The Viper Room is a nightclub and live music venue located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, United States. It was established under that name on August 14, 1993, then co-owned by actors and 21 Jump Street co-stars Johnny Depp and Sal Jenco.
- Venue
- The Viper Room
- Address
- 8852 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, USA
- Town
- West Hollywood, US
The Viper Room is a nightclub and live music venue located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, United States. It was established under that name on August 14, 1993, then co-owned by actors and 21 Jump Street co-stars Johnny Depp and Sal Jenco. The Viper Room has undergone several changes in ownership. The latest owner is Viper Holdings, Ltd CEO James Cooper. It continues to host music of multiple genres, including metal, punk, and alternative rock. While predominantly known as a music venue, the Viper Room also has a lower level which is home to a large whiskey bar. The club became known as a hangout for the young Hollywood elite, and gained infamy for its drug-related incidents; actor River Phoenix had a fatal drug overdose in 1993, actor Jason Donovan suffered a drug-induced seizure in 1995 but survived, and singer Courtney Love survived an overdose in 1995 after Depp gave her CPR. In 1997, singer Michael Hutchence played his last public performance in the Viper Room before taking his own life a week later. The location was originally a grocery store from 1921 into the 1940s. In the 1940s, it was converted into a nightclub called the "Cotton Club", entirely unrelated to the Harlem original. This was soon replaced by "The Greenwich Village Inn", the "Rue Angel" and finally "The Last Call" during the 1940s. From 1951 to 1969, the location was a bar called "The Melody Lounge". In 1969, it became "Filthy McNasty's". and in the 1980s, a jazz club called "The Central". "The Central" was best known for its Tuesday jam nights where various well-known musicians such as Joe Cocker, Brian Setzer and Jeff Baxter performed and hung out along with others in the music industry. It also hosted many local music acts such as Chuck E. Weiss who was frequently accompanied by the Goddamn Liars. In 1993, the club was close to shutting down when Weiss suggested to Depp that he should revitalize the spot and rename it "The Viper Room". Tom Waits also had a hand in redevelo