The Hotel Cafe: A Circle of Friends

On a Friday night in late fall, doorman James Babson has to fend off long lines of patrons eager to get inside the Hotel Café.

Only eight years ago, lines were non-existent in the small alleyway off of Hollywood's Cahuenga Corridor, where the music bar hides.

With the help of some talented singer-songwriters, owners with great music taste and a community of musicians, the Hotel Café may finally be getting the recognition it deserves.

Meiko's Rise from the Bar to the Stage

Until this autumn, Meiko Sheppard was just a cocktail waitress at the Hotel Café, serving cheap beer and hoping for tips that would pay her rent.

As she began performing on the venue's tiny stage, a fan base started to emerge -- a group including one of her biggest supporters, Hotel co-owner Marko Shafer. But it took recognition from celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton to blow Meiko's career out of the water.

Now, the one-time waitress is at the head of a pack that are helping to establish the folky music club as one of L.A.'s most prominent spots to hear new music.

An Interview with Cary Brothers

When singer-songwriter Cary Brothers first discovered the Hotel Café, he was a struggling musician, disenchanted with the L.A. music scene. But as soon as he stepped into the doors of the venue, he could tell something was about to change.

Since, 34-year-old Brothers has become the patriarch of a family of musicians at Hotel who rely on one another for industry advice and late-night conversation.

In an exclusive interview from the road, where he is currently touring with pop singer Ben Lee, Brothers takes time out to remember how it all began.