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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Rock: An Appearance by Foo Fighters Attracted 2,000

Rock: An Appearance by Foo Fighters Attracted 2,000 Don’t tell Jim LaPelusa rock ‘n roll is dead. Don’t tell him Reseda Boulevard can’t compete with Sunset Strip. LaPelusa knows better. He was still noodling over how to remake Paladino’s, a funky country and western club he bought in June of 1999, when the drummer from the Foo Fighters asked if the band could play there. The Foo Fighters were preparing for their next tour, and they needed a place to test out their material. The next thing LaPelusa knew, more than 2,000 people were lined up outside the Tarzana club to see the popular rock ‘n roll band. LaPelusa is so certain of Paladino’s potential to become the place to be for rock ‘n roll he is spending $150,000 to renovate the 30-year-old club. When Paladino’s holds its grand re-opening at the end of November, it will sport new electrical wiring, a new sound system and new furnishings to replace the old, turquoise booths. There will be a dressing room for the talent, a new bar, signage and awnings. LaPelusa has even hired a Sunset Strip promoter to book the acts for the club and handle publicity. “I look around and I’m the only rock ‘n roll club left standing,” LaPelusa said. “There’s no other rock ‘n roll club in the Valley. No other dance club that’s rock ‘n roll. None with the size of dance floor we have.” LaPelusa had dropped “a couple hundred thousand dollars” in the stock market and was looking for a new investment when the former owner of the club approached him with a proposal. LaPelusa would buy the club and the former owner, Kenny Paladino, would manage it. “Unfortunately, he was less than honest,” LaPelusa said flatly. With the management of the club now falling on his shoulders, LaPelusa, who owns a security systems company, did a little research. He took a few trips to Hollywood and found he had one thing to offer that the trendy clubs along the Strip would never have. “You’ve really got to be an avid, diehard because it’s such a hassle to go down to Sunset Boulevard,” LaPelusa said. “There’s a huge untapped audience in the Valley that doesn’t go over the hill because it’s such a pain.” The Foo Fighter concert was an accident. The group’s drummer lives in the neighborhood and occasionally frequents Paladino’s. But LaPelusa said he has already seen enough other evidence that there is a market for the club he is building. “If we have a lineup on Friday night that’s a good venue, we’re at capacity,” he said. The club attracts a mix, from sports figures to local musicians to “the guy doing dry wall down the street,” LaPelusa said. “We’re the working man’s rock ‘n roll bar.” And these days, the working man is looking for a night out more than ever. “Particularly after Sept. 11, I think people want to get off the couch and do something. They want to experience life. They want to meet people. People have come to the realization they can be gone tomorrow. Shelly Garcia

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