House of Blues

Not to be confused with Blue House (disambiguation).
House of Blues Entertainment, LLC.
Company typeSubsidiary
Industry
  • Live music
  • dining
FoundedNovember 26, 1992; 32 years ago (1992-11-26) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Founders
Headquarters
Los Angeles, California
,
U.S.
Number of locations
11
ParentLive Nation Entertainment
Websitehouseofblues.com

House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film The Blues Brothers.[1] The first location opened at Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts on November 26, 1992 (Thanksgiving Day).[2] The chain has been a division of Live Nation Entertainment since July 2006,[3] and there are 11 locations throughout the United States as of 2024.

Overview

The first House of Blues opened on November 26, 1992, in the Harvard Square commercial district and retail area of Cambridge, Massachusetts, as a live music concert hall and restaurant.[4] The company was financed by Dan Aykroyd, Aerosmith, Paul Shaffer, River Phoenix, Jim Belushi, and Harvard University, among others.[5] This location closed in 2003 as the company sought a larger Boston venue.[6] However, the hands-in-concrete driveway where members of the Blues Brothers and others left their mark, remains. Aykroyd is still associated with the brand and attends most openings, performing as one half of The Blues Brothers.[7]

In 1993 House of Blues launched a 501(c)(3) non-profit called International House of Blues Foundation which provided arts programs, resources and musical instruments for youths. The Music Forward Foundation continues to provide services for youth and has generated more than $20 million of support for these programs over its 20+ year existence.[8] Also in 1993, the syndicated program The House of Blues Radio Hour launched in partnership with CBS Radio Hour. The show is hosted by Aykroyd, in character as Elwood Blues, and focuses on the history of blues music and the contemporary artists honoring the art form. Its final episode aired in July 2017.[9]

In 1999, House of Blues acquired Universal Concerts from Seagram.[10] On July 5, 2006, Live Nation acquired House of Blues Entertainment and created the Live Nation Club and Theater Division.[11] As a division of Live Nation, the company operates 11 clubs throughout North America.

Locations

Active

Metro vicinity Venue location Address Opened Capacity
New Orleans French Quarter 225 Decatur St
New Orleans, LA 70130 		1994 1,000
Chicago Marina City 329 N Dearborn St
Chicago, IL 60654 		1996 1,400
Myrtle Beach Barefoot Landing 4640 Hwy 17 S
North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582 		1997 2,100
Orlando Disney Springs 1490 E Buena Vista Dr
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 		1997 2,600
Las Vegas Las Vegas Strip
(inside Mandalay Bay) 		3950 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89119 		1999 2,000
Cleveland Downtown Cleveland 308 Euclid Ave
Cleveland, OH 44114 		2004 1,300
San Diego Downtown San Diego 1055 5th Ave
San Diego, CA 92101 		2005 1,500
Dallas–Ft. Worth Victory Park 2200 N Lamar St
Dallas, TX 75202 		2007 1,750
Houston Downtown Houston 1204 Caroline St
Houston, TX 77002 		2008 1,800
Boston Kenmore Square 15 Lansdowne St
Boston, MA 02215 		2009 2,600
Los Angeles Anaheim GardenWalk 400 West Disney Way #337
Anaheim, CA 92802 		2017 2,200

Former

Metro vicinity Venue location Address Opened Closed Notes Capacity
Boston Harvard Square 96 Winthrop St
Cambridge, MA 02138 		1992 2003 Replaced by Kenmore Square location in 2009. 180
Los Angeles / Orange County Sunset Strip 8430 Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069 		1994 2015 1,100
Downtown Disney 1530 Disneyland Dr
Anaheim, CA 92802 		2001 2016 Relocated to nearby Anaheim GardenWalk in 2017. 1,100
Atlanta Downtown Atlanta 152 Luckie St NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30303 		1996 1997 Re-branded as The Tabernacle in 1997. 2,000
Atlantic City Atlantic City Boardwalk
(inside Showboat Atlantic City) 		801 Boardwalk
Atlantic City, NJ 08401 		2005 2014 Fully intact, used for private events. 2,380

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ Hyman, Dan (2012-12-04). "Dan Aykroyd Reconvenes Blues Brothers for House of Blues' 20th Anniversary". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
  2. ^ "About | House of Blues". www.houseofblues.com. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
  3. ^ Duhigg, Charles (2006-07-06). "House of Blues Sold to Live Nation". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  4. ^ "Cambridge has a new House of Blues in Harvard Sq". The Tech. Archived from the original on 2018-09-01. Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  5. ^ "Joey Kramer Gets Rockin' & Roastin' with the House of Blues®". Archived from the original on 15 April 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  6. ^ "News / Boston Globe / Living / Arts / House of Blues in Cambridge to close; begins seeking new site". boston.com. 2003-08-30. Retrieved 2012-10-21.
  7. ^ "Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi christen new House of Blues Anaheim". March 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  8. ^ "About Us -". House of Blues Music Forward Foundation.
  9. ^ "About Us | TheBluesMobile". thebluesmobile.com. 5 February 2014.
  10. ^ "Seagram Plans to Sell Its Concerts Unit". Los Angeles Times. 27 July 1999.
  11. ^ "House of Blues Sold to Live Nation". Los Angeles Times. 6 July 2006.
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