B (10:27)

I am one of the owners at Sunset Strip Comedy Club. We opened in 2023 in April. I sign on for ownership the January before that. So January 2023, we started hitting the ground running, opening and cleaning this place because it was called the Parish, which was a music venue for about 30 years. They had concerts here with big names and it was a staple in Austin. We acquired it and decided to put a comedy club up here. And during opening or before we opened the doors, we would have to clean, deep clean the bar and a back apartment area. And that is when we first started smelling things. As we were cleaning, smells would just appear and they would come in for an hour or two at a time. And those smells were very, very much like a rat, a dead rat, maybe in the walls or upstairs. And we're in a city, so.

C (11:40)

It.

B (11:40)

Would be probable that that would happen. But once the smell would just disappear, that's when we started raising questions of why they were just whiffs of this. And we started tracking the behaviors behind when this would occur. And it would be when we were, you know, organizing, reorganizing or cleaning or making some kind of change to the club. And we just didn't know if we were, you know, unveiling like something or maybe something was trapped like an animal. There are other instances where it seems like they're bothered or they want our attention with the smells. Like I was saying, when we were cleaning and getting ready to open it, we would have these smells of rotting something, rotting body, rotting animal. We've gotten exterminators in here. We've gotten many people to look, and there's nothing big in here. There's nothing to be concerned about. So the whiffs and the timing of it is. Is just very interesting because it's always around showtime when people are coming in, you know, coming towards the space. So that also is very interesting. So every time we experience these smells around the back of the club, which is our green room area, the Office and a little apartment. It is whiffs for about an hour or two and you can't locate it. It's just throughout this entire back area. We've tried to mask it with incense, sage, candles. Nothing can cover it up. It's intense. But I think that it, it comes more from the apartment. Fast forward to the fall, fall of that year. We've already opened up the club. And we did morning coffee and we would open at about 10am the barista would open up by, by themselves. And Philip, one of our baristas, walked into the club and everything was normal. He turned on the sound booth, was getting the, the music started and he looked down our shotgun style venue and he saw what he describes as a figure coming towards him from the stage towards the entrance. And he kind of froze. But then he saw these other objects appear and they seemed like friendly ghosts, he says, or spirits. One was on the left, another one was on the right and they were walking towards each other and they crossed paths and then everything disappeared. But he said it was one of the most terrifying things. He froze. He didn't even open up our club. He. He just couldn't. And so he waited until another owner came in to sit with him and talk it through. And we saw on the security cameras his reaction. But we could not see what was happening in the, in the showroom. That really took a toll on our staff wanting to work by themselves in the mornings or at night. And I know that every time I would even close up by myself at night. Throughout the past year and a half that we've been open, I'll be the last one to walk out of our green room, our back room area. And as I turn out the lights, I. I just feel something over my shoulder. It's kind of indescribable. It's just like a presence and it's. It's something that I never acknowledge. I just kind of accept that it's there and just keep moving. But I think the, the most eerie situation that we've experienced was my general manager was here opening the club. We had the, the show set up and we were about to open doors, but we could not get rid of this knocking. And it was like a banging noise. She had to call me. I was at home. She didn't know what to do because we couldn't start a show with this noise. And it's this very thin wall between the women's restroom and a back bar area that we hardly ever use. And it seemed like an intentional knocking. It wasn't an animal. And I could hear it on the phone when she was probably 30ft, 40ft away. And it was very loud over the phone. It was a hammering with like a hand. And I was like, is that what you're talking about? And she's like, yeah, you just can't stop it. I don't know. We checked the bathroom, We've checked everything. We've checked upstairs in the attic and they couldn't find, figure it out. And I said, well, can you try to muffle it or try to put a curtain over it? Try to like, you know, seclude the sound from the showroom. And all of a sudden it stopped and it was happening. She said for about 40 minutes before she called me. So that was very interesting. I was not in the building for that, but I still, I still knew exactly what it was, you know, I still felt that it was, it was something and someone trying to get our attention. Also the back stairwell is in this back half of the club. And with that stairwell we have a motion sensored light. So when you come up and down the stairs as like a staff member or a talent that's on the stage, it's not on the entire, the entire time. Only when you're going in and out. That seems to work for everyone except for me. It's like a little game that we play of let's see if I can flick on and off this switch. Maybe it will stick, maybe it's a faulty light switch, who knows? But the common denominator is me. And it only is faulty with me. So I'll be halfway up the stairs and it will just turn off. I'll run back down the stairs, try to flick it on and off and it just won't go on. I just kind of talk to the area and I'm just like, I'm. I'm coming upstairs and I just make sure that I'm known. But it does happen a lot with me. And that started in the winter of 2023. We do have a corner of our back office and when we were getting ready to open, it was very dark in this space and we wanted to use it to work throughout the shows and throughout the day. And it was all painted black. I. That's my favorite color. I love black rooms. But for an office we needed something more light and bright. So I decided to paint all the walls white. And even during the day and with the back door open, it was so dark and I could not even see in front of me. It's just a probably four Foot wide area. And it does have our breakers for the entire building in the back there. But it's always been such a scary area to go back there. It's just a presence that's there that I had a hard time going back there with a paintbrush and doing it. There was one point where I had to look at my GM and I was like, can you just finish painting? And I never really gave her an excuse of why I didn't want to, but there was an energy that was not allowing me to go back there. I haven't really been over there, even after it's. It's painted white. Downstairs we have a restaurant called Happy Chicks. They had a person come and check out the building when this was still the Parish. They just wanted to kind of like connect with the energies of, you know, this historic strip of 6th Street. The parish owners apparently just allow them to come up here for whatever reason. Maybe they were busy, but the person that came to visit the space was drawn up the stairs. The energy wanted them to come through the back door and it was leading them up those stairs. And it was just such a strong presence to her. Also, I have a comic that was doing a walkthrough before they even acquired. Acquired this building or the lease to this building. And he was walking through with the real estate agent and she was talking about how there was a. What she called a demon that was in the back office in the space that I was just describing. When she told him about that, a door slammed right in his face. It was a presence that he was uncomfortable with. And he talks to me too. He talks about this all the time. There have been no direct sightings per se, but sometimes in the corner of people's eyes, we have a room of mirrors and they say that they have seen like shadows in the corner of their eyes through the mirrors, which creeps me out too, because I tend to not look at those mirrors just because. Because it's something that I would love to see it. But if I do see it, I don't think that I would be as calm as I usually am.

D (21:42)

My name's Cassidy. I'm a server here at Sunset Strip. I've worked here since we opened. I mean, since I started working here. I knew that people had experiences like Christine and all of them when they would tell stories about Aunt. But I had an experience where I was actually at home first and I was in the shower and like right by the shower curtain where my head was, I thought I heard somebody say, like, hey in my ear And I thought it was my boyfriend trying to scare me. So I opened the shower curtain, and nobody was there. And I immediately just, like, screamed at the top of my lungs. Like, scared me so bad. It was, like, so real. And then the next day, I came here, and I was stocking the green room for a show we had that night. And I was at the little stand where I put the snacks and the drinks and everything. I heard the same hay, like, walk right behind me, and it was crazy. That was probably one of the most, like, vocal things I've ever heard here. But we always hear our, like, names. Like, everyone has had an experience here. I feel like, where they're like, did you just say my name? And everyone's like, no. So the bar is in the main showroom, and one night, our old bar manager and I were talking at the bar, and we have, like, a light dimmer, and the lights went down, like, by themselves. You have to physically, like, pull the dimmer down. And so we're like, what the heck? So we went over, and we saw it was down, so we put it back up. And then maybe, like, five minutes passed, the same thing happened. And then that happened, like, three or four more times before we were leaving for the night. And I. I think I got cut earlier, so I was leaving for everybody else. And I was telling our gm, I was like, watch. They're gonna turn off as soon as I leave. And as soon as I opened the door, the lights dimmed again and freaked us out so bad. But I know a lot of people feel things down at the bottom of our back staircase. Another one of the employees here has a lot of experiences because he works in of the morning, so you'd have to open up the store.

A (23:44)

Concluding this interview with Cassidy, we had exited the back office and were now in the green room, where I had to turn my mic on quickly because Cassidy began relaying some information about some people who had visited Sunset Strip, possibly people with sensitivities to energies. And Cassidy was sharing her recollection of what they said and also the feelings that aligned with her own experiences in the green room and in the back stairwell. She came.

D (24:07)

She was talking about. She felt like there was, like, a guy and a woman, like, kind of at the bottom of the staircase. Like, she thought they didn't like how loud we were. And then after she said that, I was like, I feel like I felt the lady here. Like, it feels like maybe if the man is here too, he kind of quiets her. Like, he's kind of in Charge. It definitely feels old every time and especially in the green room. And I don't know. And I always get ready back here too, because I just feel comfortable. But it definitely feels like there's like a feminine energy. Like she's kind of just like here. She's not like in your face or like not noisy. Like I feel like the male is. She's just hanging out. Like maybe this was their space for a long time.

A (24:51)

And that one's more in this up back area here. Or where do you feel her the most when you have filter?

D (24:56)

I don't really think about it ever, but I'm back here the most just as a person. So probably back here.

B (25:02)

Okay.

D (25:03)

Yeah. That bottom staircase is where I feel the most. Like, I hate going down that staircase. I try to avoid at all costs.

A (25:12)

So we're starting to see a theme about this back stairwell. It appears to be an area that the staff don't feel very comfortable in. We'll learn more in further interviews, but at this time, we were lucky enough to sit down and get an actual interview with the staff member who witnessed the shadow figure and apparitions while opening the bar in the morning. His name is Philip and he had a lot more to share with me than just that one incident.

E (25:35)

I'm a comedian, first of all. This is a comedy club, so that's, you know what's going to happen. This place opened up almost two years ago now. I started here two years ago as a barista door guy because we wanted to open up during the morning times to serve comics coffee and provide a safe space for writing. The initial hours were like 9am until 6pm and then we realized real quick that comics don't wake up until like 2pm and we bumped it back to like 11 and now it's 3. But the when we were starting to open up at nine, I was alone in this place for a little over six months for, you know, eight hours a day kind of alone. And then maybe a wet manager or something would come in. I always felt eerie coming in by myself for the longest time. I always felt like the first person in. At 9am the first business opened on 6th street at that very old district. Feel like the first guy working. And I felt like I was definitely kind of being poked and prodded or just kind of messed around by with spirits because they knew I was the guy turning the lights on first that day. And I would talk to the like, I would get so spooked I'd go down and smoke cigarettes with homeless people because I didn't want to be up here alone. It was a nightmare. And they would tell me stories about this when this was the Parish and how it was haunted. There's a homeless man named Trans Am. He's got two legs or no legs, sorry. And he told me about this place and how when it was the Parish, he would see, he would work here as a door guy and he saw one day, you know, two ghosts dancing just right into the stage and disappeared. I was like, hey, I'm down here, you know, to kind of get away from this. And he just, he would load me up with these stories he had heard about the place. And then one afternoon, I didn't feel right coming in. I remember the top lock was unlocked and for me that, that felt weird. There's no significance there other than that just aided the feeling of a weird morning. It was, you know, 10:00am at this time. We bumped it back an hour. First things first, when you come in here, it's a big venue. It's a, used to be a bowling alley. I'm pretty sure at one point it's sweeping. It's a ballroom. There's also pillars running down the entire ballroom as well. That has to be noted too. So first things first, you get the lights on and you play music loud to in my mind, drown out, drown out the spirits. Cuz I just feel like that opens the place up and gets it into my realm of things. And I go to the soundboard, I turn it on, I walk over. You have to walk all the way across the venue to turn the towers for the soundboard on first. And I immediately did not like the fact that I was walking across. I felt like I was being watched and I like sprinted back to the soundboard. I turn on the soundboard and as I'm getting my music song selection ready for the day, I'm looking down, I see something run from basically where we are now in the green room slash office area. It's like a silhouette and it kind of just like hover fades towards me through those pillars. Like I saw the pillar, cut it off visually and then come start running at me. You know, I jolted up and I was like, all right, well let's make yourself some coffee because clearly you haven't had enough sleep today and you're kind of feeling weird. And it was a long trudge around the L shaped bar, all the way to the other side, back down. And then you know to start a coffee machine up from jump is like, takes about 10 minutes. Run the water through, make it sanitary. And the entire time I'm getting this thing warmed up, I'm. There's. There used to be surveillance video. I think we lost it just in the culmination of a bunch of it. But every 20, 15 seconds or so, I'm just, you know, looking over, right, Because I feel like pestered by that area where I saw something run from. And then it's like 10, 15 now I make my coffee. And then I look up one more time and I see two this time, two shadowed apparitions, full bodied, almost like a shadow person, essentially. But this time I like, I remember for a fact the weirdest thing. They had like bronze, like almost metallic trapezoidal heads. I'm not on any drugs. I want that be to be known. I'm sober. It's 10am I'm opening up a, a coffee shop. And they rush, same thing. They kind of rush at me. They converge and they're gone. And we watch back on the footage and from my own testimony as well. I just stand there, you know, in shock, cold. I can't move. I don't want to move. My only thought is, how can I get out of here without turning my head again away from that area? Because I'm just completely stuck, spooked to the point where I thought about lifting myself up, butt first over the bar and then like shimmying backwards and then spinning my hips around and sprinting downstairs. And right about at that point, 10 minutes in, haven't moved. Thank goodness. One of our old managers, Anthony, comes walking in. I just told him. I was like, dude, thank goodness you're here. Like, I've been stuck. I don't think he really, he didn't want to ever believe in it, but he was, he'd kind of knocked it down immediately. Yeah, pretty weird stuff happens around here. I'm like, like, no, like it really, something really happened. And then when the other managers came and I was like, pull this footage and look how terrified I am. Like, I'm like, I'm. I feel like I'm crazy. I want y' all to see that. I was like, I didn't waste, you know, 15 minutes of my life being terrified over nothing. And sure enough, I look terrified in the footage. I look like I, I've seen a ghost. The first time I felt more scared than the second time because the shadow is so prominent. But then the bronze heading on the two, like, I'll never forget that. It was very, very clear. Like a polygonal bronze heading. I don't, yeah, I don't know how else to like, think of almost like a diamond of sorts. A loosely. Like a less beveled diamond that's just kind of bronze and softer plated. Very like shadow silhouette. Once again, stern, domineering. That's what it felt like.

A (31:05)

Yeah.

E (31:06)

I feel like that was a trick. The two was a trick. Or for whatever reason, amongst other things, like, I've been sitting at this green room door for security. You're sitting at the green room door facing the ballroom many a times. And I felt like I've seen someone go from staring at me through that glass door to walking back down those stairs, almost like a duster in a weird way. Even last night I saw like, I'm like, oh, you're. You're bored, you know, but you just see the. See things. I see the things all the time. We record our podcast here. The Works Every time Podcast. It's a comedic podcast. The guys on the pod will joke with me about it. Another one of them works here and he kind of gets it. But we were joking about it just the other week on the pod. And then as we're joking about it with like zero, with just instinct, we all glanced right at the other green room door, the other glass one. And as we looked at that one, for whatever reason, I don't know if we heard something, but then we heard something actually on the other side of the green room door. And then all the curtains kind of like fluxed towards that green room door like it had been opened and the wind was moving it. We're like, alright, well, we're done talking about this on the podcast. We're not gonna stir up anything. I have to be here alone. So I don't want y' all to be making fun of it. It's kind of a strange thing working at a comedy club and telling people you see ghosts makes you almost a crazy person immediately in their eyes. Most people's eyes that come through. There's been multiple times, you'll hear some, like, click clacking. I used to do pest control, so I always pin that up to rats. That doesn't bother me. But there's been, well, more than a handful of times where, you know, staff will be, you know, shooting the. By the green room door because that's where you can hang out, be quiet while the person's on stage, but we can still. And then, you know, just dimmers because everything's heroes on a sliding dimmer. You'll watch lights just dim down, which is unreal to me. Like, you'll be Sitting there hanging out and just immediately you'll like, you'll either the lights just get more intense and you'll look over and it'll be pushed all the way up. And it's like we don't do that because it burns the bulbs out. Like we're told not to do that. And then also it's just harsh to look at. So that happens a lot of the time. You feel watched a lot here, which is kind of strange. Like I'll come back and get ice every morning when I would open and I'd always feel like I had to hustle to get ice because your back's turned to the entire. It's anytime my back is turned to a room in this place, honestly. So like if I'm getting ice in the green room, I feel like I'm being watched from behind that curtained area in the green room or even. Yeah, like I said, nothing ever from the walk in area. Always from apartment stairwell area. It's the only place I ever feel watched from. I could be on the other end of the room and I'll still feel kind of watched from the stairwell area. I won't like it'll feel eerie and then like it's the corner of the eye thing is just happens too often. I feel like I've always been pretty perceptive to this. I grew up in a couple of haunted houses. We've moved eight months into Elise because my mother couldn't be there anymore. We were having crazy things happen there. I definitely feel like I pick up on a male energy, especially the one that feels malicious is male. And I get older, like kind of, you know, the face is a little bit of, what do they call it pruning when, you know, old people kind of get a little blue or purplish, like not quite there, but think like Harrison Ford type not. But not as old as he is now. It's hard to explain, but wrinkly, older, stern cowboy of sorts. That old but not burdened by any type of physical. I mean clearly it's like sprinting. Very domineering. That's the one I pick up on the most. I pick up on one that's kind of an asshole. It's like an old cranky old man, but like I said, not old. Maybe like 52 and just kind of cantankerous a little bit. But constantly sourced from the. The stairwell from that guy. I don't know what goes on, what happened in the stairwell, but that's. I mean taking the trash out the other night is always terrifying. You feel like you're getting your, like someone's breathing down your neck the entire time if you go by yourself. I do not like taking the trash out by myself at night. If I'm getting watched in the green room though, I feel a female presence which is kind of strange. Think like Victorian, like almost like hair in a, you know, kind of rolled up in rollers, tall, not like Marie Antoinette, but yeah, very Victorian female type, driven down, suppressed, maybe like the wife of a tradesman, who knows? But I, I do feel a female presence as well. But the male presence, that one's more back here in the green room area, but the male is isolated to the stair area, bathroom area.

A (35:35)

When we get back from a short sponsor break, we'll dive deeper into the unusual activity experienced here at Sunset Strip Comedy Club. And through further interviews, we'll discover more details about some unusual and suspicious deaths in the building that may be connected with some of the reports and hotspots. Stay tuned. The holiday season is rapidly approaching, Night Owl fans. It's time for holiday cheer, holiday parties and holiday gift giving to all family and friends. It's always a challenge to find that perfect gift for the special people in your life. Does Uncle Roy need another pair of argyle socks? Is Cousin Susie really going to use that hot pink scarf with the matching mittens this year? Why not consider giving the gift of health in the form of AG1, the number one nutritional supplement that supports whole body health. And right now, AG1 is running a special Black Friday offer for all November. AG1 is a Daily health drink packed with nutrients to help alleviate bloating, support sustained energy and whole body health. During this hectic holiday season, it's far too easy to fall off my normal routine. Office parties and gatherings with friends and families tend to make me a little more indulgent when it comes to my diet. Consuming foods I normally don't partake in and eating way more food than I should eat can definitely cause problems with my gut health if I'm not careful. That's why I drink AG1 every morning and I have been for over 2 years now. With the added benefits of probiotics, prebiotics and adaptogens, AG1 can help combat the stress of holiday schedules while helping my digestion and supporting my energy. AG1 is there to keep me on track during my holiday traveling as well. With the convenient, easy to carry travel packs, AG1 certainly brings cheer into my life and that's why for me, it's one scoop of once a day every day for continued nutritional support and gut health. So this holiday season, try AG1 for yourself or even gift it to someone special. It's the perfect time to focus on supporting your body with an easy and surprisingly delicious daily health drink. And that's why I've been partnering with AG1 for so long. Every week of November, AG1 will be running a special Black Friday offer for a free gift with your first subscription in addition to the welcome kit with vitamin D3K2. So make sure you check out drinkag1.com NightOwl to see what gift you can get this week. That's drinkag1.com nightowl to start your holiday season off on a healthier note. While supplies last, this episode is brought to you by BetterHelp Therapy Online. For 10% off your first month, go to betterhelp.com Night Owl it's hard to believe Night Owl listeners, but December is right around the corner and for most of us that means a season full of warmth and cheer, and most of all, being grateful for the opportunity to spend time with friends and family during this beautiful season. It's a season full of giving and spreading joy. A time for office parties and gatherings with loved ones in our lives. For some people, however, those less fortunate than us, the season can be extremely difficult. Maybe they're alone for the first time, or apart from loved ones. Maybe they've experienced a tragic loss in their lives or possibly suffering from some form of depression. Therapy can be a way to help those who are suffering in some form or fashion during this holiday season. It's helpful for learning positive coping skills to deal with whatever debilitating issues you are experiencing in your life. If you think therapy could help you in your situation, why not give betterhelp Therapy online a try? It's entirely online and designed to be convenient and flexible to fit any schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist who can help you be the best version of yourself that you can be in this season of giving. Why not give yourself the gift of self love and healing by visiting Better Help Online Therapy? Let the gratitude flow with better help. Visit betterhelp.com nightowl today to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp. H E-L-P.com Night Owl.

F (39:28)

My name is Peyton. I've been good friends with one of the owners of Sunset Strip for probably about a year and a half or so. I'm not. I don't work there or anything, but I frequent there pretty often, kind of in the showroom in the green room, kind of all over. This particular story happened in the summer of 2023. I guess I was just working there during the day, remote, working on my laptop with a friend. There's really no one in there, like a worker, one of the other owners, me and her, and maybe one other person sitting at the bar. We packed up, and I went to the bathroom before we left. And if you've ever been in Sunset Strip, you know, if you're looking down the showroom from the front, there's only, like, one way in and out. And the bathroom's, like, all the way down around the corner. So I'm in the bathroom, and for whatever reason that day, I was so incredibly aware that someone else was in there. Like, I heard kind of like, keys jingling. Like, say you had, like, your keys clipped on your belt, and you're, like, pulling your pants down. And then it felt like a lot of women, like, will put their phone on, like, the toilet paper holder. And it's usually metal, so it's kind of like a. Like a little clunk.

C (40:28)

Like a little clink.

F (40:29)

That's kind of. That's kind of what it was. Like, it wasn't a door or anything. So there's like, four stalls in there. I'm probably. I'm in the middle. And it was in a stall next to me. It wasn't someone leaving. It wasn't someone coming in. It was, like, in one of the stalls next to me. And I don't know, I was just so hyper aware, because normally I wouldn't care, but I was so hyper aware that someone else was in there. So I walk out washing my hands, and I kind of, like, lean back and look over both of my shoulders. And I was like, no one is in here, but you've obviously been in the club before. So there's, like, a back door that no one goes in and out of unless you work there. And there's really only, like, one way into the bathroom. So I walk out, and my friend's waiting for me just outside of the bathroom. And I was like, hey, did someone else walk out of here? She was like, no. So I went over to the other owner. His name's Anthony, and I said, hey, is this place haunted? And then he kind of went into his own story about things that have happened there and stuff like that. But that was my first experience there. Another experience I had just a few months ago, summer 2024. I'm standing at, like, the corner of the bar watching a show. There's A comedy show going on. I'm wearing my seeing glasses, and there's, like, nothing covering my face. You know, like, glasses can fog up and things like that, but nothing's covering my face. And just at the very top corner of my right lens, there's all these little, like, puffs of air, kind of, like little tiny. So I just kind of looked up and I said, no, thanks, and I walked through the. The other side of the showroom. But I didn't feel anything weird after that. I was just like, oh, I'm out of here. I've definitely heard stories from other people. Like, I know our friend Phil had quite, like, a big experience seeing things before he turned a light on and stuff like that. I know about, like, cans and glasses flipping around, maybe I guess is the right word. But those were the two biggest ones for me. I have always personally been a believer in the paranormal. This, like, experience, it doesn't, like, shy me away from going to Sunset at all. But I am a little more hyper aware when I'm looking in, like, a dark corner and things like that. A little more creeped out. The other night, we were all there, maybe 12 of us, closing and leaving together. And there was just, like, one light at the bar on. Someone had turned the rest of the lights off, and Christina walked away from me, and I was like, you cannot leave me alone.

C (42:40)

I'm scared.

F (42:41)

So. But, yeah, other than that, kind of aware, kind of a little more creeped out, but still going to continue to go. And I know the other day, Christina and I were walking up the back stairwell talking about this podcast, and I've never walked up the back stairwell before, which is allegedly where some kind of terrible things have happened. And I just remember clenching my body as we walked up the stairs, and I was like, I don't want to see anything. I don't want anyone to touch me or whatever. But I didn't see anything, and it was fine. I just let my anxiety get the best of me.

C (43:13)

So my name is Quinn. I'm a comic at Sunset Strip, door guy. And I serve there. So I spend a lot of time there before everyone kind of gets there, including, like, managers or the other door guys to set things up. And I will say Sunset has such a unique placement, being above everything. There's not a lot of places that you can go on, like 36 in Austin that are upstairs. Usually you're on the main floor. Like, you'll go downstairs. Very rarely are there places that are on the upstairs part. So for me, it's Always interesting to go up, like, the stairs at sunset. There's the two fights going up very echoey. Even in the back staircase, even though there's only one. It's just very. Sometimes kind of ominous. I'm not really afraid to admit I believe in, like, spooky things. However, I hadn't really heard anyone have any, like, big spooky stories when I first started working there around, like, January. So I've been there almost a year. However, I'll get there. And I'm very used to, like, growing up, like, and especially being around comics. Everyone's kind of messing with each other all the time. But usually, like, our GM isn't one to just mess with people like the boys do. But it started. I would get to work and I would hear her say my name while I was, like, setting, like, cleaning stuff up in the green room in the back. And I. I would assume she was at the bar because it would be like, she'd say my name like, twice.

G (44:42)

So go over there.

C (44:43)

And she wasn't by the bar. She, like, wasn't. So I was like, oh, that's so weird. She'll. She'll call my name whenever, like, she needs me if she needs me again. So I'm cleaning the green room.

F (44:54)

I'm putting.

C (44:54)

Because we put incense out because this is an older building, so it makes things, like, smell better. And so I'm setting up the incense and I hear my name again, and then I see her. But she had just walked in for, like, the first time that day. And that was the. And we are the only other two girls that, like, were there or that would be there that day. So immediately I am a little spooked. I can tell that she was, like, messing with me at first, but, like, that's not really, like, it's something she would do, but not in that moment. She wasn't. She had just gotten word. She was like, I didn't say your name. Like, she wasn't thinking about, in a sense that, like, oh, something spooky has just said my name twice. And then that seems to be a super common thing where I'll hear my name, but it's usually always a woman's voice. And which is especially strange working there because I'm one of, like, three women that work there. So if you hear a woman's voice, there's only. You only have three options. And if you're the only girl there that day, it's a little spooky. But it's also. There's an apartment attached to the green room, like a tiny little, like a storage unit that we use. And I will be back there doing something. And that door will make a sound like it just opened, but it didn't move at all. But if you're not paying attention, it will. And then I've noticed if I'm getting ready back there, like organizing something, I just almost always feel like there's someone in there with me. The apartment building room never feels like you're in there alone ever. There will be like random like, not just like creaks and stuff of an older building. It's like the sounds of somebody that's actively in there with you. Things that can't. Like not a creek, not like a pipe. Like it's the sound of like a door moving or a doorknob or just a general presence. And the apartment specifically. And I feel like that's like one of the more common opinions of everyone that seems to work there, that the being alone in the apartment never feels like you're actually alone in there. There's definitely a bigger energy that really enjoys hanging out in there. I would say those are my two biggest things about Sunset when it comes to like paranormal activity or like scarier experiences I've had there. So where I usually hear the voices from, I usually am in the green room or by the back door, where the restrooms are towards the back and just that goes down to the speakeasy. I'm usually standing there. And the voice, when I hear like my name or something that sounds like my name or someone trying to get my attention, it usually is coming from the front where the front stairwell is near the bar area or the sound booth. Because to me it always like, oh, someone at the sound booth is saying my name. But there's never anyone over there. But those would be the two. And if I'm the apartment, if I'm in the apartment or near the door to the apartment, which is also kind of still kind of centrally located by that back door. That's usually where I hear just the general feeling of there's a presence right there. I would say the apartment. That's a kind of the common denominator of where people hear something or feel something. Especially the back staircase. One of our job requirements obviously is taking the trash out. And we have to go through that back staircase. And almost always there is like an automatic light switch there that's motion sensored. And that is the other weird part about, about it is that if I'm working green room door, which is when we like make sure. That people that aren't supposed to be in the green room don't go in the green room. And we just sit back there in that area between the green room, the back door, and the showroom. That light won't turn on if there's somebody on our side of the door. It's only if they' in the stairwell on the other side of the glass door. So somebody walking by it to go to the bathroom on our side isn't going to trigger it. But it's around that area that I'll just be sitting there watching the show. That light will come on, and no one walked by it to get into Eden because they'd have to walk all the way up the stairs. So that light will just turn on, and there's no. There's no real access to it unless you're coming up there from Eden, because people in the showroom can't just go back down those stairs. So I would say just that general area is where I hear the voices the most. Or when I see certain activity or hear certain activity, it's all going to be kind of entering the green room or entering the apartment towards those back stairs and that back exit. I haven't felt the sense that it's like a particular gender, aside from if I'm hearing my name or if, like, someone's called my name. It does sound like a more feminine voice. I feel like I don't sense a gender as much as, like, kind of an energy. Like, when I sense that it's never, like, something where I feel uneasy or there's some sort of urgency to get out. I'd say it's more of an energy that is stuck. Not a bad energy, not a good energy. I don't sense a specific gender because I don't really think it's just one energy. But I would say the one I sense the most are. The one that's probably like, most active or prevalent is just hanging out and coexisting. So I don't feel a specific gender with that. I just kind of feel like the. Whatever it is just kind of vibing with us because they don't, you know, they don't really get a choice, so they might as well be a good hang. So I don't. But I don't feel a particular gender with it. Being on stage at sunset with kind of the spookier energy. I haven't necessarily experienced anything while I'm performing. Sometimes, like when the curtain is up, because sometimes we don't have the curtain up. Sometimes it is. And when the curtain is up, there's a space between the stage and the backstage that sometimes comics will. You know, they'll pace or they'll basically prepare themselves between the green room and the actual stage. And I will say that when I'm back there waiting for my turn to go up, for them to call me, I don't always know if it's as much nerves, but it's a similar feeling to the apartment where I feel like somebody's sitting there with me. But it's not like a bad feeling or a bad energy. But it definitely never feels. It never feels like you're really, like, by yourself anywhere between that stage area and the. The apartment area. I will say when I'm serving, because I also serve tables in front of the stage. There's these benches at sunset that they run parallel to the building or to the room, rather. And sometimes you'll sit on the. Sometimes they don't. They usually don't. And I'll sit on that bench while I wait for someone to turn their candle on, that we know that they want another drink. And if I'm sitting towards the back on that bench, you'll. I'll, like, feel someone kind of, like, sit on the bench too, but there's no one there. But I can feel, like, almost go, wait further down. And I don't know if it's because it's like a draft or it's like a draft. And I'm in my head, I'm like, oh, my God. But it is weird. Like, it's like. It feels heavier than just draft. But I have noticed on, like, if I'm sitting on the bench, I can almost feel like someone's, like, sitting there around me. The back stairwell has a specific lore to it. There is a story behind it that I feel. I did not know. Honestly, I didn't know until I'd worked there for maybe four months. And the energy to me is almost. I. I've never gotten a horrible, bad energy. I know some people are like, oh, like, they. Like, when they take the trash out, they run. I feel when I'm in the back staircase, it's almost kind of an energy of, like, a need for, like, privacy. There is, like, a sad energy, I feel, like, back there. And I don't think it has anything to do with the lighting. There's just something about being back there that feels heavy. Not inherently bad or evil or scary. Just like a heavy feeling in that back stairwell. And it's the. It's interesting when the. The light Goes. Goes on for no reason. I. Another thing I've noticed in about the back staircase is whatever energy you kind of have, especially if it's a sadder energy or a more down energy, something about that back staircase, it's almost like it's a neon feeling of something has happened there that relates to that and it kind of is enhanced. But there's definitely the back staircase. There's something that lingers there that's happened. That that energy, I think carries over, that once you find out more about it, it definitely resonates with you. And it's almost like this light bulb moment. Of. Of course that makes sense. So it. I don't think it's like a placebo effect. I think that's another reason why a lot of people don't find out what happened until they've expressed how they felt back there. Like, hey, do y' all, like, feel this way about the back staircase? And then everybody's like, oh, here's why. So it's not even like a placebo. Of they find that out and they're like, oh, yeah, the back staircase is creepy. It's something potent you feel when you're back there.

A (54:12)

Quinn alluded to lore surrounding the back stairwell, and I was intrigued. Thankfully, on my in person visit to Sunset Strip, co owner Christina decided to take me down this infamous back stairwell and into the hidden speakeasy called Eden, which is on the second floor. To our surprise, we ran into a manager named Tasha who worked both downstairs at Happy Chicks and up here in Eden as well. She was quick to share what she knew about some of the lore around this building, and I quickly learned of a very complex and twisted story surrounding one particular death of a man by the name of John Waller Stevens Jr. Now, before we hear Tasha's testimony, I do have to make it clear that what will be shared is just initial information and theories and opinions of Tasha. I have not at this point, confirmed anything, so please keep that in mind when you are hearing this interview. I will be diving into my own research that will lay out what I find in actual historical documents, and then I will define what are facts versus theories and beliefs based on staff impressions or opinions. But once again, here's Tasha, whom we ran into in the dimly lit vacant speakeasy near the end of my visit at Sunset Strip.

G (55:19)

We are on the second floor, and she is currently located in the area where J. Waller Stevens Jr. Died. He was found underneath the stairs, the interior stairs, leading from the second floor up to the third floor. He died of lysol ingestion. It was originally believed to have been a suicide, but after some investigation had been done, it was found out that it was a homicide and not a suicide. Suicide. His father, being a former comptroller of the state of Texas, had his death covered up as an automobile accident. Which is why I genuinely believe that he's here. A seance was done on the anniversary of his death. Believe 2021. Ouija board, all the things. It doesn't happen very often, but whenever he is very active, the glassware that hangs right there, even when there's nothing going on upstairs, will rattle. He knocks things over. I've personally seen him. I've heard his voice. I've heard voices that don't sound like a man that are believed to have been him because he was asked if he was the only presence in the building. And he said that he was the only presence in the building. When my back of house staff, my cooks have heard him, they say that it's a little girl laughing. That's going to be downstairs on the first floor towards the very back of the building in the kitchen. He is the most active when there is nobody in the building. He doesn't like when there are other people here. During the space of time in between when it was Parrish and Sunset, when there were people in the building, he would go up to the third floor. And then once y' all went up there, it's kind of. It definitely disrupted him a little bit. There was a lot of. A lot of activity after y' all started moving up there. When I typically see him, it's when I'm here by myself. I've seen him in the window, coming, looking from the stairwell, going up to the third floor, from the first floor, looking down into the restaurant. I've seen him there. The first time I saw him, I was here by myself and I was changing a keg and I was coming back up the stairs on happy chick's side, coming up onto the second floor. And when I was about three quarters of the way up, I saw this tall, thin, but it almost looked like a silhouette made of like smoke moved through the bar and straight into that closet, which. That closet door right there was closed. There was another time where I was here, but this door was open and I was coming out of the bathroom. And as I came around here, he was standing right here in this doorway. And his. His shoulders were. He was. He was a very large. He looked like a very large man. His shoulders were like this, and I was like eye level with his chest right here. So he was huge. And it takes a lot to actually startle or scare me, but I clutched my purples.

A (58:13)

Based on Tasha's interview, there was apparently a man who worked in this building in the 20s who was reported to have taken his own life in the small bathroom of Eden, which is directly under the back stairwell of Sunset Strip. Tasha named a lot of things regarding his death, initially it being a suicide by lysol ingestion. But then she mentioned some thoughts on coverups and a car accident. I'd need to do some more digging to find out what I could on this John Waller Stevens Jr. But at this time, we also had lucked out because the owner of Eden had just arrived, and she was willing to share more on what Tasha had briefly shared with us. Her name was Sarah, and we had a seat in Eden to see what more she could share with us in regards to what we just heard.

H (58:55)

My name is Sarah, and I am the owner of Happy Chicks and Eden cocktail room. And I've been here for four years, going on five, and just have had many experiences here in the building. And it started the first week I was here. I was just getting a tour of the building. I had walked myself around a little bit, just trying to figure it out, because when you first come in here, it kind of seems like a maze if you're not familiar. And I had walked into, like, my back foyer, what would be the entrance of Eden, and just knew something. I don't know if the word is wrong, but something was definitely in my stairwell. And I walked that way, and I was gonna walk up the stairs, and something in me just said nope. And I turned back around and just, like, felt like something was looking at me throughout, just out of the darkness, like you just felt like something was on the other side of that pitch black that you just couldn't see. And so I was having a conversation with one of the other managers, and she's been here a couple years longer than I have. And she was just like, yeah, like, have you met our ghosts yet? And I was like, what are you talking about? I was like, are you talking about the thing in the back stairwell? And she goes, oh, my God. Did it get you? Did it talk to you? Like, what happened?

F (60:04)

Happened?

H (60:04)

What happened? I was like, nope. It just gave me that nope feeling. And I turned around and walked away, you know, and anytime I would have to go up there for a delivery, like, sometimes the lights will come on, sometimes they won't. I've saged this building. I can't tell you how many times just because of that stairwell. Sometimes I'll flip the switch, flip it back off and I'll use bad words at whatever. I'm like, hey, I have to come up here. I either way I turn this freaking light on. Like, I'm not coming up here. I'll like walk up with my flashlight because sometimes the light will come on, sometimes it won't. But yeah, that stairway is like, was the first experience I had in the building. But Eden is also just another space that both. Over the years I've just learned stories that used to be a paranormal speakeasy. We would have like 3am Seances in here. All kinds of stories, stuff, you know, in that room. But just in my experiences, like something will like flick my lights down on the other end, like bathroom, same thing. They always get me with lights like be in the bathroom and all of a sudden my lights will go out like underneath the stairs. There's a historical thing that happened in the building. We have their death certificate. You know, it used to be posted on the wall. But we also have a gentleman who is a regular at, at our downstairs bar for many years also passed away in the same space under the stairs after it had become a bathroom. Don't know if EOD don't know the exact cause of death, but he passed away in that bathroom. Same space where the original owners ingested commercial cleaner and killed himself. Eden used to be called J. Stevens. And so we built it around, you know, the history of the building and called a paranormal bar. Used to have like psychics that would come in, like, and it was just a bunch of people, like we were on a ghost tour. People would come in just trying to like have an experience, you know, whether they felt like they were sensitive to, you know, spirits or not. But like, you know, just based all of our cocktails around it kind of talk. It was, you know, a lot of like, here's the history. Like, and we had documents from the building, stuff that you could go pull from like the city records, you know. But you know, our under the stair bathroom was I guess the original storage closet where this person took their life because they were going to be found out for embezzling money from the company. And I guess their dad was like a state comptroller, if I'm remembering accurately.

A (62:29)

So Sarah too was confirming that someone apparently did take their own life here and that there was once documentation, including his death certificate on display in this tiny bathroom where the tragic incident was said to have occurred. They no longer had These documents. But I knew I'd be reaching out to my father and also was going to begin doing some digging myself as soon as I got home. However, Sarah moved on to explain that there were more deaths in this same space. And I wanted to hear what she had to say.

H (62:56)

There is a person buried in this building. He is downstairs. And his ashes were mixed in with the concrete when we reported the floors. So he was the gentleman who passed away in this bathroom. He was a regular of the bar. And this used to be a two story bar, like so there was a balcony that overlooked the entire space. And it was an open wall that didn't used to have a closed wall. It used to overlook the whole space. And so there was an upstairs bathroom, then there was a downstairs bathroom. And so he had been drinking. Don't know his exact cause of death, but he passed away in the upstairs bathroom. Didn't have any family or anybody that would collect his body. So the bar put together a collection, collection had him cremated. And when we reported the concrete floors, because it all used to be like hardwood, directly on dirt, they reported those floors and he was mixed in. So he is buried here in the building with us.

A (63:42)

So we might have another death and even remains of someone who was once a longtime patron to a former business that used to be in this building, mixed into the concrete on the bottom floor establishment. But there was yet one more death that Sarah claimed happened in the back stairwell area where Sunset Strip feels uneasy.

H (64:00)

So there's another person that passed away back here, but had been. So upstairs used to be a nightclub. It was called Parrish Nightclub. Very popular spot among like UT students, among like, you know, just locals. It was a very popular music venue. Had some kind of dispute, was coming out this back exit, which is. That's why I feel like it's probably him but. But was shot, right? I don't know if he was right outside the door, right inside the door, I don't know, but there's gotta be records. I don't know if he was a current pro bowler, but he was like a, like either a former or a current like UT student, like, but like somebody who was like well known and was shot.

A (64:42)

So far we have three supposed deaths, all in the vicinity of this back stairwell. Two in the small bathroom of Eden, which is directly under the back stairs stairwell of Sunset Strip. And this last reported shooting incident that took place on the stairwell itself. Possibly we were coming to the end of our time here and I knew that I had a lot of research. I was going to have to dive into when I got home. But before leaving, Sarah brought up one more type of activity that corroborated the many stories of Sunset Strip staff hearing disembodied voices.

H (65:11)

One of my other managers has heard what she thought was, like. Like one of my manager's voices, but that manager was not here.

A (65:19)

Okay.

H (65:20)

Like, calling her from, like, another space.

E (65:22)

Yeah.

H (65:23)

She's like. And I was just like. She's like. It immediately gave me chills. I knew that person wasn't here. And at that point, she's like, I was alone in the building. She's like.

C (65:31)

So I ran.

H (65:33)

That's the only thing she's told me about. And it just gave me chills now.

C (65:44)

So when it comes to what it could be at sunset, as far as, you know, the spirits or the energies. I think in general, Texas is a spooky little place where a lot has happened and not a long period of time in the grand scheme of things. And just 6th street alone, I mean, they call it 36. Like, there's been insane things that have happened. So to think that it's just one thing, I just don't think that's realistic. It's for sure, I think a mix of stories and a lot of liquor and libations, I'll tell you that. Just all mixed together. And I definitely think it's multiple things. I think something's more prevalent. Some things are, like, more potent because I think the energy of that room is more attached to certain events that have occurred that kind of have a. A pull on them. But to think it's just one thing when so much has happened on that one little stretch of road. I think it's. I think it's for sure a mixed bottle of strange energy.

D (66:46)

This is, like, the best place ever. Everyone that works here just creates such a special energy. And since the day we've opened, like, there wouldn't be any other place I'd rather be. Every day, even when I'm not working, I'm here because it's. Everybody's here. You just want to be here all the time. We hang out in this green room, play video games, and it's just the best time.

E (67:06)

Working on 6th street in a historic building is, I think, as someone who appreciates that is, hands down, one of the coolest things I've ever done or places I've ever worked. It's constantly exciting to work in a building that was built in the 1800s, technically, and then the issues that come with that, but also give it this really, really Neat characteristic. There's something. It's like a shot that kind of applies itself to whatever art is going on in this building. And it's nice when people come in to watch comedy. It has a tavern esque feel because, shoot, it might have been a tavern. It's all wood. It's like a matchbox of sorts. But it's a beautiful building. The people that come in and make it special, the crowds, the staff here. It's almost like a little community college. But it's all just the quad. There's no classes going on other than comedy. The. It's a really fun communal space to meet up. The green room, despite what everything we just talked about, is the best green room in Austin comedy. I'll stand by that. You can see why if you ever come by. But there's PS5s. It presents itself as like a youth room for a Baptist church in a nice neighborhood almost. It's by far my favorite place. I think I've worked in. I've worked all up and down 6th street, and this building is one of the oldest and definitely one of my favorites.

A (68:20)

As we wrap up this initial investigation into the haunting experiences at Sunset Strip Comedy Club, we've uncovered some truly chilling activity that demands further exploration. From disembodied voices calling out names to the strange and unsettling smells that inexplicably appear and vanish, it's clear that something otherworldly lingers within these walls. Staff members like Philip have reported sightings of apparitions, while others have felt the unmistakable presence of a female entity in the green room. But perhaps most disturbing are the tales of a darker, more sinister force lurking in the back office. A presence some have described as demonic. And then there's the eerie, ominous feeling in the back stairwell. A location tied to tragic and mysterious deaths, including reports of a man who may have taken his own life there. These events raise more questions than answers, and we're left wondering what's truly going on within this building. But this is just the beginning. Our search for answers is far from over. To unravel this mystery, we'll need to dig deeper into the history of this building, tracking down old records, seeking out more interviews, and even speaking with those unaffiliated with Sunset Strip to see if their stories align with what we've uncovered so far. And as always, we'll be bringing in a psychic medium to help shed light on the paranormal forces at play. Stay tuned, because the journey to uncover the truth at Sunset Strip has only just begun. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Night Owl Podcast. Be sure to join us as this paranormal adventure continues on December 30th. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter on our website thenight owlpodcast.com follow us on Instagram or Facebook Henight Owl Podcast and consider becoming a patron and supporting our show on patreon.com thenight owlpodcast to stay up to date with our show's news and events. Stay restless out there. I'd like to thank my investigative team, Alexis, Franklin and Jeffrey for going on these crazy adventures with me Nicholas Fair for his talented musical contributions to this show my dad Sam for his incredible historical research Mikey for his assistance editing Beau Tristan and Devin for their help with our Night Owl events and tours Sandra for keeping us all on schedule and on budget and last but not least, David Dalton of Driftworks Sound for mastering every single episode on the tight turnarounds I give him. Please support their works by visiting our website thenight owlpodcast.com and clicking on the about tab. There you can find links to all their individual works and websites. This podcast was mastered by David Dalton of Driftworks Sound. Do you have a song that could use a professional touch to get it across the finish line? Do you wish you could remove the sound of a loud air conditioner or distracting mouth noises from your podcast recording? Whatever your issue, David can repair and enhance your audio and help you achieve rich, full professional sound at industry standard loudness levels. Quit struggling with audio engineering and get back to creating. To discuss your options, reach out to david@driftworksound.com that'S-R-I-Ftworksound.com and set your creative self free.