1973, Stevie Wonder performed with Taj Mahal in what was advertised as an "Afrocentric concert" to benefit African refugees. Beginning in the 1980s and 90s, punk rock, rap and heavy metal concerts started to be booked at the venue. Several violent disturbances resulted, eventually leading to the Palladium closing for eight weeks, starting in February 1993. Since 1985, the theater has been owned by Palladium Investors Ltd., a privately held group. Curfews were implemented in 1993 and a show by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch was called off because of a brawl that occurred a few nights earlier. It was also used for Hollywood celebrity parties. Renovation and reopening In 2007, the owners agreed to a long-term lease to operate, manage and exclusively book the Hollywood Palladium with Live Nation, a Los Angeles-based company. The Palladium reopened with a Jay-Z concert on October 15, 2008 after a year-long, multimillion-dollar renovation by Live Nation. The renovation included an overhaul of the venue's interior and exterior, a new dance floor, expanded concessions, upgraded restrooms and improvements to the stage infrastructure. Jay-Z performed for nearly an hour-and-half, backed by an eight-piece band and DJ AM, who played his first show after surviving a plane crash in South Carolina. The Hollywood Palladium was also used as the memorial service site for DJ AM on September 3, 2009. For the 2008–2009 season, a yearlong table for four cost $30,000. Residential expansion The Los Angeles City council approved an expansion of the Palladium property parking lot in March 2016. The plan consists of two 28-story residential towers that surrounds the historic music venue. Each tower will stand tall and create 731 condominiums, store front retail space and a below grade-parking garage. The Towers were designed by Stanley Saitowits of Natoma Architects for developer Crescent Heights. The "L" shaped design resembles and echoes the Streamline Moderne - art deco design of the Palladium. The local AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) filed a lawsuit in 2016 citing over development and improper approval process. One of many local lawsuits filed by AHF president Michael Weinstein. In August 2018, the district court ruled all steps were taken during EIR/DEIR. The AHF filed an appeal. The AHF lost the appeal in November 2019 and Crescent Heights plans to proceed. In popular culture The Hollywood Palladium has been featured in many movies and TV shows over the years:The Day of the Locust