The Viper Room opened at 8852 Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood on August 14, 1993, co-owned by actors Johnny Depp and Sal Jenco. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played the opening night show at the intimate 250-capacity club, setting the tone for a venue that quickly became one of the Sunset Strip’s most talked-about stages.
Over the following decades, the club built a reputation as a favorite haunt for musicians and celebrities, hosting acts ranging from Johnny Cash and Cher to Green Day, The Strokes, and Keanu Reeves’ band Dogstar. The building itself long predated the club, having served as a grocery store, cabaret, and rock venue under earlier names such as the Melody Room and Filthy McNasty’s before becoming the Viper Room in 1993.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: 8852 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, California
- Type: Nightclub and live music venue
- Opened: August 14, 1993
- Capacity: About 250
- Original Owners: Johnny Depp and Sal Jenco
- Famous for: River Phoenix’s 1993 death outside the club and decades of celebrity performers
A Star-Studded Sunset Strip Stage
Since opening, the Viper Room carved out a niche as a small, star-magnet club where famous musicians could play unannounced shows in an intimate setting. Its lower-level whiskey bar and compact main stage made it a favorite for metal, punk, and alternative rock acts, and it is remembered as the site of INXS frontman Michael Hutchence’s final public performance in 1997.
Ownership Changes and an Uncertain Future
Johnny Depp relinquished his ownership stake in 2004 as part of a lawsuit settlement over alleged mismanagement of club profits, and the venue changed hands several times afterward, eventually coming under Viper Room Holdings, Ltd. In recent years the property has been tied up in a major Sunset Strip redevelopment plan involving a hotel and apartment complex, with developers proposing to eventually reopen a Viper Room-branded music venue and museum on the site.
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The Viper Room FAQs
When did the Viper Room open?
The Viper Room opened on August 14, 1993, at 8852 Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood.
Who originally owned the Viper Room?
It was co-owned by actors Johnny Depp and Sal Jenco, who ran the club together until Depp gave up his ownership stake in 2004.
What is the Viper Room known for?
Beyond hosting acts like Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, and Green Day, it is widely known as the location where actor River Phoenix died in 1993.
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Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Mike Dillon assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.