The Daily Swarm

IT ALL begins Oct. 15 with a sold-out show featuring a 12-piece band fronted by rapper Jay-Z, who, with his East Coast roots and Chairman of the Board persona, channels a sort of hip-hop version of Sinatra’s career aura.

“I wouldn’t be surprised one bit,” Mueller said, “if he does a Sinatra song.” The promoter said that Tuesday while wearing a hard hat and shouting over the sounds of hammers and sanders. He was standing on the rim of the Palladium’s dance floor, which he doubts will be refinished until after opening night. Above Mueller’s head was a chandelier wrapped in plastic. “The rest of them are out back, we have a company restoring them, recasting the missing crystals. Everything has to be just right.”

Cove lighting has been installed to highlight the Moderne details and the original marquee-and-pylon sign tower has been restored at the entrance and its large neon letters revived. (How careful is the revival? Architect Christopher Coe used old newsreel footage to match the lighting sequence to the original pattern.)

The renovation has not been entirely smooth. There was a union dispute that put a picket line out front, and there was consternation about the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency loan needed by Live Nation’s landlord, Newport Capital Advisors, to pay for the exterior remodeling. But Mueller said that after the dust has settled, the Palladium will once again be a signature spot in the entertainment life of Hollywood.

“There was talk of demolishing the whole place, just knocking it down,” the Live Nation executive said. “But if you know the history of the Palladium, that’s an awful thing to even consider.”