The End of House of Blues Is Not the Death of Rock in L.A.

The Popular Music Venue Loses Its Sunset Boulevard Branch This Week, but Longtime Wallflower Greg Richling Says the City Will Rock On

“Coop’s full, guys! Time to hit the stage!” our tour manager says.

The four of us file out of the dressing room, head down the dimly lit concrete staircase, and get in our positions behind a tall red-velvet curtain. Jakob and Yogi pick up their guitars. I strap on my bass, and Mario gives a few taps to his drums. Amid the jumbled hum of pre-show audience chatter, we make last-minute adjustments: We plug in, check our amp settings and tuning.

Soon, the audience chatter turns into a roar, and we …