The Go-Go's played the Rock Corporation
The ROCK CORPORATION |
14310 Oxnard Street
Van Nuys, CA
- Rock Corporation
- Van Nuys
- Van Nuys Boulevard
- Busch Gardens
The Rock Corporation was basically a rough and scruffy biker bar located in a rough and scruffy part of town. It was located on Oxnard Street about a block east of Van Nuys Boulevard in Van Nuys.
Van Nuys is located in the San Fernando Valley district of Los Angeles. Van Nuys developed quickly after WW2 when a slew of GI's settled in southern California and purchased affordable new suburban tract homes.
2008 photo: tlc
A major employee in Van Nuys at this time was the Chevrolet manufacturing and assembly plant Van Nuys Boulevard. At this plant the Corvair, Nova and Camero were made. This plant closed in 1992. It is now a shopping mall.
Photo wiki Nova
Van Nuys was also home to one of my fondest memories - the Busch Gardens park and bird sanctuary.
In 1954, the brewery opened in Van Nuys. In 1966 Busch Gardens included boat rides for visitors, a monorail and lots of free beer. The 17 acre amusement park was renamed Busch Bird Sanctuary in 1977, but two years later, was closed.
photo the Valley Observed
photo: Rob's Theme Park Memories
Once the rail tour was over, guest could then wander throught the beautiful gardens and sample the product at various beer gardens (or pavillions) - the Busch Pavillion, the Budweiser Pavillion and the Michelob Pavillion - all free!
The original Busch Gardens was in Pasadena, CA. at the spacious home of Adophus Busch on 
photo source: here
Orange Grove Avenue overlooking the Arroyo Seco.
photo: draydar
Van Nuys Boulevard is the major north-south boulevard in the San Fernando Valley. It runs for 10 miles through the heart of the San Fernando Valley.
Van Nuys Boulevard is noted for it's abundance of car dealerships and auto related industries which line both sides of the street running from Sherman Oaks to Van Nuys.
2008 photo: tlc
In the 1950's through the 1970's, the southern end of Van Nuys Boulevard was the center of L.A.'s car culture. This wide, well lit 6-lane boulevard with wide center meridian became the cultural hub for many bored teenagers with flashy cars and nothing better to do than cruise up and down the Boulevard on many a warm summer nights. In the '70's every Thursday night was cruise night on Van Nuys Boulevard. But almost any night the Boulevard would become socked-in with kids, noise, music and vandals. The police eventually cracked down of this activity in the '80's.
Springing up around this auto-crazed district were many auto repair garages, maintenance shops, and all types of auto and motorcycle related industries. One street that had a particularly large concentration of auto repair shops is Oxnard St. between Sepulveda Blvd. and Hazeltine Ave. This industrial strips of auto shops exist beside trashed out single family homes, strip malls, pawn shops.
The Rock club (as it was known) was located in one of these auto garages located at 14310 Oxnard Street. It was essentially an auto garage converted to have a bar at one end and a stage at the other. Music fans would mingled with motorcycle and car enthusiasts while drinking a variety of beer.
The Rock Corporation started off in 1969 as a jazz/rock club called Pier 7.
Then - sometime in 1973 - it turned into the Rock Corporation. It should be noted that Valley kids were always very suspicious of any kid coming over the hill (Hollywood Hills) and vice versa. Many a Valley kid had never even been over the hill.
The site today
2008 photo: tlc
The Rock Corporation club was located directly across the street from this DWP yard.
2008 photo: tlc
2008 photo: tlc
At this location, you could make as much noise as you want - no one would even notice.
The Rock Corporation was one of a few night clubs in the valley which featured live original music. (The only other club that came close was the Bla Bla Cafe in Studio City).
The Bla Bla Cafe existed from 1971 to 1982. From 1971 through 1977 it was located at 11059 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. Then it 1977 it moved to 12446 Ventura Boulevard in Studio City. The Bla Bla Cafe was the spiritual home to anyone who wanted to become a artist, singer, song writer or comedian. David Letterman, Jay Leno, Robin Williams and Huey Lewis would perform here.
Bla Bla Cafe in Studio City
photo by Janet Ham
At the Rock Corporation musicians would just come in and jam during the day, then play at night - says Jeff Simons who ran the club from 1973 to 1979. At that time the music being played at the Rock was primarily jazz, blues country and rock. It was cheap and popular with bikers and valley kids.
The Rock Corporation primarily booked guitar-heavy blues-rock combos. One rocker from Pasadena named Eddie Van Halen would often play 4 sets a night 6 nights a week at the Rock Corporation before he broke into the bigger venues.
In the late 1970's, punks from Hollywood looking for a place to play, started to come over the hill and infiltrate this little valley night club.
However, this type of music didn't always go over well with the regular valley types.
In an article for Sharps and Flats by Fred Shuster, owner Jeff Simons recalls the Rock Corporation.
Some types of music didn't go over well at the Rock. Among them was disco and punk, then creeping up on the doorstep in '77.
The Valley guys saw those Hollywood punks, and it wasn't a good mix,'' Simons offered. If a band wasn't any good, the group found out fast. A lot bands didn't get to finish their set.''
In the end, the Rock was a victim of shifting tastes in music and nightlife.
It ended because of sex, drugs and other variables that fell into place, Simons said. Plus, every other day I was going in to meet with the police watch commander. I was spending more time patrolling the crowd than worrying about the music.'' See complete article click here.
August 8th, 1978
On August 30, 1978 at the Rock Coroparation booked the Go-Go's. This was the first official gig the Go-Go's played. They played with Controllers, Rhino 39, Scientist. Admission was $2.00
On September 1, 1978 the Avengers, the Plugs and the Braiaiacs played the Rock Corporation. Admission was $3.00.
The Screamers - play the Rock on June 22, 1978 and then again on October 28, 1978 playing with Rubber City Rebels and the Girls. Admission for these shows were $3.50.
June 22, 1978
L.A. Times article
May 27, 1979
July 22, 1979 playing at the Rock Corporation were: The Silencers, the Wigs and the Armed Farces. Admission was free.
In 1979, due to the changing taste in popular music- the Rock Corporation closed down.
Today the site is occupied by Kastore Auto Body and Queen Upholstery.
The Municipal Generating plant is still generating.
2008 photo: tlc
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3 comments:
Curious where you got that pic/artwork of the valley with the guy and girl in the foreground. I knew both of those people as well as the artist who created the painting
Hello,
Thanks for sharing information.
Watch Repair Shop Sherman Oaks
I grew up there on Hazeltine & Chandler a half mile away but was too young to go there but I remember it well.
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