actor River Phoenix on Halloween night in 1993, during a performance by Johnny Depp’s band P.

In 2000, a lawsuit for fraud and mismanagement was filed against Depp by Anthony Fox, who mysteriously disappeared in 2001 before the case was resolved. Ultimately, Depp transferred his shares to Fox’s daughter, Amanda, who subsequently sold the club to Darin Feinstein, Bevan Cooney, and Blackhawk Capital Partners, Inc. After several years of legal turmoil and ownership changes, Harry Morton, son of Hard Rock Cafe co-owner Peter Morton, took ownership in 2008, aiming to restore the club’s former prestige. Extensive renovations were completed in 2015.

Music Legacy

Despite its relatively late arrival on the Sunset Strip music scene, the Viper Room has hosted an impressive list of performances. Iconic artists such as Bruce Springsteen in 1995 and Johnny Cash have graced its stage, contributing to its rich musical history. The venue has welcomed bands including Matchbox 20, Oasis, Green Day, Billy Idol, Sheryl Crow, The Kult, The Knack, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Everclear, Run-D.M.C., Deus, The Black Crowes, Iggy Pop, and Lenny Kravitz.

In the late 1990s, this venue unexpectedly hosted a “secret” concert by The Go Gos and a reunited Stone Temple Pilots performance. However, such surprise appearances have become less common in recent years.

Presently, the lineup features emerging local talents, popular cover bands from the 80s, or unique shows that provide a lively atmosphere for concert-goers. Although it has yet to reclaim its former A-list status under Morton’s ownership, the club continues to showcase talented bands, drawing respectable crowds for evenings filled with live music.

Notably, Avril Lavigne, who performed at The Viper Room in 2002 during her early career, chose this venue for a live-stream acoustic concert to unveil her fashion line, Abbey Dawn, on March 13, 2012.

Experience Downstairs at The Viper Room