Morton would rather be known for returning the Viper Room to its former glory as the hippest Hollywood hangout. He bought the club after driving past on the way to his nearby apartment. "I didn't really have any plans of buying the place, but I was stuck in traffic one day and looked over and thought, Damn, I haven't thought about that place in a while. Then I got the ball rolling." To many, the club represents the coolest side of the Sunset Strip. Johnny Cash, Oasis, Pearl Jam, and Bruce Springsteen have all performed there. River Phoenix died outside. Today, tour buses stop out front to photograph the nondescript black facade.

But taking over the Viper Room has been a shock for Morton. "In Vegas, we had everyone play, from the Rolling Stones to Tom Petty to Daft Punk. It was an amenity to the casino, so you could go buy any band you wanted and go upside-down $500K on a show because we knew we were going to make it back in the casino," Morton says, realizing that his sandbox has shrunk. "The stand-alone business has forced me to be really disciplined. That's taken a lot of the fun out of the game. In Vegas, whatever band came out, we said, 'Get 'em. We don't care what it costs. Just get it done.' You can't do that now."

His plans for expansion are on hold while he figures out a way to bring the Viper Room back to its elite cool. "I could say that I want to see Van Halen since they're my favorite band of all time, or Depeche Mode, but that's not possible," Morton says. "So I want to see the hottest up-and-coming artists. Find the next Depeche Mode or break the next Van Halen or the next great rock band. We need to carve into our niche and be the best at that."

For now, it's Friday night and the club is hosting the Pussycat Dolls burlesque show. The tiny 2,000-square-foot space is cluttered with stage props, including pink lights and a massive bathtub. The club isn't open yet, but in a few hours Hollywood will begin filing in. We have just enough time for the INKED photo shoot, an exercise that the publicity-shy Morton isn't excited about.

"The thing I hate more than anything is having my picture taken. Some people love having it taken. Not me."