El Mocambo - Later Years

Later Years

By the 1990s the club was often shunned by local indie groups, who perceived it as an "industry club", where record companies showcased packaged new artists at the expense of local talent. At least among some, it gained a reputation as the place to play once a promising indie band had "sold out". The relatively high prices of drinks and cover charges and a fast-changing local music scene drove the mainstay student crowds to other clubs, notably the Beverly Tavern, DMZ, and Larry's Hideaway. Accordingly, throughout the 1990s, the club went through several periods of near-bankruptcy and near-closure.