The Derby

I wasnt really impressed with the venue. The venue was rather small and cramp.However, the show was okay. more

I've been to the Derby in the past and had some of the same complaints that have all been listed here, but I went for Monday night salsa on !/12/09 and had a great time. The guys at the door were decent and polite, the DJ was good (I'd love live music, but it was good). There were all levels of dancers, but many good partners. I didn't have to bring my own. It's not super hot yet, but that means there was room on the dance floor. Lesson from 8:30-9:30. Get a beer and avoid the possibility of lack luster drinks. Pros: lesson Cons: $10 for DJ more

I checked out Salsa @ the Derby hosted by Albert Torres on Monday 12.08.08. My expectations were very high and they were not met. Door man rude, bartender/waitress slow, manager...an A hole, drinks weak, and it's $10 on a Monday with no live music! The place has sunk to new lows...run for the hills! more

As a mother of two young children, I rarely have anytime to go out, but I am always wiling to show support to some of my friend that are local artists. I had came one night on a weekday to support and see a friend perform, The tickets costs $15.00/door. When my assistant and I got there, we head out to the bar,.There were not much people there at all and the bar was not busy at all ( well imagine this on Tues night). We stood at the bar and tried to get the female bar tender's attention, we tried flagging her down and still did not get her attention, she saw us for did not had any interest of acknowledging our presence. After 15 minutes of no service a gentlemen came finally asked us how he can help us so we finally ordered our drinks, cost us $8 each and plus tips. Then finally my husband arrived that evening to meet me. I watched him as he head out to the bar and ordered himself a drink, the female waitress at no hesitation completetly turned on her customer service and attended to my husband with a very friendly attitude and a big smile on her face. We stood there and watched while this woman ignored women patrons and pretty much flirted her way to the men's attention. Not only that, the male bartender that was helping us was trying to get my assistand drunk by pouring more vodka in her cup, lol. I wrote the manager a complaint letter, his respond was that his waitress is very friendly with everybody, but you know what my respond to that? yes she is, to all the men indeed. I made suggestion about customer service ethics to the manager and hoping he takes my advice to better their business. Nothing abou the Derby!! do not spend your money here!! it's really bad. Pros: nothing. Cons: no parking, bad promoters, and service!! more

going to this place i was really excited since big bad voo doo daddy got started there and it was in a couple of movies, but i have to say it was nothing close to average. first there was just an all together crude doorman who thought he was hulk, coudlnt find a table because half of them were reserved, but then ended up not even being used the whole night. what the hell is that! then just crappy service at the bar. the only good thing i can say is that it looks good and the music was good. however that was a friends band. i think if i saw them at a house party it would have been more fun. Pros: very rustic look to it Cons: bad bad service more

I don't know what this guy was going at The Derby, and the problem was, there were so many people there that you couldn't even move. Excellent voice, and this guy is definitely headed for some big thing (saw Mike Starr from "Dumb & Dumber" and Steve Martin in the audience gloating over the guy). The venue is normally big, it seemed, but I don't like squeezing through people to get a look at the singer. more

Brian Evans has to be one of the biggest pretenders on the scene. He is a washed-up vegas lounge act in the making - don't waste your time. more

She might as well be Dr. Evil. Nuff said. I do not recommend patronizing a place that is so poorly run. The whole experience turned me off to Los Feliz nightlife. more

As a Los Feliz neighbor, I signed a petition to save this establishment when I heard it was going to be torn down. Now I wish I hadn't. I went to go see a show at the Derby and was accosted by the doorman, given terrible service at the bar (overcharged and then they took away my wine glass when it was only half empty), and watched the venue staff treat the bands like sh*t...in front of a huge, and I mean HUGE paying audience. They never turned the house lights down for the show and the main speakers are awful. Never in my life have I been so disappointed in what used to be my favorite local club. I would boycott it and then tear it down myself. Pros: A pretty room Cons: The worst staff in Los Angeles more

As a Los Feliz neighbor, I signed a petition to save this establishment when I heard it was going to be torn down. Now I wish I hadn't. I went to go see a show at the Derby and was accosted by the doorman, given terrible service at the bar (overcharged and then they took away my wine glass when it was only half empty), and watched the venue staff treat the bands like sh*t...in front of a huge, and I mean HUGE paying audience. They never turned the house lights down for the show and the main speakers are awful. Never in my life have I been so disappointed in what used to be my favorite local club. I would boycott it and then tear it down myself. Pros: the history Cons: the present more

I went to hear some music last night at the Derby and was totally blown away by how RUDE the staff was! Everyone from the parking attendant to the doorman had a bad attitude.I think being on a power trip is a job requirement at this place. My friends and I were treated like we weren't good enough to be in their club. I will never step foot in this place again!! I don't care if Kurt Cobain comes back from the dead to play for one night only....if it's at the Derby I will not be there;) more

Agruably one of the coolest looking rooms in Los Feliz. What a shame that this jewel is run by a bunch of rude morons. I had better service from the mole stricken cafeteria lady in grammar school. This is a first rate room run by complete amatuers. My only hope is that one day someone who actually cares about this wonderful landmark gives it the attention and reputation it deserves. Pros: Gorgeous Room Cons: Monster Staff more

Wednesday, October 25, 2000 I headed over to the Derby for dinner just north of Hollywood Blvd and it was a trendy looking place. The left was a giant dance studio and the right had a bar and restaurant. The last Wednesday of the month was karaoke night, and curiosity had brought me out there that night. The hostess, Laura, had come with a bunch of friends from Chicago to take over Hollywood. She started the evening with a Chicago blues song. Many inflatable guitars, inflatable saxophones and an inflatable piano along with several percussion instruments were strewn across the stage for anyone to use however they saw fit. I was supposed to do Jim Croce's "Car wash blues", but the KJ put in the wrong Croce song, so I ended up doing the Bangles' "Walk like an Egyptian". It went over surprisingly well as I was able to get the crowd to sing along. The singers and dancers all looked like they were right out of some fashion magazine. Some guy who looked like George Michael complete with brown leather jacket did an exact version of "Kissing a fool". Some woman went up and did a perfect rendition of Robert Plant singing "Rock and Roll". She later teamed up with someone else and did the Rolling Stones' "Emotional Rescue". One of the regulars there, Audrey, sang Heart's "Magic Man" and Pat Benatar's "Hell is for children". Another of the Chicago group who looked just like Madonna sang something from Scandal. When someone else went up to sing Madonna's "Vogue" and about 15 women and men went up to dance it, I just about lost it. A group of several women sang Michael Jackson's "Thriller". Several more went up and did the monster dance. Audrey had remembered her red leather jacket and did Michael Jackson's dance part. I was a part of all this and I was blown away. Other group songs done were Blondie's "Call Me" and "Rapture". I got to close the night with Jim Croce's "Working at the Car Wash Blues". That will be a night I won't soon forget. more

I went to see two of my friends bands play there. They had been asked back (by a promoter who was not the derby) to play after a good response from them a month earlier. This time they were going to play the "big" room. After opening doors 30 minutes late (20 minutes after the first act was scheduled to go on) they walked up and told the band to start playing immediatly cause they were starting their clock! They hadn't even let the people he brought out too see him in yet! After a few $8 house rum and cokes I was just bummed about how people just chat-it-up after paying $15 just to get in and see a band, they'd rather spend that time talking about what ever. Telling "bands" that have one guitar to go around the block and "load in" instead of just walking in the main entry it just dumb. I can't believe that musicians even want to play here being treated like garbage. Wait, arn't the bands the ones who bring the people into this dusty retro room called the derby? I wonder how the promoter feels knowing how the bands they booked got treated this way? Pros: The sound in the small room is great Cons: Everything else more

This place is run down & very dirty. It also had a broken window in the front. Drink were way over priced for being such a average night spot. I also saw the manager Mini yelling at guests and bar staff. Very unprofessional! Why she is working there I will never know! I would avoid. I would go to Tiger Lily just a few blocks over or go a few miles up the road to some really nice clubs such as Avalon or Key Club. Pros: Parking is usually good Cons: Just very bad club. more

Not a bad place to kick it if you don't mind tourists. It seems to me there are plenty of locals as well. Unlike the dumpy restaurant that is known by the same name this place lives up to the coolness of the movie Swingers...mostly. The bathroom situation is kinda goofy...you gotta walk through the restaurant. The main room is big and fairly crowded. Losts of pretty faces and the people seem pretty chill overall including all the wannabe actors and actresses working there. If you live here or are visiting, then you have to go at least once. Have fun! Pros: Cool place, cool people, good times. Cons: None really. more

Come on everybody - Let's go to that place from the "Swingers" movie! As Swing Dancing wanes, the Derby's claim to fame relies ever so much more on that movie with Vince Vaughn and Jon Favereau (rent it - good flick). Tourists know it and go to it. Not so many stars and not so much of the old swing atmosphere but its still there on occasion. I've enjoyed the place but find that its fun once or twice. Never been? - check it out. Want to avoid the tourist crowd - skip it. Pros: Trendy, Great Music, Swank Cons: Trendy, crowded with tourists, can be pretentious more

Anybody expecting a scene straight out of Swingers will be sorely disappointed. That era has already passed us by -- twice. Yes, there was a time not all that long ago when nearly everybody under the dome was dressed in period garb. Now, it's not uncommon to see the entire room in jeans and t-shirts. Nonetheless, the music is still top notch, and it's more diverse at that. With Latin nights, rockabilly nights and the Fold's alternative music nights, the Derby is still a good place to catch live music and drink a stiff cocktail. more

I wasn't exactly expecting the 'Swingers' movie to be an accurate picture of this place, but I was still disappointed. The main theme room is taken up mostly by the bar, and the tables and booths work mainly as an in-club dining room for the Louises' that shares the building. The band / stage area is not just small, it's tiny, so only a few couples can fit, much less have enough room to dance. The main dancing room reminded me of a church social. The room itself has no atmosphere, it's just.. a room. Most of the patrons were wallflowers, and the scene was very cliquish. Even the people who weren't dancing at all had their own small groups. It's not a place to meet people, and it's not a place to dance. So, what is it? Pros: live band Cons: small, plain more