Palomino Club (North Hollywood)

This article is about a music venue in California. For the Las Vegas strip club, see Palomino Club (Las Vegas).

The Palomino Club was a music venue in North Hollywood, called "Country Music's most important West Coast club" by the Los Angeles Times. It featured such performers as Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt, Buck Owens, Patsy Cline, Delaney Bramlett, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Johnny Carver, Hoyt Axton, and Willie Nelson, and was also a popular hangout for other country entertainers such as Merle Haggard and Jerry Lee Lewis. Lewis played there at least once a year from 1957 to 1987.

In the late 1980s and 1990s, the Palomino began to feature more rock acts, such as John Cale and many of the artists associated with SST Records.

History

Originally a "rather tough beer bar," the Palomino, located at 6907 Lankershim Boulevard, was leased in 1952 by the trio of Amos Emery ‘Pat’ Yeigh of Wyoming, and Bill and Tom Thomas of Indiana (who later bought the club). By August 1956, shortly before Pat Yeigh sold his interest, it had become one of the Valley’s largest Western night clubs, with an area of 8,100 feet (2,500 m) with 1,400 square feet (130 m²) of dancing area, featuring top-notch talent that had led to lead billing both on radio and television. The club received a further boost in 1959 when the major country music showcase Riverside Rancho in the Silver Lake neighborhood shut down, leaving the various performers it had hosted available for the Palomino. In the early 1970s, the club could seat 400 attendees. [1]

The Palomino Club was notable because in addition to being the San Fernando Valley’s premiere night club, it was a neighborhood working class bar (opening at 6am with a happy hour from 8am to 10am!) The Palomino Club bar stayed open during afternoon sound checks so regular customers and the artists’ fans could see the bands preparing and rehearsing the evening’s show for free. Often the artists’ showed appreciation for the fans by performing impromptu mini-concerts to standing ovations. The Palomino’s dressing rooms and backstage areas were generally open to the public. Fans could ask if the artists were receiving visitors and most artists welcomed them, gladly signing autographs, etc. During the ‘50s and ‘60s, almost every notable country and western artist played there, but in the early ‘70s, The Palomino started letting the longhaired rock ‘n’ rollers on stage.

The club was featured in several movies including: Every Which Way But Loose (1978) and Any Which Way You Can (1980) starring Clint Eastwood, Geoffery Lewis, Sandra Locke and Ruth Gordon; The Other Side of the Mountain Part 2 (1978) starring Marilyn Hassett, Timothy Bottoms, Nan Martin, Belinda J. Montgomery; and Hooper (1979) starring Burt Reynolds, Jan-Michael Vincent and Sally Fields.

In the ’80s, The Palomino Club was home to the “Cow Punk” variety of country rock, breaking in acts like Freddie Brown, Rosie Flores, Lone Justice and The Long Ryders. Many famous artists like The Flying Burrito Brothers and Dwight Yoakam, played early dates there as warm-up acts. Emmylou Harris and her Hot Band regularly sold out the house. Special event concerts by musical giants like Elvis Costello and Neil Young created sensational disturbances in the neighborhood with huge crowds outside and resulting media attention. Special unannounced guests routinely joined artists onstage for duets or jam sessions. One amazing night George Harrison, John Fogerty and Bob Dylan joined Jesse Ed Davis and Taj Mahal onstage for an improvised mini-set of some of their hits. Frank Czarnecki and Danny Jones "The A Team" were famous doormen at the Palomino.

In the 70's Rockabilly legend Waukeen Cochren with Jim King on organ and bass and Robert Huber on Drums and vocals could be seen once every three months delighting the audiences with Waukeens rich voice and confidence playing styles. He played his own material as well as all of the country classics from Cash to Waylon. Good times then. He's gone now but the Palamino shows still shine.

After the death of both original owners, Billy and Tommy Thomas, the club struggled, but could not maintain the earlier momentum as it became economically difficult to attract the high caliber acts in such a small venue. The Palomino Club was an amazingly unique venue the likes of which will never be seen again.

The club closed in 1995.

Notes

Mary Lyn Dias, who was discovered at the weekly talent show, soon became backup singer for "Hoyt Axton" Freddie Brown entertained at The Palomino and is now performing in Nashville, TN.

Mike Watt and fIREHOSE recorded the band's iconic Live Totem Pole EP at the Palomino on August 16, 1991.