Who played at whiskey a go go mac#

Playing there meant your band had accomplished something. It was no longer a club for new talent to smooth out the rough edges. 'I mean, The Doors were the house band, Chicago was a house band, War was a house band, that played for like months on end until they got discovered.'Īfter a decade or two of business, music changed on the Sunset Strip. Folk Rock and Psychedelia gave way to punk, new wave, and eventually metal. 'Back in those days, you had the record companies that were supporting the groups, they didn't have sound checks, the bands came in and rehearsed,' said Maglieri. Where police officers, city councilmen and parents saw crime, drugs and decadence, the bands saw community. Bands that are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame now would perform for each other back then. In the late 60s, West Hollywood's Sunset Strip was a seedy part of town, but a safe place for the counter culture to thrive.

Who played at whiskey a go go mac#

Maglieri is more than willing to share stories of what he's witnessed at the venue: hearing Fleetwood Mac play to an empty room, seeing John Lennon throw a tantrum over a waitress, serving Janis Joplin drinks the night she died. 'And on my night off, my father would tell me not to come there. 'I worked there anywhere from well, usually about seven days a week, but at least six days a week,' said Maglieri. Mikael Maglieri owns the Whisky a Go Go now, but in 1966 he was just 15 years old and a busboy there. it's one of the iconic clubs in the major music capitals,' said Hochman. 'The history of it is singular, certainly in Los Angeles and arguably in the U.S.

'Rock and Roll history' is a term that gets thrown around a lot, but the Whisky a Go Go has earned it, according to music critic Steve Hochman. But as the Sunset Strip changed, so has the way business is done at the Whisky. With a seating capacity of just 500, anything goes attitude and signature go go dancers, the Whisky became one of the most important clubs in Los Angeles. The Whisky A Go Go was an incubator for bands like the Doors, Buffalo Springfield, Frank Zappa.

On Janu50 years ago today - a small club on the Sunset Strip opened its doors for the first time.