Sponsored message
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Goodbye, Safari Sam's*

Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.

Photo by the toe stubber via Flickr

Kevin Bronson at his Buzz Bands blog reports on the next music venue to go under. "Safari Sam’s, the east Hollywood nightclub that opened in April 2006 with grand plans and big dreams, closed quietly last week." He says that the owner has been rumored to be in debt and "the club never found its niche in booking acts that would consistently fill the venue. Last week, employees got abrupt notice that the club was being shuttered."

Interestingly enough and not necessarily related to their closure, Safari Sam's was one of two clubs to close this year that also experienced a murder. On February 10th, a 27-year-old man was stabbed to death in the parking lot of the venue. One month earlier, a man was shot dead in the parking lot of the now closed Crash Mansion in downtown. Similarly, the House of Blues in West Hollywood could be shut down by the city after a pattern of violence that has continued for a year.

Update: "Previously scheduled shows at Safari Sam's have been moved to the Regent Theatre," reports LA Underground and the LA Times just published a note on their guide for Sam's confirming the move: "as of October 2008, Safari Sam's has temporarily moved to 448 S. Main St. Expect new details and a new entry soon."

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.

Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.

If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible year-end gift today

A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right