The Matchcover Storyteller

I didn’t know if this was an Italian restaurant cover (which I collect) as I was doing a bunch of sorting.

It is not  —  was not.

Closed since 2017, Sardo’s of Butbank was a karaoke bar that had the world “legendary” attached to many descriptions.  It opened in 1968 at 259 Pass Avenue in Burbank and held its spot for nearly 50 years.  It was not much to speak of at the start but grew into a place called “Cheers for hippies and weirdos”!.

 Its karaoke nights were themed, the most famous becoming “Tuesday Night Porn Star Karaoke”.  For over a decade, it was a cultural center for the San Fernando Valley’s adult film industry personnel.  Stars, directors and crew would be there belting out songs and that in turn made Sardo’s a massive tourist draw  (by the way, all were fully clothed).  Also, because Burbank is such an entertainment industry centre, many karaoke performers on other nights were professionals like studio backup singers, aspiring actors and other trained musicians; it was a dive bar atmosphere with a kick!

What happened to it?  Just the rent.  By 21017 it had ballooned to around $10,000 a month, and with other societal and neighborhood changes, that was unsustainable.

This 20-strike rear strike cover from Universal Los Angeles is the only one I’ve seen.