The farewell song for the House of Blues has been set for August 7.
The iconic music venue on Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood is closing after 21 years to make way for a mixed-use condo, hotel and entertainment facility.
Beverly Hills concert promoter Live Nation Entertainment Inc., owner of House of Blues Los Angeles Restaurant Corp., said 197 employees including bartenders, bussers, servers, directors, cooks, sales people, stage hands, managers and security would be laid off starting July 31, according to the Los Angeles Business Journal. However, certain employees may be offered an opportunity to transfer to other Live Nation Entertainment operations.
“We’ve had a terrific run with our Sunset location and we’re actively searching for a new venue as our flagship,” a Live Nation spokesman said in a statement, adding: “We’re actively working with our employee base to assure them of employment.”
News broke last summer that the House of Blues at 8430 Sunset Blvd. would be shutting its doors, but it was not expected to happen for another two years.
The multi-staged Southern style venue opened on the Sunset Strip in 1994. The final shows will include Steel Panther, DJ Quik, Soul Asylum and Bobby V.
Designed by Kanner Architects, its replacement will bring 149 hotel rooms, 40 condos, rental apartments for low- and moderate-income people, and 35,000 square feet of retail space, plus a nightclub.
There are currently 12 HOB venues around the country such as Anaheim, Boston, Dallas, New Orleans and Orlando.