After Taking the Helm of Beloved Music Venue, Dani Grant Is Ready to Face the Music

“Looks like there was some fun in here last night,” she jokes. “Kiesza performed, an electronic artist from Calgary, Canada.”

Of course, there are many reasons why a pair of boxers would be left behind, but this response exemplifies the laid-back and relaxed vibe Dani has brought to a revitalized Saint Rocke.

While visiting her daughters for Thanksgiving break from their respective colleges back in 2022, she noticed the “for sale” sign on the Saint Rocke marquee. Freshly divorced and looking for a change, she called Allen Sanford, former owner of Saint Rocke and co-founder of BeachLife Festival.

“Initially Allen responded that he was entertaining approximately eight other offers, so I told him if anything changed to give me a call,” shares Dani. “Within three days of that phone call, we had a deal to acquire the venue. I took over ownership by December of that year and soft-launched an opening a couple months later.” Allen retained a minority ownership in the venue.

Though she splits her time between Colorado and California, Dani feels right at home with the Hermosa Beach lifestyle. She grew up in Fort Collins, a city in northern Colorado that shares a similar laid-back vibe, she says.

Hermosa’s own Bill Stevenson, drummer for the Descendents and the only constant member since its inception, eventually made his way to Fort Collins, where he continues to shape the city’s music scene. It’s fitting that Dani would reach out to her friend about having the Descendants play at the grand reopening of Saint Rocke.

“From the moment she saw the ‘for sale’ sign above Saint Rocke, she asked me to join her in the endeavor, and I’ve had a front-row seat watching a fantastic operator in action,” says Larry Little, both business and life partner to Dani. “Dani has the ability to handle the most difficult challenges—from employee matters to downturns in our industry—with grace and confidence that permeates down through our staff.”

Dani brought on Kevin Lyman, founder and producer of the Warped Tour, to ensure that Saint Rocke retains its rich Hermosa Beach roots in the punk rock genre—a history that includes bands like the Descendents, Black Flag, Pennywise, the Minutemen and the Circle Jerks. Images of these iconic bands now don the walls of Saint Rocke, most of them photographed by local photographers.

Though not a professional musician herself, Dani admits to having been a singer in a band when she was younger. “I had lots of heart when I was in a band,” she shares. But when she was invited into a recording studio, her self-awareness of her singing capabilities deterred her from pursuing that path. Instead, Dani keeps one foot in the music world with her entrepreneurial skills.

She got her start in commercial real estate and soon transitioned into music festival management as a venue owner. With her ex-husband, she purchased a chain of bowling alleys and named them Chipper’s Lanes after her late brother-in-law Chip.

“It was at Chipper’s where we opened our first stage and began working closely with the local music scene,” adds Dani. One of the bowling alleys, near a college, grew popular for its “rock ‘n’ bowl” theme.

Next she launched a nonprofit incubator for musicians that also served as an economic development engine not only for Fort Collins but also for Greater Colorado.

“In order to serve the musicians I was advocating for, I acquired the Mishawaka Amphitheatre, a 100-year-old restaurant and venue in the Poudre Canyon,” Dani says. “It was dilapidated and poorly managed by a drug dealer who got arrested by the feds who seized the venue. I was lucky to acquire it because they were going to destroy it.” With a capacity of 1,000, the Mishawaka is nestled in the canyon next to a boisterous river and serves as a respite for weary touring artists. It is the Northern Colorado equivalent of the Red Rocks Canyon, an iconic outdoor venue in the state.

Dani’s Mishawaka revitalization project buoyed her skills as both a business partner and employer. “She always tells it straight—the good and the bad—and this unique honesty creates long-term loyalty,” explains Larry. “Dani’s actions always reflect her authentic intentions in support of our staff and how we do business and who we do business with.”

With a love for live music and fostering local talent, Dani gives back as a professor of music business marketing at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. During her second semester there, Dani began the process of acquiring Saint Rocke. Rather than pivot from teaching duties, she gave her students the unique opportunity to participate and collaborate in the acquisition process, from start to finish.

High on the agenda was the Saint Rocke name. “I never understood why there was an ‘e’ after ‘Rock,’” says Dani.

She brought the discussion to her students to collaborate on whether to rebrand or retain the name. After class discussions and listening to many of her students’ opinions, the class voted to not only capitalize on the branding of the existing name but to keep the “e.” The goal was to build off an already established reputation the venue had for good music.

To make the venue more desirable to visiting talent, Dani upgraded the lighting and sound system and installed a bathroom in the green room. While you might not think a green room bathroom is a big deal, many band managers will deny a venue if the artist has to walk through the crowd to reach one.

For those of us who were lucky enough to see Scott Weiland perform at Saint Rocke, it now makes sense why he was spotted using the loo at the Saloon. Thanks to Dani’s vision, artists no longer have to traverse the street to avoid enthusiastic fans when they need to take care of business. A parking solution is already in the works too.

Currently the menu at Saint Rocke is restricted to drinks only, but Dani plans to add a few bar staples to the menu. While the final menu decisions are still in the works, there’s one item we hope makes a return: french fries. Let’s be honest, is there a better way to cap off a night of live music and drinks than with some fries? I think not.

Dani’s journey from the Colorado Rockies to the California coast is a testament to her vision and determination to keep live music alive, no matter the location. Especially in a time when live music needs champions more than ever, it’s inspiring to see a woman and her team step up to the challenge and breathe new life into a space that undoubtedly has become a cornerstone of the South Bay music culture.

Hopefully we’ll all be able to enjoy it soon … with a side of fries.