Creative, Eclectic Offerings Keep Entertainment Fresh At My Place

Jerry Seinfeld was imagining what it felt like to be a silver or a bronze medal winner during the award ceremonies at the Olympics in Seoul.

And then the Olympics officials “put you on the differing height platform of humiliation,” the bit went. “It’s not bad enough that you didn’t win. They also like to give the impression that you’re a much smaller person” than the winner. “That’s good for your ego.”

The audience at Santa Monica’s At My Place, attending a benefit for Grant Elementary School, appreciated the comedian’s well-paced joke, and so did Matt Kramer.

“He’s a funny guy,” said Kramer, 39-year-old talent coordinator for the 200-seat room. It’s the kind of nightclub where musical magic happens more often than not and where fans are treated to occasional surprise appearances by such artists as the Manhattan Transfer, Rickie Lee Jones and Smokey Robinson.

You don’t usually find Kramer on the club’s floor. Most afternoons and evenings, he’s ensconced in his tiny office above the club, tending to the tasks that keep his 7-day-a-week operation in the black. Kramer estimates that between 1,500 and 2,000 people attend At My Place each week, spending an average of $8 per person. He would not disclose profits.

Most of Kramer’s time is spent handling bookings. He gets between “five and 20 new tapes a week” and chooses his acts from an assortment of known and lesser-known entertainers. The name artists might include pop acts such as Billy Vera and Carl Anderson, jazz/rockers such as Jeff Lorber and Richard Elliot, or comedians such as Seinfeld, who usually appear as the opening act for a musical group, rather than as headliners.

On any given night, there’s an eclectic offering. “I love all kinds of music,” he said, sitting at his desk, where he is surrounded by an Apple MacIntosh computer, a printer, a Monthly Executive Planner that contains his bookings, stacks and stacks of cassette tapes, and other assorted general rubble.

“And there are common elements in all music, be it Irish or jazz/rock or pop, like good melodies and musicianship. The eclecticism allows me to be creative and keeps the club from getting stale. You take chances and, a lot of time, you’re glad you did.”

One player that Kramer took a chance with is keyboardist Michael Ruff, who started playing the club in 1982 and who has since backed such major pop figures as David Sanborn, Chaka Khan and Rickie Lee Jones. “I gave him every Sunday and in the beginning, he didn’t draw that well,” Kramer said. “But a buzz developed and, soon, Sunday night was as hot as a Saturday. Now Michael is one of our weekend staples.”

It’s not necessary that Kramer like the bands or singles he books; they just need to be “melodic, accessible” and have the ability to draw. “I’ll put on stuff I don’t like if it’s decent and I get a sense from the person who’s offering the band that there will be an audience,” said Kramer. “You need to be able to sell some tickets because we do not have an automatic audience. We have 15,000 people on our mailing list, but they won’t come out unless they want to hear the person that’s on our stage.”

Although At My Place, which opened in 1981, is owned by Jim Arthur, it came about through a brainstorming session that Kramer and Arthur had while on vacation in South America 10 years ago. Arthur, who’s responsible for the club’s design, decor and cuisine, is only there “five to 10% of the time” and has given Kramer an almost free hand. “Jim’s made it feel like it’s my club,” said the Santa Monica resident, who was recently married on the club’s stage. “Given my relationship with Jim, I have the luxury to make this a facet of my life, rather than a way to make a lot of money. Sometimes I’m amazed how well it’s worked.”

The room features dinners, snacks and a bar. Covers range from $5.50 to $12.50. No Johnny-come-lately, Kramer has been in the music business for 20 years. Before starting At My Place, he produced the “hoot” nights at the Troubadour for 8 years. “I was putting on the unsigned and hungry,” he said. However, such artists as Tom Waits often appeared, even after Waits had signed with Elektra Records. “He was a class guy,” Kramer said of Waits. “He would stand in line with the others, even when he didn’t have to.”

The hard work at At My Place pays off for Kramer when he sees a full house that’s really enjoying the show. “Knowing that I helped create a situation where the artist is doing what they want to do, the audience is getting their money’s worth and 25 people are on the payroll making a living, well, I can’t argue with that.”