Key Club

The place was ok, but the staff and their policies just made it suck. I went with my friend a while back to see one of my favorite bands. It was our first time here. After waiting hours outside in the hot sun they were finally going to start letting people in.
However, there was a catch you had to pay an extra fee if you were under 21 or not planning to drink. They forced everyone under 21 to buy two non-​alcoholic beverages or else they wouldn’t let them in! Even though we had paid for our tickets to enter! That’s just a scam and a rip off.
The staff was rude and shoving people around and telling them to move away from the sides. There was little to no seating. Also there was a guy with crutches who wanted to get close to the stage so he could see the bands, but they moved him all the way to the back of the room. What jerks! Clearly not disabled friendly.
The bands that performed were amazing and that’s why I gave it 2 stars, the rest sucked. The watered down coke, I paid nearly $ 10 for, was clearly not a way to gain points with your crowd.
Thanks, won’t be going back anytime soon, even if my all time favorite band (s) are there.

I was going through some of the old concert venues we used to frequent for shows and stumbled across some old shows from The Key Club in Hollywood. I was sad to find out that this club went out of business a few years back as it always had great shows and was one of the better venues in the area in my opinion. We have been to numerous shows here over the years seeing many local bands (some of which we became friends with and still talk to today) to larger punk rock acts such as T.S.O.L.
The Key Club was one of several clubs located side by side on the Sunset Strip along with The Roxy & The Whisky A Go Go both of which are still open today. The biggest negative with this venue as with the others is the parking and general traffic in the area. The parking is typically valet and small independent parking garages in the area all with varying prices and bad service. Despite it’s shortcomings The Key Club had great sound, a great look and a wide variety of artists and shows. I will surely miss this place.

I know they are closed, but I just got around to writing about this garbage. I went on their «almost to last night». I’m new to LA and one major selling point of LA was the live music scene, concert venues, entertainment– not at all trying to be in that industry, in fact I’m trying to not work, period, but for entertainment purposes, i enjoy the theory that we are in close proximity to musical genius. Though I feel like I am wishing for the «days of yore» when I speak of musical genius.
Anyway, I went to see a friend who is a drummer in a band who was opening for Kix, don’t ask…
The club was dirty, but not in an authentic rock n roll way, just dirty, almost ghetto, and the people were washed up garbage from the 80s– aqua net and filth, and not in the good way, and yes there is a good way.
The bartenders were old as dirt, and had massive attitude, which I cannot blame them for because if I was stuck there listening to 10 garbage bands in their 40s and 50s who never quite made it for the last few decades, I’d be a raging «C U Next Tuesday» as well.
As sad as it is to see one more rock institution crash and burn, I think the Key Club lost it’s luster when it changed names decades ago and became something tragic. Plus, the Key Club sounds ghetto… here’s hoping the space will be redone into a new, better version of it’s former self.
That’s me being positive!

Rumor has it they are closing — or rather new owners are coming in. Let’s get past the crowd and the stripper like girls dancing in the middle for no apparent reason (before and during the show), the bar is in a location that it’s difficult to navigate to when it’s busy, I also found the place dirty. Good place to see a show, it’s small enough so you can’t really go wrong. I just found it scummy. Not the crowd, the actual building and layout.

Ridiculous time getting into the venue last night. I got there three hours prior to open doors time and was first in line!!! Was excited to be front and center for 10 Years and Young Guns. Box Office opens and tell them I’m on the 10 Years guest list and they haven’t received the paper with the names on it yet.
So I have to stand to the side and watch everyone else grab their tickets and walk right in. I check again a few minutes later and she says to wait off to the side of the entrance. So I wait patiently the entire time as they let the whole line of people go through. Then, after the last ones go inside, they have the guest list finally! Only my name isn’t on it… I’ve been going to shows for three years for this band and have never had any trouble getting in with ANY venue.
So I waited through all that shit for nothing and had to pay for a ticket in the end. I don’t even know what to say, but I’m just glad this will be my last show at the Key Club.

I Love The Key Club! I’ve been to countless metal shows here and I always have such a great time!
–It’s clean.
–It’s not too small, but not too big… perfect size club.
–The doormen are super nice.
–Bartenders are fast and friendly.
–Never a too expensive show here.
It’s just a great place for an awesome show, would way rather be here than the crappy Whisky! Love coming here!

RIP-​OFF LOUNGE.
I was providing drums for the headlining SACRED REICH, and got in thru the promoter of the show. I then took my wife upstairs to the lounge so she could enjoy the show from a safe distance. (as the pit was INSANE for the top 3 bands on the bill!) The so-​called «waiter» informed us of some random «you gotta spend ‘x-​amount’ to hang up here» (even though we had wristband credentials with the headlining band to go wherever we wanted)
Show closed and my wife goes to close out our tab and it was a joke! I had 3 beers, 2 waters and my wife had 2 mixed drinks and the bill was $ 150. I know this is Hollywood, but come on!!!
And let’s not forget the so-​called «security» roughing up the kids/​fans. Even Phil (singer for SR) was telling the «security» to take it easy on the kids, they’re having a good time!
I miss the old days of The Strip! Gazzari’s was sure a fun time back in the day!

Do NOT support this venue.
Key Club security was violently messing with people during tonight’s Cro-​Mags show, one of them being my boyfriend and his friend. They had my boyfriend’s friend in a chokehold. Security jumped from the stage and punched him, leaving a knot on his head. The purpose of having security is to protect us from the people causing the problem; they should not be the problem itself.
After the things that I’ve heard from others (and dealt with first-​hand– I was there during the TSOL riot in 2010, which was SO poorly handled), it’s safe to say that I will NEVER be returning to the Key Club.
They also charge an $ 8 fee if you’re under 21. They state this on the website under the FAQ, however, it’s pretty hidden. They need to post it visibly on their Facebook event page or when you buy the ticket.
Update: A few of us left comments about this situation on their Facebook page the night this occurred. Today, the Key Club responded with long comments about how «punk shows can get rowdy», they’re sorry this happened, etc. A few hours later, all of our comments were deleted from the page. This not only shows how guilty they know they are, it shows what little integrity they have.

Great place to go if you feel like getting jumped by a bunch of skinheads in the pit, or nearly stomped to death by a dozen oafish bouncers.
In all seriousness though, I hate writing pans but this is the absolute worst concert venue I have been to in my entire life and I feel obliged to warn people about it.
I went to a punk show at the Key Club with some friends a little while back. While me and another friend were outside having a cigarette our young Hispanic buddy inside got beaten up by a bunch of Nazis for no reason at all and had to be rescued by security. (I’m sure his employers and professors loved the black eye this resulted in)
While they apparently did not see fit to remove the offenders from the club, when we attempted to reenter after our smoke they decided my other friend had become too intoxicated off the overpriced swill their bartenders had been happy to keep serving him and the bouncers would not allow him back in.
So I can’t comment much on the inside of the club as we only ended up catching the first band.
We did not have our phones and our ride was inside, which put us in a bit of a pickle. Initially we were informed they «might» let us back in if he sobered up, so we complied with all of their instructions and waited, checking in every so often.
The bouncers were consistently rude and argumentative from the get-​go, which I can tolerate but my friend was less appreciative of (if you have any experience with the punk community that is absolutely the worst possible way to approach a dialogue with one). I did my best to diffuse the situation, but one of the bouncers persisted in instigating my friend who just wanted to pop back in for a second to let our ride know about our situation.
Meanwhile, in my peripheral I watched as a steady stream of other bouncers continued to funnel out to the street and fan out around us.
Then suddenly the bouncer who’d been provoking us all night, who was about 7 feet tall and built like a linebacker, decided it was time to kick my friend’s ass. He stepped past his rope onto the sidewalk and pulled out these giant leather work gloves and started putting them on as he stomped menacingly toward us, grunting about the abuse he was about to inflict on my buddy.
At this point I literally thrust myself between him and my friend in an attempt to act as a human shield of sorts, very vocally informing him that we were on public property and that if he or any of the other dozen bouncers who looked poised to go Hell’s Angels security on us laid a finger on my friend they would be facing assault charges.
Luckily there were a number of onlookers nearby, and I looked middle-​class and sounded litigious, so I somehow managed to get my friend out of there without suffering the egregious beatdown that had been brewing all night. It was definitely narrowly avoided, and if it had occurred I’m not sure how we would have fared legally. It would have been their word against ours and we just as likely could have ended up in the drunk tank charged with public intoxication or worse assault if we had tried to defend ourselves against a stomping.
Frankly, this is not the type of shit I want to be dealing with when I go to a concert on my night off.
We were very cooperative throughout the entire debacle, and did not deserve to be treated in such a manner.
This happened a few months back. I thought it might be an isolated incident, but on the ride home our friend informed me the Key Club was notorious for this kind of thing, and I just heard an acquaintance had a similar experience there recently at a hip hop show.
If you do go here, just keep in mind the bouncers are mad dogs who are just itching for an excuse to inflict violence upon you. They have gloves specifically for the purpose of beating up their patrons in.
Oh, there’s a $ 35 MINIMUM on credit cards too. Fuck this place.

Wow, this is my 2^nd 1 star review for this stupid dump and hopefully my last ever.
I would give this place 0 stars if I could!!! I unfortunately went back because one of my favorite bands ever The Adicts played awhile back and I had to come see them.
Tell me why this place still has the absolute most ridiculously incompetent racist asshole security guards here!
Getting in is still a complete disaster, it’s really not that hard to create separate lines for minors, ticket holders, non ticket holders, and will call. Seriously now, anyone can do it, expect the idiots that work here.
So if you manage to ever get in this place and actually see the band you paid to see, make sure you don’t drink or some racist security guard might throw you out.
My friend who had too many too drink was thrown out very aggressively and had plenty of racial remarks yelled at him by black security guards, and that is completely unacceptable.
Big surprise there are drunks at punks shows, this place is so ridiculous. Security needs to actually do their job and get people in and break up fights, and not be racist and monitor peoples’ drinking lol.
Also, the bar is still sooo expensive ugh. This place used to have some of the greatest punk shows ever, what the hell happened?! I really hope I never have to come back, I’m tired of all of the hassle and inconvenience every damn time.
Please get it together Key Club, you used to be so great! :-(

Pretty small up in this business.
Went for the RAWards fashion show. Set up wasn’t bad, but nothing too great.
Friends had mentioned that the bathroom was DISGUSTING.o.o so I refused to use the restroom there haha.
Drink options are pretty much not a wide variety. They couldn’t make White Russians or Mai Tais. & 11 bucks per drank. meeehhh
I enjoyed the fashion show generally, venue, not so much.
But one of the workers was nice enough to allow my friends and I to sit on the balcony level (even though we didn’t reserve.) :]
They serve food too. what the heck lol.
Drinks are not cash only. they allow credit card. (Just saw a review someone posted on the side saying cash only, it’s not.)

White bouncer inside club… jerk. Bouncer inside tried to enforce a 200 $ VIP where
There was not one individual in VIP. 80s night music., great!

I’ve been to the Key Club a number of times for different shows and events. I do like that it is intimate, and multi-​leveled so you can almost get a good view from anywhere.
There’s a huge stage towards the back of the venue, with a sub-​level standing room area. Surrounding that are couches and tables reserved for bottle service or VIPs. Upstairs, there are more reserved areas and viewing sections to see the stage below.
The restrooms are downstairs on the bottom most level. Also, down on that floor there is another small holding room that is used sometimes for events or as a holding area for the shows.
Not sure how much drinks and/​or food is there, I’ve never ordered anything while at the Key Club.
I can’t say that I love this venue, because there are so many other places to see shows even on Sunset Blvd alone. But, the Key Club has a lot of history and has been around for a while.

I just have no idea what it will take for me to write a great review for a club now that I’m in my thirties. Had Unilocal been around a decade sooner, I might have been gushing about Key Club, but now, it just seems so small and full of little kids. Feels weird to be so old and cynical, but hey, if you’re thirty plus and reading this, don’t expect much.
Great signs of lackluster management at a club – lame bouncers, empty bottle service tables and mayhem on the stage. Here, we got all three. The dude at the door was incomprehensible. Waved his arms around like a helicopter and told us to walk around. Even made eye contact with us as we walked around the corner and he kept throwing some signs at us. Only after we got to the backdoor entrance and the guy there paged the front door and told us to go back, did the genius admit that he only meant for us to go around the velvet rope set out two feet away from him. Are we dealing with some spatial recognition issues here, sir? What the hell are you doing using your big outside voice and motioning with fully extended arms for us to «GO AROUND!!! GO AROUND!!!» when all you mean is for us to take two steps back and one to the left. What an oddball.
Then, you get in, and see these empty tables and a bunch of teenagers (?) packed like sardines in front of a tiny stage. Assistant manager catches my BF’s ear and proceeds with the bottle service sales pitch. I’m looking at Remy as he’s trying hard not to break out laughing at the proposition and politely declines. Half an hour later, the guy makes a sale. How did we know? This was a show-​stopper – he is carrying a thin bottle of vodka while underlighting it with some LED torch. Both hands up, proud, like a man home from a hunt and a pack of twenty or so dudes behind him. Comical scene. Very poser-​central.
This was just a weird evening all around. We were there to see a family member perform, so it’s not like we picked the spot for ambiance or anything. But once there, it was hard not to laugh. Can we just all admit that nightclubs only have two options: they’re either freaking awesome or they’re silly. Key Club isn’t awesome by any stretch of the imagination. So, option two it is.

I am so torn about this place. I used to love it, but then again that came at a time when I could just walk into any show that I wanted and hell, that sure does make Hollywood a lot more fun!
I came here recently for The Adicts concert. First of all I love the fact that the Key Club holds contests and I won what would have been a $ 60+ concert for free literally several hours before the show. Secondly I love that it is a smaller intimate venue. But I also have some dislikes about the key club. For one thing, the Adicts was a «no ins and outs» show. I’m not sure if that’s just the Adicts (and hence the Sheriff cars parked outside, and by the time the Adicts came on stage the Sheriff deputies parked inside the venue), but it would have been nice to know beforehand that I wouldn’t be able to go outside for some fresh air, a smoke break for my boyfriend, or some cheaper alcohol than a $ 6 PBR tall can. Another thing I don’t like about the venue is that those under 21 have to buy additional drink tickets. I get it, venues make their money from alcohol sales (also 15 year old douchepunx at shows are really annoying!) but seriously that’s a lot of money for many kids and I don’t like the whole pricing a kid out of a show vibe that I felt going on here (Say $ 30 for a ticket with fees from an online source then plus ANOTHER $ 8 just because you’re not old enough to buy the alcohol you so desperately want to pound down). It just seemed a bit much for me. I remember being that tender age where I’d have to kick, scream, and beg, to get $ 20 to go to a show and it’s not very nice.
Inside, on Adicts night there was a further $ 25 min credit card purchase limit. That kind of sucks too. I have days where I’m teetering on even being able to put $ 25 on my credit card, and I’m just glad I had cash for my overpriced but refreshing PBR.
However, back to the likes — as I have an inkling to give the Key Club some love. I do like the fact that they are not militant-​Nazi about their VIP area (as other venues are) and that the trashed as fuck VIPS who constantly spilt beer all over me were nice enough to eventually pull me into their area to rock out with them. I do love the fact that many of the security people are chill and hilarious. I do love the fact that they seem to have a loving relationship with the West Hollywood Sheriff Department (after that really fun Agent Orange fiasco). And I do love the fact that I’ve seen some amazing bands here such as TSOL, The Misfits, The Adicts, Hoobastank, Soulfly, and the aforementioned one Agent Orange song before the venue got shut the fuck down faster than the mace could fly.
Viva punk rock!

Last night I was there at an event for Raw Artist. I was super excited as many people I knew where there too except it was ruined by one person. I didn’t get his name but it was some thug looking dude who apparently works there, he has a neck tattoo.
For some unknown reason, he kept trying to extort $ 50 for my friends and I. One of my friends was at his art booth and he was told he couldn’t sit there unless he gave him $ 50. My friend had his RAW ARTIST ID/​PIN on him. He came up to him twice.
When I was on the center area to photograph my friends fashion show case, the same thug came up and told me I had to pay him $ 50 to photograph there?
When my female photographer friend arrived she was going to join me to photograph the showcase, he said there was a weight limit! Seriously dude?
What the hell? I’m not coming back to this place again.

Pretty cool venue to see a show but kind of small. Okay sounds systems and not too long of a line. Beers are like $ 7 and drinks might be $ 9. I think there’s either a totally separate club downstairs or something bc I tried to go down there but it had hip hop (I was there to see dubstep) and the bouncer said I needed a special bracelet. Also, no place to sit unless u buy a table. Oh LA…
So the only negative thing I have to say is about the 5’5 thicker girl bartender with blondish hair in a ponytail. I ordered a drink from her. She gave it to me. I took a sip. Turned around to say hi to a friend. (there was no bar line bc club audience was young and u could hang out by bar on the night I was there). I turn around and my drink is gone. The bartender says there’s nothing she can do, won’t replace it. I have to buy a new one. I am a little upset she won’t replace my drink when someone stole it right in front of her but she says I should go find the person who stole it and she’ll replace it. I find the girl who stole my drink (who pretty much just shrugs her shoulders when I take back my drink) and bring it back to the bartender. She says she’s not going to replace it. Whatever. My guy friend decides to buy me a drink bc she is being uncooperative. He goes to put down a tip and I tell him don’t tip her for my drink. I grab the money on our side of the bar and she grabs it out of my hand and starts playing tug of war w me with the money. It was still my friends $. It is not hers until he hands it to her or puts it on her side of the bar! She calls over a bouncer while we’re playing tug of war and of course he takes her side bc they have to. He tells me she deserves a tip bc she poured the drink. I don’t agree but whatever. She can have the $ 3 she fought so hard for. That girl needs to be fired. She had a total attitude problem. It was the night Adventure Club played, a Wednesday.

I haven’t been to the Key Club since sometime around 2003. During that particular visit, after the opening act, my friends and I went outside so they could smoke… and as we stood looking out onto Sunset, I watched as a tow truck dragged my truck down the street. Thus began one of the more memorable, lengthy, insanely irritating nights of my life.
But this isn’t the place for that. I came here the other night to see a band my friend & I are buddies with and it was a lot of fun. It’s tiny and cramped in here, and it gets hot as hell, but I love the intimate atmosphere that can be achieved. Nothing beats watching your favorite bands playing so close you’re practically right on top of them. In fact, the top balcony is so high & close above the stage, it sometimes feels like you are right on top of it. I was lucky enough to avoid rocking out with the masses, having secured a cushy spot on the side of the stage where I also enjoyed some ice cold beer gratis.
The merch area is a total clusterfuck, though. It’s subterranean, extremely compact and nearly impossible to navigate quickly. It’s also where the bathrooms are located. While hanging around down there, trying to avoid the mêlée, I stumbled into the downstairs lounge (name escapes me) where a band was playing called Slick Wicket. These guys tore it up, and the lead singer sounds just like the immortal Dio. Badass!
I should mention they have a ridiculously awesome promotion running right now that allows you to buy a 6-​month pass to ANY and ALL shows at the club for $ 100 and it includes a +1. I’m mighty tempted since they do host a lot of great acts. This place holds some good memories from my early days of going to LA shows, and it’s still a lot of fun to see bands play here.

Drinks Good.
Sounds Good.
Foods Good.
Feels Good too.

Been here twice now. Once for a private Slash concert, the other most recently for an Iration concert. Had a great time each visit.
Good sized venue, 2 levels. Adequate pours at the bars. Wish there was more seating, though. Park across the street at the $ 8 lot and frogger hop back to the other side. The parking in the key club lot and the one just east of it is a rip.