The Iridium NYC: Home of Les Paul & Uncompromising Concert Experiences | Venue Spotlight

First opening its doors in 1994 as the Iridium Jazz Club in the basement of the Empire Hotel, located at the corner of 63rd Street and 8th Avenue in New York City, the Iridium quickly became a favorite spot for one of guitar-playing’s most influential icons: Les Paul. Yes, that Les Paul. The Iridium hosted a Monday-night residency for Les that lasted for 14 years, a period that included the Iridum’s 2001 move to their now-permanent NYC location at Broadway and 51st Street, until Les’s unfortunate passing in 2009. While jazz has been the club’s primary focus, Les was instrumental in expanding the Iridium’s aural offering to include rock, blues, and jazz fusion, with the likes of Slash, Billy Gibbons, John 5, Bernard Purdie, Jaimoe, and countless greats playing the legendarily small stage. Sweetwater got the chance to connect with the Iridium’s operations manager Olivia Winter, as well as production manager and FOH engineer Eric Kohlhoff, in New York City. Olivia and Eric provide a detailed account of the club’s illustrious history, the immense backline of gear available to musicians, and their dedication to supporting bona fide concert experiences, regardless of the venue’s 150-person capacity. Check it out to learn more!

00:00 — Intro  01:11 — History of the Iridium  01:44 — Backline & Equipment  04:22 — Mics & Sound Setup 05:53 — Monitor Setup 06:22 — Control Surface 07:26 — Green Room & Memorabilia  09:12 — The Future of the Iridium 10:11 — Icons of the Iridium 
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