The Silver Lake mural where fans of the late musician Elliott Smith have frequently left notes and remembrances since his death in 2003 will be partially cut away in coming weeks to create the front window of a new bar set to open this winter. Bar Angeles, named for one of Smith’s beloved songs, intends to preserve the portion of the exterior wall that will be removed and make it a focal point of the décor.
The mural, created originally by the owner of the adjacent Solutions! Audio-Video Repair, was already a neighborhood landmark when Smith posed in front of it for a photograph that would become the cover of his 2000 album Figure 8, the last record he would complete before his suicide.
Most of the build-out of Bar Angeles has already been completed, Eater L.A. reports. They have been working behind the mural for more than a year on a casual bar and restaurant concept from the group behind Horse Thief BBQ at Grand Central Market and the trendy Café Birdie in Highland Park, with which Bar Angeles will share a chef. One of the very last steps in the process will be actually cutting into the mural.
Silver Lake has changed considerably since Elliot Smith’s days, so even die-hard fans had to expect that the mural wouldn’t stay intact forever. Hopefully, they’ll enjoy grabbing a drink at this new neighborhood spot.
Bar Angeles will be located at 4330 West Sunset Blvd in Silver Lake. An opening date has yet to be announced, but is expected to be around January 2017.
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