Joni Mitchell played here. So did half the songwriters who lived up the hill from her. Sitting there while I was writing, I understood exactly why it's still like that — a small room, with far more music history in it than its size.
A few things that happened in that room: Elton John played his first U.S. show here in 1970 and walked out a star. Don Henley and Glenn Frey met at the front bar that same year, and the Eagles came out of it. Steve Martin was discovered here in 1969, going up to play banjo in place of a band that was late coming in from Denver. Carly Simon met James Taylor here in 1971.
That's why I put it in the book. In the novel, Beka and Sam go there to hear new bands on open-mic nights. The Troubadour runs through the story like a character, and it's in the illustration on the cover.
It's on the book cover and on the tote bag. Of course I brought it with me to the real thing.