Hip Hop Hopping the Time Away
October 13, 2008, designslinger /Artwork: designslinger]
opening of the brand new Hollywood Palladium. Tonight, rapper Jay-Z will perform, backed up by a 12-piece band, for the re-opening of the refurbished Palladium. The stars will be out tonight at the Sunset Boulevard location, along with the throngs of people attending the sold out concert.
October 13, 2008, designslinger /Artwork: designslinger]
The Art Moderne building, by architect Gordon Kaufman, was concert hall, dance hall and
supper club all rolled into one. A large open floor area, ringed by a balcony with Art Deco detailing and a small stage up front, gave audiences the opportunity to jitterbug to the tunes of big dance bands, watch Betty Grable sing for radio broadcasts, sway to the melodies of Barbra Streisand, let loose with the Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, and vogue with Madonna. It was the home of the Lawrence Welk Show and his champagne bubbles for years.
Illustration of rehabbed interior, Live Nation /Artwork: designslinger]
The performance venue eventually fell on hard times, which mirrored the decline of it's
Hollywood neighborhood. The area is going through a renaissance and so the entertainment behemoth Live Nation has taken a stake in the Palladium's future. The organization has put up a majority of the $20 million price tag for the redo, as well as signing a 20 year lease. The interior has been refurbished, polished and updated with modernized bathrooms, air conditioning and backstage support systems. The plastic-lettered blade sign has been removed and replaced with a neon signboard that reproduces the original. The 60s light fixtures have been taken down and the deco dancing figures lined in neon are back in place. And, though the retail storefronts of the building are boarded up, plans are in the works to re-open the street level shopping spaces soon.
The Palladium almost met with the wreckers ball a couple of years ago. But, thanks to the
upswing in the fortunes of Hollywood and fortuitous timing, the old pop-palace will enjoy many more years of singing, dancing and musical magic.
Preservation Update:
Caroline Barker, from the National Trust, sent us an email with news about the state of Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House. We posted about the flooding of the landmark several weeks ago, and Caroline let us know that the house has already opened for tours this month. Check out the news release at:
www.nationaltrust.org
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