A few years ago a vibrant downtown nightlife scene might be the only thing lacking in the dynamic City of Angels. Those days are over. Entertainment and dining opportunities abound in downtown Los Angeles. The central business district has residential lofts, luxury high rise condos and new first class hotels. The heart of the city finally has a pulse after dark.

On Sunday evening January 9^th I visited a place that brings a little LA to L.A.

Directly across the street from the new Walt Disney Concert Hall and the stately old dame that is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion sits a supper club and live music venue that doesn’t need landmarks to be found. The name of the place is First & Hope. Even in the Map Quest, GPS age, the proprietors of this place aren’t taking any chances. The management is planning a grand opening in the near future when press releases will go out. They had a “soft” opening seven months ago.

Upon entering the 40’s and 50’s inspired supper club one forgets they just walked through a strip mall. The Art Deco interior of First & Hope is smart and refined. The welcome site of
only two T.V.s situated above the bar warmed the cockles of my heart. I believe this is the minimum number of flat screens allowed in a drinking establishment under California’s strict alcohol to T.V. ratio guidelines. What is even better news is that the sound of these sets, was turned off. The flat panels show old black and white DVDs which, in a weird, non- historically accurate way, adds to the ambiance. We got Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder on this night. You know, the one with Ray Milland, Grace Kelly and that guy who kind of looks like Ray Milland but no one can ever remember his name.

What you do hear in the way of auditory ambiance is piped in, American roots music played just under the level of conversation, without a doubt my kind of place. But all this pleasantness is not what got me off the beach and out from under my lap top. It was the chance to hear live music in the shadow of where my mother has been going to the opera for the last forty years.

Where you will find live music in this supper club is in the adjoining Fedora Room. The room is comfortable with a nice stage, professional lighting and sound.

On this night Eddie Baytos was the featured entertainer. The multi-instrumentalist who hails from the Crescent City was augmented by fellow NOLA native Lynn Coulter on drums and long time Los Angeles based sax man Ron Dziubla. The trio entertained an intimate audience in the cozy music venue. Baytos played some blues piano in a blue suit and appropriately enough, a fedora. He also played accordion and washboard for good measure.

The band got roughly half the crowd out of their seats and dancing wildly with songs like
Professor Longhair’s “Got My Red Beans Cookin” and the Wild Tchoupitoulas’ “Meet the Boys on the Battle Front”. They closed their set with a Mardi Gras party favorite by the Meters “Hey Pocky Way.” The trio got into the spirit themselves as they paraded through the Fedora room and even into the kitchen as they played.

The Fedora Room turned out to be great find. It is a terrific upscale music venue inside the larger First and Hope club where you can enjoy Southern comfort food, terrific drinks and great service that is not only professional, but relaxed and friendly. I sampled the grits as well as mac & cheese appetizers and got in on some crab cakes (thanks Eddie) that were delicious and even met with the approval of the Louisiana natives at the bar.

You can check out First and Hope, as well as the entertainment calendar for the Fedora Room, by visiting the links page on this site.

-David Mac