Blues-Rock Added to Reuben’s Menu

A Michael Jackson video plays on the television. Photographs of Neil Diamond and Elton John adorn the walls. This is precisely the kind of disco bar you’d expect to find in a Woodland Hills chain restaurant.

And you’d expect the place to be locked up tight by 11 o’clock on a Sunday night.

But there’s a band onstage blazing a la Stevie Ray Vaughan, and 30 or so people have trickled in to hear the music. On this weekend evening, the Reuben’s restaurant along Ventura Boulevard has turned itself into a blues-rock club.

Similar transformations are occurring at a number of the chain’s Southern California locations, where the Top 40 discos that adjoin the dining rooms are now hosting weekly performances by unsigned bands that play music ranging from reggae to rock to industrial pop.

These performances are an outgrowth of “Bootleg Radio,” a syndicated show that features new bands from across the country. Lou Friedman and Rob Raino, the San Fernando Valley businessmen behind “Bootleg,” have negotiated a deal with Reuben’s to showcase such talent live at nine restaurants from Woodland Hills to Irvine.

“The more exposure these bands can get, the more of a following they can build and the more they can show the record labels that they deserve to be signed,” said Friedman, who works out of a West Hills studio and considers his business something of a crusade.

Local musicians seem more than happy to join in the campaign. Happy enough, in fact, to play for no pay.

That’s significantly better than having to put up with the pay-to-play clubs, where musicians are required to buy a number of tickets and either resell them or absorb the cost. Many groups are also grateful for having been featured on “Bootleg Radio,” broadcast locally Wednesdays from 11 p.m. to midnight on KFOX (FM 93.5).

“Most promoters only worry about business, about how many tickets you can sell,” said Roger Wynfield, of Roger Wynfield Rock Project. “ ‘Bootleg’ is concerned with quality. It’s a good outlet for bands.”

The new live performances include hourlong sets by two or three bands. Because “Bootleg” has expanded beyond its rock ‘n’ roll format--both live and on the air--more types of groups are getting involved.

“I’ve been on the scene for 10 years, and ‘Bootleg’ is one of the first media organizations to reach out and include reggae,” said Calvin Banks of the band Urban Dread. “It’s about time.”

Reuben’s, for its part, is cautiously accommodating the performances. After testing the idea for a month at three restaurants, the chain has expanded to more locations, including one of its Baxter’s restaurants, and has agreed to at least seven more weeks.

“It’s improving weekly,” Patrick Droesch, Reuben’s entertainment manager, said of attendance. “New bands are building a following and they’re bringing that following to us.”

At present, there is no cover charge. For that reason alone, Dave St. Torch of the band St. Torch says the “Bootleg” nights represent a low-risk outing.

“It’s free, so the audience doesn’t get burned,” he said. “I don’t know about you, but I get tired of paying $12 to get into a club on the Strip, then paying $5 for parking and $5 for a beer, then seeing a bunch of kids who can’t play.”

Not that all of the bands are sure to be crowd-pleasers. Friedman and Raino insist that they do their best to screen the groups before selecting which ones get to play, but these bands aren’t, after all, marquee names.

“People go crazy over some of them,” Friedman said. “With others, they say, ‘Well, I don’t know.’ ”

Predictably, word of the shows has spread quickly through the music community. Because Friedman and Raino host the performances, bands and fans of local rock are getting to know their faces.

That isn’t an entirely good thing.

“Now we get stopped on the streets,” Friedman said. “Bands want to audition for us right there. A parent will stop you and say, ‘Wait, my son wants to audition. He’s got his guitar in the car.’ ”

FYI

“Bootleg Radio” presents live blues-rock on Sunday nights at Reuben’s, 21055 Ventura Blvd., and rock ‘n’ roll on Wednesday nights at Reuben’s Summer House, 21870 Victory Blvd., both in Woodland Hills.

Here’s a schedule of other “Bootleg” shows: reggae on Monday at the Baxter’s restaurant in Irvine; rock on Wednesday at Reuben’s in Manhattan Beach, and on Thursday at the restaurants in Redondo Beach and Orange; industrial music on Friday in Manhattan Beach and San Pedro; and jazz on Sunday in Westchester. Performances are free and begin at 9 p.m.