Since 1973, The Roxy Theatre has been one of the Sunset Strip’s most iconic music venues.
Burlesque to Rock: How The Roxy Got Its Start
The Roxy’s reputation — or at least that of its founders — preceded its buzzy 1973 opening. The dream team behind The Roxy consisted of music producer Lou Adler, fresh off a Grammy win for Carole King’s “Tapestry”; media magnate David Geffen and his Asylum Records co-founder Elliot Roberts; Elmer Valentine, co-founder of the Sunset Strip’s Whisky a Go Go; and musician/producer Peter Asher.
Adler and his co-founders had promised that top-of-the-line sound, lighting and dressing rooms — some $250,000 worth — would attract new artists and major headliners who had outgrown the club scene but still craved the intimacy that larger venues lacked. “We want The Roxy to be to clubs what, say, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is to concert halls,” Geffen told the Los Angeles Times.
The strategy worked. Neil Young headlined the club’s sold-out opening night — and the two nights after that.
“With Young as the opening attraction and such other major acts as Cheech & Chong, The Temptations and Jackson Browne already signed, The Roxy is obviously getting off to the impressive start that many had predicted for the 500-seat facility that formerly housed the Largo burlesque club,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
Atop the club was a private, members-only venue known as On the Rox. Here, The Roxy’s owners rubbed shoulders with their famous friends. Regulars included A-list actors Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty, and members of the so-called Hollywood Vampires — who also haunted the Rainbow Bar & Grill next door — including John Lennon, Alice Cooper and Harry Nilsson. Today, On the Rox remains open as an intimate, 21+ venue for up-and-coming acts.
Landmark Shows Premiered at The Roxy
The Roxy has hosted countless memorable performances, but a handful stand out as true milestones in music, theater and comedy.
On a visit to London in 1973, Adler discovered the gender-bending sci-fi musical “The Rocky Horror Show,” starring Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Sensing a hit, Adler brought the production to The Roxy, with the 27-year-old Curry reprising his role. During its nine-month run, the show attracted a who’s who of stars, including Mick Jagger and Cher. The following year, Adler co-produced the big-screen adaptation, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Though a box office flop at first, it went on to become the most celebrated “midnight movie” in film history.
Bob Marley’s “Live at the Roxy” was recorded at the club in 1976. The next year, LA punk band The Germs recorded their song “Sexboy” at The Roxy. Their performance was meant to be part of a Battle of the Bands sequence for Cheech & Chong’s film “Up in Smoke,” which Adler directed. However, The Germs started an impromptu food fight during their performance and were not invited to the final filming of the scene. Several other artists have recorded less tumultuous live albums at The Roxy, including Bruce Springsteen, the Eurythmics, Patti Smith, Social Distortion, the Buzzcocks and Van Morrison.
In 1981, comedian Paul Reubens took the stage as his character Pee-wee Herman. He later taped an hour-long comedy special at the club. Reubens would go on to star as the character in three movies and the children’s TV series “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.”
Jane’s Addiction played their first Los Angeles show at The Roxy in October 1985, opening for Gene Loves Jezebel. This was 11 days after they played their first-ever show at a club in Huntington Beach, where they were listed incorrectly as James Addiction.
“Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” another cult musical, enjoyed a run at The Roxy in 2006 and 2012, starring Donovan Leitch in the title role both times. Leitch later served as the honorary mayor of West Hollywood during the annual West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval in 2012.
The Roxy Today: More Than 50 Years of Rocking
Now operated by Lou Adler’s son, Nic Adler, the Roxy Theatre remains a cornerstone of the Sunset Strip and an essential stop for music lovers. In 2023, The Roxy celebrated its 50-year anniversary with an exhibition at the GRAMMY Museum and a star-studded schedule of performances, including the return of Neil Young for a two-night stand — a fitting tribute to his historic performances in 1973.
Check out The Roxy schedule to see what’s ahead at this iconic venue.
If You Go…
The Roxy Theatre
9009 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 278-9457
The Roxy is an all-ages venue. Admission varies by show.
Valet parking is available between The Roxy and the Rainbow Bar & Grill. Additional paid parking is available in a garage across the street and at nearby lots along Sunset Boulevard. Metered street parking is available 24 hours a day.
Nic Adler on Growing Up at the Roxy
The Roxy’s current owner, Nic Adler, visits The Creators Podcast to share stories from his childhood on the Sunset Strip, from getting dropped off at The Roxy after school to learning to make pizza in the Rainbow Bar & Grill kitchen.
Updated from the original article written by Chris Epting.
