The L.A. Musical History Tour
Canter's
419 North Fairfax, Los Angeles
To look at it, you wouldn't think that this is the place Frank Zappa declared
"THE TOP FREAKO WATERING HOLE AND SOCIAL HQ"
In the heart of Kosher Canyon, Canter's has long served as a meeting place
for rockers. On
weekends, its two A.M. rush (when the nightclubs close) is truly prodigious.
Canter's was a Freak sanctuary during the tempestuous mid-1960s dues to
its evenhanded
treatment of long-haired and short-haired customers. In 1966, when "sidewalk-clearing"
was high on the LAPD's agenda, curfew and loitering arrests were frequently
made here.
During the early 1960s Phil Spector frequently occupied a booth here with
Lenny Bruce.
Today, Canter's continues to serve the local music community, drawing performers
as
diverse as U2 and Neil Diamond.