Impala Cafe Offers Some Downtown Revitalization

When the Impala Cafe opened a year ago in Little Tokyo at the former site of the Troy Cafe, the owners were bucking the odds.

Downtown’s late-’80s heyday, with such clubs as Vertigo, Gorky’s, Laurel & Harley’s and the Atomic Cafe, had come and gone. Many of the residents of the nearby warehouses had abandoned downtown living, and aside from Al’s Bar and a few other underground venues, the music scene had quietly dissipated.

Working under the assumption that L.A. won’t ever have enough all-ages clubs with comfortable, nondrinking environments, Impala owners Jorge Martin and Mark Sogonian persevered.

The Impala, which gave Troy a $12,000 face lift, is definitely a diamond in the rough. Downtown is a ghost town on weekends, and the cafe’s been forced to scale back its hours of operation to show nights.

But unlike the all-ages Jabberjaw west of downtown--which is reportedly looking for a new location--the Impala Cafe offers considerable parking and an attitude-free environment. “We stay behind the scenes,” Martin says.

Usually on weekends and with the occasional weeknight, the Impala Cafe still manages to offer excellent shows. Featuring bands from all over the indie-pop, experimental music and hard-core scenes, the Impala is a good place to see a wide variety of acts.

The venue itself is small and the stage is its focal point (the tasty vegetarian sandwiches are an added plus). Music here is performed loud, which the crowd seems to enjoy. Let’s hope the Impala makes it through to downtown’s next resurgence, because on a good night there--like the recent Saturday when Babyland played until 3:30 a.m.--no one wants to leave.

* Impala Cafe, 418 E. 1st St. All ages, cover varies. (213) 621-2170.

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Club Buzz: “Zeke’s Backyard,” a KROQ-sponsored Monday night event at the Opium Den in Hollywood, continues to offer a good taste of L.A.’s alternative music scene. On Monday, look for Fluorescein and ex-Cult frontman Ian Astbury with his new group, the Holy Barbarians.

* Opium Den, (213) 466-7800.