Nobody has a bigger boner for classic rock and heavy metal than I do. Because Los Angeles is a goldmine when it comes to rock ‘n’ roll history, I naturally want to visit all the locations associated with my favorite bands. Canters, quite famously, was a popular hang-out for the guys in Guns ‘n’ Roses, and the adjacent bar, the Kibitz Room, was the venue that launched dozens of the bands from that era.
Chad and his former band, Unknown Boy, also played the Kibitz Room. Yup, all the rock royalty plays the Kibitz Room at some point in their career.
Chad and his former band, Unknown Boy, also played the Kibitz Room. Yup, all the rock royalty plays the Kibitz Room at some point in their career.
It’s a Wednesday night, and Chad and I have some time to kill before seeing a late screening of ‘Samurai Cop’, (***side note – if you haven’t seen this movie, you should. It’s pretty much the greatest movie of all time, even better than ‘The Room’ and ‘Troll 2’. Yes, that good.***), so we decide to stop by Canters for some dinner and drinks. After downing a couple turkey-on-ryes, we head to the Kibitz Room.
It’s a pretty amazing, skuzzy bar, complete with a small stage, a couple of dusty leather booths, and, of course, old-school jukebox! The bartender looks like skinny Santa Claus, so I’m instantly smitten. The other patrons are appropriately diverse, and the drinks are stiff and inexpensive. Chad strikes up a conversation with the random dude next to him because he has a gonzo tattoo and Chad reads a lot more than I do and knows what that is. When the guy says he’s NOT a Hunter S. Thompson fan and got the tattoo ironically, I think Chad is about to spit-take Tullamore Dew.
It’s a pretty amazing, skuzzy bar, complete with a small stage, a couple of dusty leather booths, and, of course, old-school jukebox! The bartender looks like skinny Santa Claus, so I’m instantly smitten. The other patrons are appropriately diverse, and the drinks are stiff and inexpensive. Chad strikes up a conversation with the random dude next to him because he has a gonzo tattoo and Chad reads a lot more than I do and knows what that is. When the guy says he’s NOT a Hunter S. Thompson fan and got the tattoo ironically, I think Chad is about to spit-take Tullamore Dew.
I let Chad argue with the guy next to him, while I get up to take a look at the music selection. After flipping through, I see they have Dirt by Alice in Chains and get more excited than a person probably should. I play a few songs, then grab Chad before he gets in a fistfight with the smug stranger, and head over to the Cinefamily theater.
The Kibitz Room – a quality bar.
The Kibitz Room – a quality bar.