It's been more than a decade since Johnny Depp opened the place, but headbanger and hipster kids still can't wait to turn 21 just so they can say they've partied here.

The space is small, as is the stage—but the history looms large. Tommy Lee once roughed up a photographer here, Bruce Springsteen did a surprise set and, most infamously, River Phoenix ODed on the sidewalk outside. Johnny Cash, Courtney Love and Lenny Kravitz have played the Viper Room, and even more celebs pop in to slum. Depp is no longer affiliated with the VR, but the legacy lives on. —Mai Dinh