History

1957

• The Troubadour opens.

• Lenny Bruce is arrested on obscenity charges.

1964

• After a gig by resident band The Men, Bob Dylan comes onstage for an impromptu “folk-twist” jam session – attended only by Troubadour staff. Shortly afterward, Dylan makes pop music history by switching from folk to folk-rock.

1965

• The Byrds, who met at a Monday open mic, perform their classic take on Dylan’s “Tambourine Man” for the first time.

1966

• Buffalo Springfield make their live debut.

1968

• Joni Mitchell makes her Los Angeles debut.

• Comedian Richard Pryor records his live debut album.

• Gordon Lightfoot US debut

1969

• Poco, late from a Denver gig, arrive to find unknown comic Steve Martin doing their songs on banjo to a rapturous crowd.

• Neil Young plays his debut solo show in LA.

• James Taylor makes his solo debut.

• Tim Buckley records Live at the Troubadour 1969.

1970

• Cheech and Chong are discovered by Lou Adler at a Monday Hoot Night.

• The Eagles’ Don Henley and Glenn Frey meet in the front bar.

• Elton John makes his U.S. debut, introduced by Neil Diamond.

• Neil Diamond releases Gold, an album recorded live at the Troubadour.

• Kris Kristofferson makes his Los Angeles debut opening for Linda Rondstadt.

• Janis Joplin parties at the Troubadour and the next day is found dead at the Landmark Hotel from a heroin overdose.

• James Taylor plays “You’ve got a Friend” for the first time. He heard his piano player (as well as opening act) , Carole King, play it during during soundcheck and they decided to give it a try.

1971

• Lori Lieberman writes the song “Killing Me Softly with His Song” inspired by a performance by Don McLean at the Troubadour.

• Waylon Jennings performs in the cult classic film Cisco Pike.

• Tom Waits is discovered by rock manager Herb Cohen during an amateur night.

• Carly Simon, opening for Cat Stevens, meets James Taylor for the first time. They later marry.

1972

• Billy Joel makes his LA debut as the opening act for Ballin’ Jack

• Randy Newman returns to the Troubadour for a six night run to perform his masterpiece album “Sail Away”.

1973

• Van Morrison records his live record “It’s Too Late to Stop Now…”

• The Byrds reunite and launch tour with a Troubadour show.

• Pointer Sisters make their debut performance.

1974

• John Lennon and Harry Nilsson are escorted out of the club for heckling the Smothers Brothers.

• Elton John plays benefit show to raise money for UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute.

• On the last night of a triumphant week of Average White Band shows, drummer Robbie McIntosh dies of a drug overdose.

1975

• Miles Davis records the album “Live at the Troubadour”.

• Leonard Cohen, performing a five night stand, meets with Phil Spector and Bob Dylan between sets. The next year Leonard and Phil start work on their record “Death of a Ladies Man”.

• Elton John returns to play a “5 year anniversary show”

• Willie Nelson performs his new album “Red Headed Stranger” for a live radio broadcast.

1976

• Bob Dylan and his Rolling Thunder Revue, en-route to their next gig, pull over and play a short set during a Roger Miller encore.

1978

• The Knack, who were then unsigned, headline with special guests Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Stephen Stills, and Ray Manzarek.

1979

• Rickie Lee Jones releases “Chuck E.’s in Love” – a song written about musician and former Troubadour employee, Chuck E. Weiss.

• The Eagles release “Sad Cafe” – a song written about the Troubadour.

1980

• Tim Hardin, a long time Troubadour regular, plays his final show.

1982

• Metallica make their Los Angeles headline debut.

1984

• Hair-metal band Warrant play their debut show.

1985

• Guns N Roses debut of the classic “Appetite for Destruction” line-up

1986

• Guns N Roses play the show that gets them signed to Geffen.

1991

• Pearl Jam, formerly Mookie Blaylock, perform for the first time under their new name.

1994

• Korn play their first Los Angeles show as the opening act for Corrosion of Conformity.

1995

• No Doubt perform record release shows for Tragic Kingdom.

1996

• System of a Down perform their first headline show.

• Elvis Costello and longtime collaborator Steve Nieve record “Live at The Troubadour” for a live 4 CD box set.

• Fiona Apple performs her first live U.S. gig.

1997

• Radiohead make their US live debut of OK Computer.

1998

• Shonen Knife make a surprise appearance at a gig by Joey Ramone & the Independents. The band is introduced onstage by Joey as “The Osaka Ramones.”

1999

• Foo Fighters’ Chris Shiflett plays his debut show.

• Troubadour owner and founder, Doug Weston, passes away.

• Johnny Cash does one of his last performances with his wife June Carter Cash.

2001

• Joe Strummer plays his final LA shows.

• Starsailor make their Los Angeles debut.

• Record release shows for White Stripes’ White Blood Cells.

2002

• David Grohl, playing as a drummer, makes his first live appearance with Queens of the Stone Age.

2003

• Phantom Planet releases “Live at the Troubadour”

2004

• Franz Ferdinand performs their first LA show.

2005

• Coldplay perform a secret show, debuting five songs from their third album, X&Y.

• The Go-Betweens play their final US show before the death of co-founding member Grant McLennan in 2006.

2006

• The Strokes debut material from their new record “First Impressions of Earth”

• Red Hot Chili Peppers record release fan show for their new record “Stadium Arcadium”

• Rise Against play five sold out nights previewing their new record “The Sufferer & The Witness”.

• The Killers debut tracks from their new album “Sam’s Town”.

• Lilly Allen makes her US debut.

• Comedians of Comedy featuring Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifinakas, Sarah Silverman, & David Cross film their DVD “Live at the Troubadour”.

2007

• Troubadour celebrates it’s 50th anniversary with a series of shows with James and Carole King. They recreate their original Troubadour debut together along with their original band (Russ Kunkel, Danny Kortchmar and Lee Sklar).

2008

• Tom Petty and fellow Heartbreakers Mike Campbell & Benmont Tench reform their original band Mudcrutch and play their belated LA debut.

• Hall and Oates return to The Troubadour, where they made their LA debut 35 years earlier as the opening act for Harry Chapin.

• The Cure perform their first US club show in over 20 years

2009

• NBC awards Troubadour as “Best Venue in LA” by way of their Golden Local debate.

2010

• Brandon Flowers of the Killers makes his LA solo debut of his album ‘Flamingo’.

• John Legend and the Roots make their live LA debut of their first collaboration record together entitled, ‘Wake Up’.

• Manu Chao plays a surprise special club show.

2011

• Prince plays 2 surprise shows in one night a midst his ’21 night stand’ in LA.