It was the best of times and it was the worst of times.

Is a room more than a space surrounded by four walls, a ceiling and a floor? Of course it is. It is what and who is in a room that distinguishes one room from another. When a room is the host of live music it becomes much more than a room. Depending on the music that room, to me, can become a shrine. In the world of blues music, much has been written about the musicians and their audiences. There have been courses taught on the social, economic and cultural conditions that helped to define the principal characteristics of this music.

I have often contended that the venue is a huge, and frequently overlooked, character in this ongoing saga. A prime example of what a difference a room makes is part of the story of the Harvelle’s new downtown Long Beach location. This new music room has an interesting history and background that is part of a story that has just turned the page to a very new and exciting chapter.

Harvelle’s has operated a successful live music night spot in Santa Monica for decades. The proprietors have been booking blues acts as well as other roots oriented artists for just as long. The small stage sits at the far end of the narrow room at the end of a long bar on one side and a row of booths on the other. Dancers can cram onto a tiny dance floor just in front of the stage. The room has a great vibe and boasts consistently high quality bookings.

Harvelle’s brings that same intimacy and entertainment level to the once cavernous Cellar, that was all but devoid of atmosphere. Some of the best musical acts struggled with only marginal success in overcoming a room with bad acoustics and an even worse vibe. Much of these problems stemmed from a concrete floor and walls with virtually no adornment. The sound crew was not much help either, as they often sat in their booth sometimes literally asleep at the switch. Musicians from the stage would often give up on hand queues and in a couple of instances, I witnessed them literally walk off the stage and stick their head in the sound room. “Hello, anybody home?”  This, by the way, is not conducive to a good performance.

When at a pre-grand opening party, I heard the first downbeat ever at The Cellar. I grimaced as I realized that Whiteboy James and the Blues Express wouldn’t be able to overcome the room’s inherently bad acoustics. Even without the rumbling of ox carts on cobblestone streets above, the Cellar had a downright Dickensian atmosphere. This is not something you look for in a nightclub. The place was a dungeon.

If the Cellar had any personality at all, it came from Vince Jordan who has personality to spare and was a beacon of soul in an otherwise soulless environment. The connection to the old Blue Café goes beyond the Cellar’s location which was right next door and down one flight of stairs from ground zero of the Southern California blues scene. It was Vince Jordan who ran that legendary nightclub. His presence at the Cellar gave it hope. Jordan’s departure a few years ago signaled the beginning of the end of the subterranean music spot. The Cellar had a long and painful death that by the time it finally came, no one really noticed.

Harvelle’s has turned the place into what hopes to be an important night spot and a downtown pivot point to the Long Beach blues revival happily underway.

The Congregation Ale House sits directly above Harvelle’s and the two establishments have forged an intelligent working relationship. Harvelle’s patrons can order food from their wait staff and have it brought downstairs from the Ale House. 

A second row of booths has been installed along the south wall which gives the room a more intimate feel, while the wooden dance floor helps much of the acoustic problems that plagued the old Cellar.

The booking policy is virtually identical to the well established Santa Monica location. In many cases musical acts can play both locations over a weekend enhancing the chances of bringing in nationals to play way out west. Harvelle’s is an established brand the way the old Blue Café once was. Even if fans of a night on the town aren’t blues aficionados, they know they can expect a quality musical experience and a good time.

The new Harvelle’s is a far, far better place.

- David Mac