HOUSE OF BLUES
Music venue and restaurant. At Downtown Disney, Anaheim. For more information, (714) 778-2583 or www.hob.com. With the same hip folksy d & #233;cor as the LA location, the new House of Blues at Downtown Disney showcases both local and world-class musicians suitable for almost any ear,from hip-hop to rock and gospel to country (and even the occasional celebrity garage band),and any age from teens on up. Ticket prices vary according to the level of talent, the average being about $25; there is no cover charge. (Recent admission for Keanu Reeves’ underwhelming band Dogstar was $17 while Merle Haggard was $40.) Decorated with quilts and church pews, the two-story venue is complete with VIP seating, plenty of bar stools and a standing-room-only area directly in front of the stage. Entry is on a first-come basis and the line typically wraps around the front of the building about an hour before the show. The neighboring HOB restaurant features open-air balcony dining and reasonably priced yummies from the deep South, including a mouth-watering seafood gumbo. Entrees are between $10 and $20, appetizers are $10 or under and a glass of imported beer is $4. Portions are good, service is friendly and despite the long lines, you aren’t pressured to be on your way. But since the restaurant doesn’t take reservations, expect to wait an hour on weeknights and two hours on the weekends to get seated. Another downside is that, with the exception of the all-you-can-eat “Gospel Brunch” on Sunday mornings, food isn’t served inside the club. The upside is that the kitchen is still open after most concerts let out. As for feeling out of place, relax. Waitresses told me that most of the concert patrons are middle-aged couples, unless the performance is specifically youth-oriented. And security is ultra-tight. I know of high schoolers who were patted down before they were let into a concert, and people are escorted out at the first sign of acting up. ++Crystal Couch (Couch is executive secretary in the president’s office at Chapman University.)Another downside is that, with the exception of the all-you-can-eat “Gospel Brunch” on Sunday mornings, food isn’t served inside the club. The upside is that the kitchen is still open after most concerts let out. As for feeling out of place, relax. Waitresses told me that most of the concert patrons are middle-aged couples, unless the performance is specifically youth-oriented. And security is ultra-tight. I know of high schoolers who were patted down before they were let into a concert, and people are escorted out at the first sign of acting up.
