It was opened in and was partly owned by actor Johnny Depp ; the other part owner was Sal Jenco who starred in 21 Jump Street with Depp. In early , Australian singer Jason Donovan suffered a drug-induced seizure at the club and survived; the Viper Room has undergone several changes in ownership, and continues to host music of multiple genres, including metal , punk rock , and alternative rock.
While predominantly known as a music venue, the Viper Room also hosts a lower level below the stage and audience area, which is home to a large whiskey bar. The location was originally a grocery store, from into the s.
In the s it was converted into a nightclub called the "Cotton Club", entirely unrelated to the Harlem original; this was soon replaced by "The Greenwich Village Inn", the "Rue Angel" and finally "The Last Call" during the s.
From , the location was a bar called "The Melody Lounge". In or , it became "Filthy McNasty's". Weiss , who had performed there for years, suggested to Depp that they revitalize the spot and rename it "The Viper Room".
At Depp's request, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed on the club's opening night; [9] the Viper Room continues to frequently host metal and punk rock bands.
