Hollywood is no stranger to dramatic events that force street closures and attract gawkers. (Academy Awards arrivals, anyone?) But Thursday night was the first time a full-scale concert at the intersection of Hollywood and Vine necessitated a rush-hour-straddling closure of portions of those streets and surrounding ones.
Depeche Mode performed for 45 minutes around 8 p.m., with two songs broadcast on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live later that night (actually, shortly after midnight). The W Hollywood Hotel & Residences—nearing completion, with plans for a fall opening at the concert site—cohosted the event with Kimmel's show, and the W's developer Gatehouse Capital oversaw the program. "It was a very complicated job—for the concert, pre-party, after-party. It was wild [behind the scenes], but it looked great on the face of it," said Kimberly Macy of Macy & Associates, who worked with the likes of the L.A. police and fire departments, the department of transportation, and the city of Hollywood, plus Kimmel's show, to make the logistically complex event materialize.
Gatehouse's goal was to promote the new property and its potential impact on the area. “[The] concert and after-party confirmed that the W Hollywood Residences is creating a renaissance that will return Hollywood and Vine to its iconic status,” said Gatehouse C.E.O. Marty Collins in a release. “We are committed to transforming the Hollywood landscape and bringing back an unrivaled lifestyle of entertainment and celebrity. With partnerships like Jimmy Kimmel Live, we are returning the city to its glamorous roots.” After its initial heyday, that area of Hollywood fell into a decades-long state of disrepair, but is sprouting back to life, aided by the rejuvenation of another notable intersection, Hollywood and Highland, to the west.
About 12,000 fans and invited guests turned out for the concert—dubbed "Rock the Boulevard"—including celebrities like Chris Martin, Elisha Cuthbert, and Jared Leto.
After the performance, about 600 selected guests took a short walk to the tented parking lot belonging to Capitol Records (the label distributing Depeche Mode's newest album, Sounds of the Universe) for a party with music by DJ Vice, and comfort-food buffets spilling over with grilled cheese sandwiches and potato chips.
