How Adam Blackstone turned West Hollywood hotel the Sun Rose into a musical 'playground'

L.A. has a long, storied past of hotels with heavy philharmonic connections. From the Hyatt House (now the Andaz) connected Sunset Boulevard, known arsenic the infamous “Riot House” arsenic remembered successful Cameron Crowe’s Oscar-winning “Almost Famous,” to Chateau Marmont and the iconic Sunset Marquis, some famed homes to touring stone stars for decades. But few, if any, person ever been arsenic ambitious musically arsenic West Hollywood’s Sun Rose Hotel.

Opening arsenic the Pendry Hotel successful 2021 connected the determination of the erstwhile House of Blues, the Sunset Boulevard spot established its euphony credentials instantly by including Live astatine the Sun Rose, a state-of-the-art euphony venue wrong the hotel. Four years later, past August, the Pendry was rebranded arsenic the Sun Rose Hotel and the full edifice became a benignant of philharmonic destination according to Grammy-winning musician/creative manager Adam Blackstone.

Inside the lobby astatine the Sun Rose West Hollywood

(The Sun Rose West Hollywood)

“We person the atrium, the downstairs foyer, we person a bowling alley. There are truthful galore things we tin connection to the euphony abstraction that different venues can’t. We’re going to usage the full rooftop, sometimes possibly play connected apical of the pool. Things similar that are going to beryllium an attraction to radical that let america to bash immoderate precise unthinkable things,” Blackstone says. As Grammy play approaches, Blackstone says the hotel/venue volition beryllium offering afloat shows and events that you don’t person to permission the spot for and volition see much one-of-a-kind performances. “People tin travel play a 90-minute acceptable that is not what they did the nighttime before. Whoever is successful that country gets a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Blackstone, who has played with everyone from Rihanna, Janet Jackson and Demi Lovato to Eminem, Dr. Dre and Al Green, prides himself connected bringing the aforesaid diverseness and astonishment to the Sun Rose. “That’s however my bequest shows person been going — you ne'er cognize who’s going to popular up, but you don’t privation to miss it.”

To backmost up his claim, helium cites bringing successful astonishment guests similar John Legend, aggregate times, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake and more, arsenic good arsenic Dre for a unrecorded Q&A. That is lone the opening of his ambitious plans to marque the Sun Rose a treasure trove of unexpected philharmonic moments. “I americium truthful excited astir this concern with Sun Rose. I deliberation we person the powerfulness to beryllium expansive successful a mode bigger relation than thing successful L.A. It’s not a jazz spot, a state spot oregon a gospel spot — we tin bash immoderate there. We could person a DJ with a salsa band; I’ve had a Q&A with Dr. Dre and Marsha Ambrosius. That’s 1 of the highlights, and attractions the Sun Rose brings to L.A. for me, immoderate clip you locomotion successful there, if you don’t cognize what you’re going for, you’re going to beryllium successful for an experience,” helium says.

As for what immoderate of those experiences mightiness be, Blackstone references his wide scope of gigs, similar a caller 1 moving with Andrea Bocelli astatine the Vatican, arsenic an illustration of however originative helium tin get. “All of these things that are successful my caput I’m going to bash for different people, I’m going to beryllium capable to bash astatine my spot,” helium says. “And it won’t beryllium weird coming from maine due to the fact that that is who I am, that is who I embody successful music, that is who I’ve been capable to enactment with. I’m thankful the Sun Rose is welcoming that with the mindset I person to beryllium arsenic originative and expansive arsenic possible.”

Bowie’s Piano Man, Mike Garson, astatine Live astatine The Sun Rose

(Michelle Shiers/The Sun Rose West Hollywood)

To their credit, the Sun Rose is embracing that benignant of creator expression. It starts with Sharyn Goldyn, who books the euphony astatine the venue. She acceptable the code aboriginal by making pianist Mike Garson, champion known for his enactment with David Bowie, but good versed successful jazz and classical, the archetypal creator she spoke to. She says helium is precisely the benignant of creator she wanted to physique the venue on.

“I knew I wanted to person a backbone of the champion musicians successful the world, and of bequest artists. So, Mike was the archetypal idiosyncratic I met with, and helium was conscionable truthful unfastened to ideas and gathering something,” she says.

Garson, the venue’s creator successful residence, loves the halfway of him, Blackstone and Goldyn, arsenic good arsenic not being connected the roadworthy each year.

“Adam is simply a fantastic philharmonic director, and we bring what we bring. I was flattered that I was the archetypal idiosyncratic Sharyn came to. But I had done truthful overmuch touring with Bowie alumni aft helium passed, I somewhat got burnt retired connected it. I’m 80, truthful it’s bully to beryllium location successful 20 minutes. I bash 30 oregon 40 shows a twelvemonth and I bash 10 astatine the Sun Rose and there’s thing being compromised astir my music,” helium says. “I bash immoderate I privation astatine the Sun Rose due to the fact that I unfastened up astir of the sets with a jazz portion due to the fact that that is my roots, past we determination into the vocals. The vocals go duets similar I did with David and not conscionable maine accompanying immoderate song. I look for, ‘What tin I adhd to “Space Oddity’” today?’ I agelong the limits, which is what David would person wanted maine to do. He ne'er believed successful the comfortableness zone.”

Bowie volition beryllium celebrated successful a peculiar three-night residency this Thursday, which is his birthday, Friday and Saturday, the 10-year day of his passing. Just arsenic Blackstone does, Garson volition beryllium bringing successful a fig of friends. “This club’s truly peculiar due to the fact that we enactment it with large singers. I’ve had Judith Hill there, I’ve had Luke Spiller, Evan Rachel Wood and present of people for David’s day and the 10-year celebration, we person a batch of large people,” helium says. “We’ll person Billy Corgan [on] Saturday nighttime and Andra Day connected Friday and Judith Hill and Luke Spiller’s coming again, and a beauteous vocalist named Debby Holiday. I’ll person Chad Smith halt successful connected Saturday nighttime to play immoderate drums from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And I’m going to bash a batch of the Bowie hits and a fewer obscure ones.”

Garson volition beryllium traveling to Dublin successful February and celebrating his adjacent 50-year relationship and philharmonic narration with Bowie. But helium is choosing to walk Bowie’s day astatine the Sun Rose. It is not lone the proximity to his location that appeals to Garson. “I’ve been the nonmigratory creator determination for 3 years and I’ve done 46 shows there. I similar the intimacy, I similar the soft successful the halfway signifier of the country and I emotion moving with Sharyn. After playing the Hollywood Bowl and Madison Square Garden with Bowie and Duran Duran, whatever, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, I similar the tiny clubs now,” helium says.

Similar to Vegas hotels that publication the biggest euphony superstars, similar Adele oregon Rod Stewart, for extended residencies, the Sun Rose volition marque the Bowie acquisition a play retreat successful the full hotel.

“We’re capable to bring the Bowie acquisition to different things, specified arsenic Bowie cocktails named aft antithetic songs and possibly changing our paper and possibly changing the suite names of the hotels. This celebration, particularly, we’re doing a edifice package. Because Mike lone plays these peculiar shows astatine the Sun Rose, a batch of radical alert successful for it,” Goldyn says.

Rooftop excavation astatine the Sun Rose successful West Hollywood

(The Sun Rose West Hollywood)

Fans tin expect that much arsenic the edifice takes connected the individuality of the club. “Now that the edifice has taken connected the sanction of the euphony venue, they truly privation the euphony venue to beryllium a absorption and thing that the edifice is truly arrogant of and highlighting. We’re going to truly effort and propulsion a afloat spot acquisition truthful you tin get tickets to the show, enactment astatine the edifice and ne'er truly permission the property,” she says.

Blackstone believes the occurrence of the euphony club, nether his creator guidance, is what yet inspired the hotel’s sanction change. “I deliberation what prompted the sanction alteration of the edifice was conscionable seeing however the euphony abstraction has impacted the edifice abstraction successful a large way. So, if we tin proceed the euphony acquisition going passim the full hotel, what amended mode to bash that than person maine curate not conscionable the euphony room, but curate the full edifice space?” helium says.

After truthful galore years connected the roadworthy with different artists, Blackstone is thrilled to person what helium calls his “playground.” “It feels truthful incredible; I’m capable to effort retired immoderate caller ideas. One of the archetypal things I privation to bash is to usage the rooftop oregon bowling alley to bash an all-day showcase of caller music, caller styles and caller genres successful antithetic areas of the hotel. We’re going to commencement that, I’m going to curate that, get immoderate unthinkable artists that ever extremity up being your caller favourite creator erstwhile you perceive them,” helium says. “I deliberation that’s the different constituent I failed to mention: My scope has been capable to permeate the full globe. Now I tin bring that scope straight to the Sun Rose.”