The Troubadour, a legendary music venue on Santa Monica Boulevard, owes its nearly 70-year legacy to founder Doug Weston, a shop owner’s lifeline, and now owner Christine Karayan, who steers this family-run rock ‘n’ roll haven with a passionate crew. Nestled in the heart of West Hollywood, this 500-capacity spot has defied time, remaining a standalone indie gem free from the grip of big promoters like Live Nation or AEG.
Karayan, who began as a teen helper and later returned as general manager after a college break, is brimming with tales from the venue’s storied past. She recalls Tom Petty stretching a three-song benefit into an hour-long greatest hits set, helping Bonnie Raitt type lyrics with bigger fonts, and tearfully watching Depeche Mode’s 2013 debut. “Right before doors, I ran in front of the stage and told everybody, ‘I’m not working. I don’t care if the building falls down. I don’t care if it catches on fire. Leave me alone,’” Karayan remembers. That night’s photo still graces her computer screen.
On a quiet Thursday afternoon, with sunlight filtering through the front windows onto the original wooden bar and stools, Karayan’s dedication shines through, despite the exhaustion. “If there is a problem [at the Troubadour] f—king email me and I’ll deal with it. Call me. I’m gonna take care of it,” she says. “My skin’s in the game. There’s no ifs/ands about it. This is not me trying to get to a different venue or getting a different position. I’m here. If the wall is falling, I’m gonna stand and hold it up.”
With just six full-time staff and up to 20 on show nights, the Troubadour thrives as a family business, passed down through only two families since 1957. Karayan describes the tight-knit team, saying, “Myself included, we’re all kind of insane. You have to be insane to work in this environment.” Talent booker Jordan Anderson adds, “We could be a sitcom,” while Karayan notes, “We’re a mishmosh of people, but overall we all get along. Thank god.”
The venue’s origins trace back to Weston, a flamboyant, openly gay German immigrant who opened a small club on La Cienega before moving to its current West Hollywood spot in 1957. “Doug was a very flamboyant man, very well spoken, very eloquent, very intelligent,” Karayan says. “He wanted a place that welcomed everyone, that inspired creativity and so he came up with the Troubadour.” He crafted the space with warm wood paneling, an imported European bar, and once picnic benches, later evolving with a side stage, balcony, and relocated offices (Weston’s hot tub office now The Loft bar).
Weston’s vision birthed a stage for icons—Lenny Bruce’s 1957 obscenity arrest, Richard Pryor opening for Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell’s 1968 LA debut, Neil Young and James Taylor’s 1969 solo starts, The Eagles’ 1970 meeting, Elton John’s U.S. debut, and Janis Joplin’s last night out. The list swells with Tom Waits, Billy Joel, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, and a young Led Zeppelin’s three-hour jam post-Forum gig.
By the early 1980s, shifting music trends and mismanagement drained the venue’s finances. Weston turned to friend Ed Karayan, a mechanic, who co-owned and revived it. “Ed took me to dinner and would tell stories about him coming into this space,” Anderson recalls. “He said Doug came to him and said, ‘I’m going to lose my baby’ and Ed was like, ‘What do you mean you’re baby?’ The elder Karayan told Anderson that Weston brought him to the Troubadour and said, ‘This is my baby.’”
The pandemic threatened closure, but a $70,000 GoFundMe and building ownership saved it, despite offers to sell. “It felt dirty, but, I mean, it’s business,” Karayan says, noting the venue’s small-scale survival relies on the bar and loyal fans, not parking or VIP upsells. “That is the difference between [independent venues], we all pay attention to that,” Anderson adds. “The moment [the Troubadour] isn’t indie anymore, that changes everything.”
A great honor.