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Categories: Music Venues, Dance Clubs
Neighborhood: West HollywoodMon-Sun. 7:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
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Came here with friends to catch the Misfits. Admittedly I don't listen to the band but after watching them that night I'm definitely interested in listening to more of their music. Anyways on to the review of this place:
Yeah it's a pretty small venue but who cares, people are having a good time, drinks are decently priced and stage divers are hitting the floor face first and that's all that matters.
You can pay for parking nearby for less than 10 bucks OR you can borrow grandmas 1984 cutlass supreme, with the handicap tags, and park free in the residential zone. (Hey you just saved enough money for an extra drink!)
But unfortunately, thanks to these trying times, by the time im posting this review this place will be closed down and we'll miss out on a bunch of great shows..... Man I never get to do anything fun!
I must have been here over a dozen times in the past years dating back to the Billboard Live days. I think I have seen A Perfect Circle, Boy Hits Car, Hoobastank, Lukas Rossi, One Side Zero, and Soulfly to name a few.
This review is based on my most recent trip here for Soulfly (Sepultura) a few months back. Having won free tix thru showlist LA, and actually being a big fan of the Sepultribe, we brought our support to max and the crew for this one. With oldies like beneath the remains and troops of doom, along with refused resist, I just could barely contain myself.
Being a little older than I was when I hyperextended my knee at my first Sepultura concert with Ozzy, Danzig, Fear Factory, Slayer, and Biohazard, I decided to try my luck at an upstairs table. Wouldn't you know it but I see a throwback from the past as Dino of Fear Factory (along with Nailbomb with Max to name a few) is right there at the table across from us watching the show. We had excellent service drinks kept coming, food was ok too.
Eddie made sure our table was respected since I had called ahead and made a reservation and paid a fee to get it held for us (fee which got applied to my drink/food tab later). It was totally worth paying for the service to sit back, eat, drink and watch the show from great seats. I will do this again for sure.
The Key Club was smaller than I expected. Two tiny bars downstairs, reserved seating along the walls, VIP area upstairs, and a "dance floor" for gen admin that is wall to wall people watching the band. The stage is big, there are screens everywhere so you can watch the band if you're too short to actually see them on the stage. Bathrooms are in the basement.
Drinks were normal priced - $8 for a vodka and soda. But there was limited selection of alcohol and mixers and there wasn't even 'garnish' for the drinks (no limes for the gin and tonic).
I cannot comment on the dress code as I was there for an opening arena rock band with a Neil Diamond cover band following. So you can imagine the eclectic attire everyone was dressed in.
The part that sucks is that there is no seating, so make sure you wear comfy shoes and can stand for 4 hours at a time.
Watch those stairs coming up from the floor. So many tipsy people took a digger on them. I have to hand it to the bouncer standing right there, though, he was over to the sprawled out victims and picking them up in lightening speed.
I came to see AMP a few times , Airborne Toxic and some other amazing bands. This rate is for the venue itself and the experience overall. This place is pretty tiny, and its LA so they gouge you in everyway possible. One questions though...could this place house any more scene kids? Cause i think one more and the place is just gonna fall over from all the emo-ness...and if I see one more wankster i swear i'm gonna scream...and not in the good way...wink..
other than the small ass venue and the heat from all the gyrating and sweating bodies, and the fact they dont' really have seats...this place was a fun night...great place to rock out and have some fun...
Came here to see a friend perform as a backup dancer for a night fat Joe was performing..this was the first event of the night of the epic fail... We arrived & already the parking @ this club was ridiculous. $20 for Valet?!? while one of the guys was trying to say he would give us a special price of $15 still heck no!!
So we parked & paid $7 across the street walked down to meet up our friend & her dance crew. All I remember was waiting to get in & this random verbal fight broke out with a group outside & a group of dudes in some random tinted black car. *Get back into the corner, hurry get back!* what the hell is going on?
Dude: yo girls get down against the wall right now don't move
me: *shaking in my boots*
Dude: when you here some caps poppin off that means get down on the ground ok.. just get down that is the typical procedure
krys: ummm why doesn't any just call the police?
group of dudes: * stare @ her like she is crazy*
krys: ok??
Finally no one got shot & we immediately took off & attempted to go to the standard which also valet was full FAIL
I probably wont come back here ever again
The Key Club is one of my favorite clubs in Hollywood. I've seen many concerts here, There's nothing better than going to Hollywood on a summer night, They cater to any artist from know ones to up and coming ones. There staff are very professional. and your guaranteed a good time
Saw SOJA at the Key Club twice and both times were fantastic. The venue is is pretty good shape, not quite as shabby as The Roxy but still has that "hole in the wall rock n roll vibe". Drinks prices are fair and staff is excellent. Will call/at the door prices are way better than Ticketmaster so call the box office instead of getting them throught TM if you can.
GD does this place rape your wallet! Alls I wanted was a good lil buzz at the Talib Kweli show. High alc tolerance and being poor dont go together well. Spent about 50 bucks with them 7 dollar beers.
The venue itself is ok, weird set up and kind of uncomfortable. Went upstairs to see if there was better standing arrangements and was going to try to get a table but it was 25 bucks a person. Shit man! The sound quality was good and the security wasnt too tight. Ended up sitting on a table to see Talib and no one minded.
I dont prefer to ever come back here. :)
Came her to see Talib Kweli on a Friday night.
Valet was $25 for a lot we had to drive into BEHIND the club and then walk down a hill and around the corner to get to the entrance. I have no problem paying for valet, but if I'm paying $25 I would like to get out as close to the front door as possible. And parking was $2 more expensive than a single ticket for the concert that night!! WOW
The place was packed so we made our way upstairs. There were less people and we were finally able to get a table with a great view of the stage after some fanagling.
The bathroom was ghetto!! One stale had no door and the stale I was in, the toilet had no seat - thank god I'm a squater - LOL
The venue was so-so, but seeing Kweli there was worth it.
I went to a free CD release party for a local band (WHITE LIGHTS check them out) so not dealing with cover charges was an A+ in my book. Their show was downstairs, which was a really low-key intimate place for the show. Wish the bar was better stocked tho- we wanted a whiskey cocktail, and all the bartender could come up with was Jack and Coke. I'm not in the dorms, hello.
Managed to sneak upstairs for the reggae show that was going on. It seemed like a really great venue for live music and local bands, especially since I had never heard of the headlining band and the place was PACKED! Nobody sitting in the reserved bottle service booths though. No surprise there: the Key Club is not a place worth buying bottle service for. It's a place where the best view is from the middle of the pit, as close to the stage as possible.
The best part about the place was the crowd. There were all sorts of people there, all getting mildly stoned. The staff didn't seem to mind.
I am a staunch believer that Monday is a "Skool" night. Put down your pencils kids and put on your drinking wristbands...its time for a lesson on what a Monday night should be...all compliments of Key Club.
Yes - is a $20 cover. But for $20 you get your PhD in in killer tunes from two amazing bands.
Get to the doors around 9ish and get your tookas downstairs to the swanky, velvet-clad lounge (all the way down, below the main stage) to rock out to Petty Cash - a Tom Petty/Johnny Cash cover band made up of a pupu platter of punk-rock powerhouses that come together every few Mondays and crush every cover they dish out. Tom and Johnny would be proud.
Around 11:30, saunter upstairs for the main event - Metal Skool. If members of Poison, Motley Crue, Warrant and Skid Row birthed a gaggle of love children, they would be the members of Metal Skool. When it comes to 90's hair rock, these guys have it all - the looks, the sound, the alarmingly tight pants. And they sound unreal - these guys are true musicians. Celeb fans are plentiful and often jump on-stage to jam (i.e. Pink belting out Sweet Child O' Mine....genius).
But be advised - this show isn't for the faint-of-heart. These guys keep it 90's hair-rock legit and true-to-form. So if the possibility of being verbally accosted by band members or witnessing spring-break-quality on-stage girly antics aren't your thing, you may want to opt-out of this part of the lesson.
Consider yourself educated - Skool is in session - join the fun.
I'm giving this place 5 stars mostly because it's the very first venue that I attended my first concert which was Insane Clown Posse's "Wicked Clowns From Outer Space" tour. Since then, I've attended and even did photo/video gigs for a lot more rap and rock concerts!
POSITIVES:
-very cool, intimate venue...not too big, not too smal, great size (that's what she said).
-the staff are usually cool, unless you fuck with them.
-the VIP lounge/Green Room and backstage/bottom stage area for artists to kick it at are pretty cool. Key Club takes care of their headlining artists pretty damn well. I know because I've been in the green room with rapper Tech N9ne hanging out with everyone.
-They got a New York Style Pizza place a few miles away from The Key Club!
-The restrooms are actually NOT BAD for a packed club!
NEGATIVES:
-Security can be a little too strict at times, but that's just them doing their job I guess.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I love The Key Club, I will never stop loving it...it's one of my favorite venues ever! You will love it too!
I've only been here once, and it was a fun experience. It was a club event, but I completely forgot the name of the event and who hosted it.
Two floors. Top floor is where the stage is at. Bottom floor is pretty tiny, but when I went it was where all the action was at.
Lady Sugar performed here. I support them.
Pretty cool venue. 4 Stars.
I used to live at the Key Club.
Figuratively and hyperbolically of course, I don't mean I actually slept in the dressing rooms or up in the restaurant booths or downstairs in Plush or anything creepy like that, I just spent excessive amounts of time here for a couple of years.
I do love the Key Club though.... friendly staff from the bouncers to the cocktail waitresses and bartenders to the talent booker, I've never encountered someone who has left a bad taste in my mouth. (That wasn't meant to be dirty so stop thinking like that!) I've performed here for a couple of random events and the staff was always helpful and the facilities were always great and homey.
Of course, far more often, I've been a patron of the Key Club and I've never had a bad night here. With fantastic residencies here like Steel Panther (formerly Metal Skool...I know I miss that name too), the now-defunct Ruby Tuesdays (thanks for that Indie....)and the monthly Carnival choreographer showcases, in addition to great local bands and big name artists who choose to do smaller shows here, the lineup at the Key Club has always been a pretty dependable option when you're looking for something to do. And Plush, the VIP room downstairs is always a great choice on a night out and even when it isn't limited to us VIP royalty, it manages to maintain a cool, chill vibe that is generally douchebag free.
Now, I admit I no longer frequent this place to the point that the bouncers actually notice if I didn't show up for one of my "regular" nights but I still definitely have no qualms about catching a show here when I get the chance. As a matter of fact maybe I should check their calendar, I've got a few free nights coming up here.....
The Key Club is one of my favorite small venues to see a concert!
If you're like me, I enjoy watching bands from up above. They have a restaurant area upstairs where you must reserve a table and order food. My favorite table is upstairs, center, right behind the sound guy. You get thee best view and the best sound!
As far as their food, I've only tried one thing, their steak sandwich. It comes with carmelized onions and a side of sweet potato fries that were crispy and never too salty.
Great food! Great sound!
My favorite venue to go to in hollywood.
good amount of space
and i've never had a problem there.
Dude.
We received free tickets for the Plush Lounge downstairs, so we had no cover, which made $15 we had to pay for parking seem like nothing.
I LOVE this place.
The music was amazingly good, in both venues, up and down stairs.
One complaint, which is to be expected I suppose, it was $8 for a mini Cran-vodka, $6 for a bottled beer, and they were "out" of some very popular liquors, which to me is just annoying.. so get your drinks on BEFORE you arrive, if you have a des-driver :P
Really cool venue, cool staff that keeps people in line, but still friendly enough to share a smile or a sway to the beats :)
Check it out, it is one of Hollywood's hotspots and I am a huge fan. And I rule.
pretty kool
i think its an asian club or perhaps i went on an asian night
but any who it was pretty tight
a lot of nice asian wimminz
most of them are shy
perhaps it was an 18+ event GG they need to get more drunk!
main floor is hip hop, underground is trance/techno
cheap parking: $7
aite dranks: $10
fiiine wimminz: priceless
adios mfkr
I don't know how I feel about this place. A friend's band was doing a show at the Plush Lounge downstairs and he hooked me up with a few free tickets.
Parking was a total bitch. Eventually, we slid a bill to the valet and he took care of us, even though the lot was full and $15 WHAT THE HELL
When we walked in, the top portion was packed. There were three girls onstage doing something with poles...I wanted to watch but we were late for the show downstairs.
Downstairs was a different story. It seemed like a failing dive bar. AND BEERS ARE $8 EACH. FOR A BOTTLE OF BEER. After tip, you're at $9 for twenty minutes of pleasure.
Plus, it was empty. No one was there. Only one band was playing this show. The sound girl seemed uninterested in correcting any of the feedback....her texting was more important. I'm glad I didn't pay.
After the show downstairs, we tried to see what was going on upstairs. Here's what was going on upstairs: a really really really shitty wannabe Dave Matthews Band (look, I like DMB...these guys were bad). And more $8 beers.
I hope this place is usually better than this. It seemed like a shot in the dark for fun.
BYOB (haha)
The Key Club always has great shows on and the bar staff has always been really friendly to me (and serve strong shots). The patrons are always normal, fun people who are out to have a good time. I most recently went to 'Burlesque Bingo' and 'Lisa D'Amato' had a super night, as always. Appropriate clothing was typical LA relaxed.
Only one small drawback - the basement includes a dance floor, stage, bar and what not, but it tends to smell of the nearby restrooms. You get used to it after a few minutes.
Monday night's Steel Panther insanity is so worth the steep $20 cover- Delightfully tacky.
Dress code is half-decent with a rock twist. Layout is two floors, spacious, three bars with wistful bartenders, LCD screen tv's...like any other night club that's really 'trying'.
Get there early to avoid doing the rooster perch in the corner bombarded by huge dudes throwing up metal signs. Place packs in tight after 9pm.
I like going to shows here. I've always thought of this place as sort of futuristic (maybe it's the decor, the TVs in the floors, the graphics, who knows) and a bit impersonal. But it's got good sound, and that's what's important.
I'll always think of the Pennywise live album show as my defining experience at this venue. But I went to a great Alkaline Trio show here recently and was happy to attend the Key Club.
The merch can always be found downstairs by the bathrooms, and the show floor is setup well with some tables/standing room along the sides. It's a medium sized venue, I like that about it. The bar offers decent service. I haven't tried the upstairs restaurant. I always find convenient parking across the street or nearby in a paid lot.
Drinks aren't that expensive -- I paid $7 for a glass of cab. Dance show was last night... Worth it because the show was good and the people were pretty chill. Cover was $20.
Check it.
Parking:
Directly across the street there are two lots side by side (kinda hidden and slightly down the incline) and a garage that is open until 2:30am. Plenty of time for you to finish up those last few drinks that you bought at last call and chugged when the lights came on because you were too busy talking to your friends instead of watching the hair sprayed rockers on stage that you 'came to see'. ;)
Smoking:
You smoke? That's a vile, filthy habit that will shorten your life and makes you smell like you've been bathing in the smoke of a forest fire..."can I bum one?" Remember that line you waited in? Ok: you're going to go back outside where that was, pass all the people that were behind you and then light up in the open area behind them on Sunset. Make sure you walk past them with an air of arrogance (or AoA) when you're finished so that when they do finally get inside they know who's arms to bump as they walk past you.
Libations:
There's a lot of stuff to choose from from here and no menu but you know what you want right? Nice. Nuff said here, let's move on...to the club isself.
Sweet Digs:
Depending on your social habits and/or lust for music you've got a few crucial choices to make about where you'll be spending your time in here. 1) The Pit - Head bang much? Or do you just like getting all up in the bands grill? This is your area mane. 2) The Loft - Still have the lust for music but like to view all things musical from a hoity toity perspective? Yeah? You pretentious bastard...this ones all you. That is unless they have the VIP/Reserved cards out. Wait, that's right you probably already called ahead and took care of that didncha ya crafty asshat. 3) Social HQ aka The BACK (or front depending on how you look at it) - This is where you first walk in. Notice all the people huddling up and keeping each other warm with conversation. Easy view of the stage and you can still hear each other. Choice.
Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now:
Too many dranks mon frère? Those stairs you passed on the way to The Pit that venture down a spell take you to the basement where the ladies and gentlemen can relieve and talk to the restroom attendants. Or you can hang in that lobby and check out the show up on the flat screens. OR you can see if you can sneak into the private room in the corner where they have alternate shows/parties.
First review. Be kind.
I don't like this part of town and it's largely due to places like the Key Club. The venue books bad acts past their prime, expects you to pay an inflated cover charge, and charges something like 14 dollars for a vodka soda. No thank you.
Enter Key Club.
Bar to the left.
Restaurant upstairs.
Bathroom downstairs.
Stage straight ahead.
Consume overpriced alcoholic beverages.
People watch.
Wait for Band.
Listen to music.
Enjoy atmosphere.
Smile at attractive person standing next to you.
Have fun.
Leave.
I saw an angry (and drunk?) David Allan Coe perform here once and enjoyed it. I sat upstairs where they serve decent but not mind-blowing food and drinks. The venue is a little on the smaller side, and can be cramped, but it's painted all black and therefore hardcore. Not my favorite venue in LA, but pretty cool.
Apparently the Key Club is closing their doors for the final time on Monday night. I caught one of the finals shows they were having last night played by one of my favorite bands of all time, The Misfits! Seriously I was already having one of the better weeks in the fall and it seemed everything was going right for me and to top it off I got to see The Misfits. As I type this review I probably only have 60% hearing back bc I still have a ringing in my ear. My cousin invited me bc he had an extra ticket and his buddy's band The Joysticks, funny ass band, were opening up for The Misfits. The whole show was great even saw this overweight high school looking band get cut off so the Misfits could get on stage already. The mosh was insane it consumed the whole dance floor and I haven't seen so many stage dives in awhile. I got to admit I didn't praticipate in the mosh this time but I shouldve bc I was comfortably posted to the side, the plus I was surrounded by women and I'm sure one was hitting on me, I was trying to act like a dick when she was talking to me but I honestly couldn't make a word she was saying. Oh well it wasn't meant to be, I guess. Moving on. Also, there was one girl who came out of the pit and shoveled past me and ended sitting behind me as she got her marbles back, all I can add is that she smelled like a wet dog on a muggy day in the bayous of Louisana's back country. F it, my night wasn't ruined one bit. The Misfits played my favorite songs and I was content for the night.
I went to see Bad Meaning Bad at Key Club a couple of weeks ago. And let me tell you, they were bad. But the venue was pretty good. I wouldn't call my mama at 3AM to tell her about it, but I managed to enjoy myself despite the beat-making issues of the aforementioned act.
What was cool about that night was that a number of the cast members of The Office were there. I was pretty pumped up because I just watched the newest episode on http://nbc.com right before we left to catch the show. The coolest member was definitely Oscar (real name Oscar too!). He was dancin' to his own tune and mad gamin' with a curly haired lady. I was proud of him...
But back to the venue. Key Club had a nice layout. The entrance was to the first floor which had a pit directly in front of the stage. Then you could walk up the stairs to your right and reserve seating was on the mezzanine. Then there was another set of stairs to a little known bar area above the reserve seating. Here, if you could snatch up a table, you could see everything comfortably and get a drink relatively quick.
That's really about it. Nothing too special. They had some screens where they were playing Ms. Pacman. That was cool...
...Did I mention I was President of the Key Club in high school???
I've been here twice for some not-so-well-known bands and it was ok. Nothing special at all. The wall are space age like and there's steel bars on both sides of the stage. Not a particularly appealing interior.
Anyhow... FRI night I went to go see Barrington Levy. I had made reservations at the restaurant upstairs. I got there about an hr late for my reservation. NOTE: They give you a grace period of up to 1/2 hr after reservation time to hold your table/booth. They ended up giving up my table (that I put on hold w a credit card). I was upset & starving by this point. When I looked around the restaurant a lot of tables/booths were empty again getting me more upset - cuz why can't they just seat us the fuck down? Whatever.
Went to the bar. Stood there watching the opening bands perform. Crowds of people filled the bar, it was waay too stuffy. Went outside for air & for my man = a smoke. Went back in and ended up scoring a pretty good spot on the floor. Needless to say, it def wasn't worth it. People had no respect nor consideration. Drunkards and wasted chicks kept pushing me into the railing that I was holding onto for dear life. I ended up sore the next day, it was awful! All in all, I could not get into the show - I couldn't move even if I liked the jams, extremely rude people, HOT as hell in there which lead to a regrettable night of dancehall.
Located very close to the Rainbow, it's a great spot to pop into after a few drinks at the Rainbow.
The drinks are good. The music system is awesome. A lot of people go wild here. It's a lot of fun.
A nice mid-sized venue with pretty good acoustics
I've seen some great shows here over the years including: The Naturals (lyke 20 times), Under the Influence of Giants, Umphrey's Mcgee, and a rock band I can't remember the name of. So, as you can see i've really had a ball and a biscuit at the Key Club.
Hmm. Never having been here before, I did not have ANY expectations. I was with a friend to check out the Mickey Avalon show, as she was 'press' for the Sunset Strip Music Festival.
Her press pass let her enter any venue for free, and I was just trying to smile prettily and hope to get in. And it worked like a charm, sucka!
I'm guessing that the Key Club was pretty much to capacity that night. It was insanely packed. Insane. The bars looked nice, but it was way way too difficult to get to them. We managed to make our way pretty close to the stage and were awarded by Mickey Avalon spitting water on us. He literally grabbed a bottle of water and spit the whole thing out on the crowd. GROSS. Mickey Avalon, seriously, knock it off!
As I made my way out of the sweaty crowd, a man asked me if he could make a pillow out of my hair. Only in LA.
I might go back to the Key Club if I really liked the performer...maaayybe.
I was lucky enough to attend the Ghostland Observatory concert last night at the Key Club. 2 things I left with: A feeling of utter satisfaction from one of the best performing groups I have ever seen AND a music venue that weighs on greed over enjoyable comfort. G.O. was amazing. They are one of the most talented 2 individuals I have seen in a long time. With musical instruments ranging from piano to synthesizer to electric guitar topped off with a laser show, they truly are one of a kind. Unfortunately, it was hard to let loose, dance and sing while waiving my hands in the air because I was pushed up against a bar railing while being ass grinded by women and occasionally men...ahem. Mainly because they overbooked the venue and let the entire city inside. Money, Money, Money, Monnney...MON-EY. My only motive for survival in the baracades was to use the 'ol knee in the back move. To the play-by-play: We got to the Key Club at 9:30pm expecting to get in by 10:00pm. To our surprise, the bouncer informed us that they had 2 bookings (Slipknot was playing there earlier) and that they had to clean up the entire club. Meaning doors were now at 11:00pm. Fml. After waiting in line and watching over 100 "VIP" guests walk right in wearing the skinniest jeans on the face of the earth, we finally get in. There were 4 of us who went together and we quickly grabbed a spot on the dance floor that was center stage but, and I mean a BIG but, it was against the railing in the back. It had a little step-up which we thought at the time would be benefitial in order to see over the mob of fans. Little did we know this would be our demise. I went up to the second level to snag a few drinks, and because I live in La La Land, I should have know it was going to be $9 beer night. Mind you, this was another least of my worries. As the band came on at 11:45pm, the guys in the place were hammered (perfect) and the ladies were using their friends to hold themselves up (my lucky day). I really don't know why these people go to concerts. Almost all of them were within 10 feet of me and noticeably had their backs to the stage because they were sucking face with one another. Being that it was a Thursday night and I had work at 7am this morning, I was one of the lucky sober ones who witnessed all the mayhem around me unfold. As the night progressed and the band kicked ass, I had to kick into survival mode. The laser show was great but my eyes started to feel like I had cataracts--glasses on? check. I started to get ass grinded by these drunk ass couples--knee to their backs? check. Jerry, the electrician decided to turn off the ac--3 bottles of water later? check. And to top it off my arms were squeezed in like I was in the middle seat of an airplane due to the number of people on the dance floor--arm stretches at the turn of every new song? check. Ghostland played for roughly 2 hours and we decided to leave when they announced (or screamed) that they were playing their last song of the night. Who would think that the highlight of the Key Club would be that we didn't have to wait for traffic when we left. We drove home and spent 30 minutes in the car ride talking about how the venue sucked ass, instead of reminiscing about how much Ghostland killed it. Overall impression: The band=fantastic. The venue=overhyped...if it is hyped at all.
We went here last Friday night to go see a Sublime cover band. What a great venue! The parking was fine (valet was $6, street parking is metered at $1 an hour until 2am) and getting in was simple. It was pouring rain, too, and they set up a couple tents to keep the line semi-dry.
Once we got in, it was packed but we managed to get some spots, first downstairs by the bar. We decided to venture upstairs to see what was going on. The minimum for tables upstairs was $20 so we opted to stand in the upstairs bar area. We could see fine and sound was great. We eventually decided to go back downstairs to get in the crowd and again got a great spot. The bouncers/employees were all super friendly - as if they were there to assist rather than scold and I always appreciate not being treated like an ass.
The weird part? After the band finished, around 11:30, they turned on the lights and softly played some music but still kept the bars open. It would have seemed like they could have kept something going on with some lighting and music til 2; at least if they were keeping the bars open. Just a thought.
I'll be going back to see Skid Row in March (woooooooooooo!!!!!) and I will come back any other time for any other things. Yay, Key Club!
I've been here a couple times, and neither visit has been a disappointment. Believe or not, the staff / bouncer usually determine what kind of night or time you're going to have. If a bouncer (aka Rent-a-cop), uses his authoritative method (because he doesn't have any pull in his day job) and punk attitude can easily derail one's night. I will address that the staff of this establishment were very cool and attentive. Translated into having a fun and wild night!
Check this place out!
The key club is an alright club when the right band is playing. I have been there twice (for Gogol Bordello and the English Beat). The essence and space this place gives is great bars to the right and left of you and slightly lower stage so if you are way in the back by the door you can still see the stage. Drinks are average priced for a place like this no sticker shock here.
I will say this depending what band you see and the people you get will make or break your night, but is that really the key clubs fault? NO. Perfect example is I went to see Gogol Bordello and yes the crowd did get rowdy but when I bumped into one of the opening bands member in the crowd the guy was all high and mighty saying be careful I'm in The Dan Band so I say fuck you your band sucks and just walked away.
When I saw The English Beat different story it was mostly cougars and old timers and it was a great experience with no rowdiness. All in all great venue to see band.
went to Akon's grammy afterparty here. place is stuffy and packed, and kinda ghetto. it's pretty small. small enuff for you to get a good view from anywhere. drinks are expensive, parking is expensive, bouncers are dicks, and they sweated me for filming the show, but still got some really good footage. will not go back here unless an artist that i really like is playing here, and not anywhere else. see the performances from akon and colbie odonis http://youtube.com/k9r...
I love the key club. definitely one of my favorite venues. I was just here last night for my friend's band, BlueSkyReality who was playing with Ryan Cabrerra (eww, haha). Anyway, i think the key club has a really nice sound to it and has an interesting set up with the weird creepy bathroom downstairs haha. But i love it. And a full bar :] and all of the bartenders are really nice.
Oh yeah and last night i saw the whole cast from The Hills there, and Jessica Simpson. haha cooooool.
You get tarted up in your prom finery and you drive to West Hollywood. You are greeted by friends, tarted up in their own prom finery, and start off the night with free drinks, including multiple shots. (Admittedly, those free drinks taste like ass, but free is free.)
You make the obligatory lap to fondle and be fondled by those not near the bar when you entered. You order more drinks. You have more shots. You dance.
You head outside for a little special natural additive for your bloodstream. You come inside for pictures in front of the official prom backdrop with half of your friends, and then get candid shots with the other half, almost all of which have you with a drink in your hand.
You are immersed in conversation with Furious, your forty-seventh drink of the night on the bar in front of you, and feeling a lil bit drowsy and spacey. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Aimee grabs your arm and says "I need to talk to you RIGHT NOW!" and you say "Hey, mang, wait a sec..." and it's too late, you are being dragged away. And you call out to Furious, "Could you watch my purse, I'll be right ba..."
And then you turn around and there is a river of people parting in front of you and a giant poofy pink quinceanera dress and you realize the person who grabbed you is Stephy and where the hell are you going? You feel like Alice in Wonderland going down the rabbit hole and at one point you actually see clocks, just like in the movie. And then a door opens and you see a stairwell with Fran, Winfield, Masa, Holly, Cid, Frank and other Frank, and a bunch of other people there and they start to laugh and clap! Fran reaches down and hugs you and says "I'm so glad you're here!" And you realize you are part of the Yelp prom court and that's just so fucking cool and insane that it almost sobers you up for a minute. Almost.
And before you realize what's happening, some dude takes your arm and whisks you out another door onto a stage and you are getting a red sash and a swag bag and a hug from Stephy and before she can stop you, you grab the mic and say something stupid. And everybody cheers!
All the other people in the stairwell come out one after the other when their names are called but it's so loud that nobody knows what they are winning but you all clap and scream and squeeze each other's hands and then Cid wins an awesome lil red scooter and confetti comes down! The night starts to wind down, and everything is pretty blurry and kaleidoscope-y around this point, but you know that it takes you about an hour to track down your purse and then your swag bag and then your friends and then finally it is all over.
And when you look back later at that night, you are grateful to the Key Club for hosting you and you think to yourself, should you ever have a third prom, that is totally where you're going to go again.
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Neighborhood: West Hollywood
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Neighborhood: West Hollywood
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