Witzend | Music Junkie Press

Witzend Celebration of founder rocks and refreshes legendary venue.

September 16, 2014

By Patrick O’Heffernan, Music FridayLive! Venice, CA. Apparently rumors of the demise of LA’s famed Witzend music venue are, as the saying goes, greatly exaggerated. In fact, the memorial of the death of the legendary club’s founder, Jeb Milne, held Thursday night was a strong signal that not only are the rumors that it could become a high end restaurant not true, but that the new owners are bringing fresh life to the storied site, starting with a blowout party populated with unrivaled talent. The Witzend was created by Jeb Milne in 2009 in a collection of buildings in Venice CA that had once housed the famous (or infamous) Mad Dog Restaurant and Bar frequented by Jim Morrison, Gregory Hines and other rising entertainment stars. Jeb, a multi-talented Renaissance man, musician and animator, originally bought the buildings for a animation studio. After 2 years of negotiations with the City, he got a permit to open the Wtizend music venue and the West Side has never been the same. The Witzend became the center of [Read More]

Hana Kim at the Witzend in LA by Patrick O’Heffernan of Music Friday Live!

January 14, 2014

Hana Kim mesmerized a totally packed WitzendLive in Los Angeles Saturday night – even the bar was quiet. I have had Kim on my radio show, Music Friday Live!, and reviewed her new album, Exodo, which is a kind of minstrel tale of her life and international travels. She has steadily built a following in the very tough market of Los Angeles, releasing two EPS’ a single and now a full album so I was looking forward to the evening. The Witzend is an L.A. gem, a listening room designed with a beyond the state-of-the-art sound system for music lovers and emerging musicians with big futures. A gig at the Witzend is a recognition of Kim’s growing popularity and bountiful talent. I knew that her deep soulful voice would take full advantage of the club’s acoustics and that her deeply personal songs would go over very well with the discerning crowd that comes for only the best in live music. Although she has been playing almost constantly in the LA area for two years, this [Read More]