Ever since 1,500 capacity entertainment venue 4th & B, opened on Nov. 30, 1995, in the location of a former bank at 345 B St., its fortunes have seemingly risen and fallen like the tides. Various owners and promoters have booked the building in the ensuing 15 years, including House of Blues, but ownership of the concert hall, now officially known as 4th & B West Coast Hall of Fame, is now in the hands of music aficionado Vincent Puma, who assumed ownership on March 1. Though Puma has had experience in booking events in the past, it was a benefit concert for victims of wildfires he staged at Qualcomm Stadium in 2008 that directly inspired his purchase of 4th & B. “I’ve been in production with beauty shows, fashion and weddings,” Puma explained. “The benefit concert sort of lit my interest in doing something on a regular basis.” He acknowledges that times are tough in the music industry, especially for a business with a staff of 50 people. “It’s a lot of work, but music is my passion,” he said. “I took over a business that was run down to the ground, but now, in addition to the shows I bring in, I also have a good working relationship with outside promoters such as AEG, Eventvibe, The Wavehouse and The Casbah.” Although Puma is a major fan of classic rock, his booking policy is open to all genres. While there have been minor changes to the building since he took over, including new floors, according to Puma, the biggest difference between the current 4th & B and the old model is in it’s acceptance of local bands, despite the fact that few locals draw on the level of national touring acts. “It costs me money to do that,” he mused. “But I’m doing it to help the local scene and help smaller bands try to become somebody. That’s one of the reasons I bought this club, is to give back to the community.” Though the venue is currently open three days a week, Puma hopes to soon have events booked six nights a week. He notes that the amendment to the hall’s name is actually more descriptive of it’s history. “Adding ‘Hall of Fame’ to the logo seemed appropriate when you consider the huge names that have performed here,” he said. Among the many music icons who have performed there are James Brown, Willie Nelson, Ringo Starr and B.B. King. “Pretty much every big name in music from the past few decades has appeared here, so that’s something we want to be able to point out to the public,” he said. One of the biggest changes coming to the venue will be the addition of rare music memorabilia to the walls, he said. “I’ve collected a lot of very cool things over the years, but I lost a lot of things in the wildfires,” he said. “This is a great way to have some rare items seen by the public. Eventually, I’d love to have wall to wall memorabilia, rare guitars, photos and album covers, those types of things. The first part of the collection is up now; I have my Van Halen items over the main door.” He notes that “all of the bands that have played here, I’ve had them sign a guitar and those will all be displayed.” Though Puma would love to see a full house at each event, he notes that money, while important, is a secondary concern to him. He concedes the down economy has affected ticket sales to some degree, but feels he sees a light at the end of the tunnel. “I would say, yes, economics have affected ticket sales, but I’ve been trying to keep prices down to help people be able to take in a lot of great entertainment, and it seems to be paying off,” he said. “But in truth, I didn’t get into this to make a bunch of money. We’re just people with a real passion for music, trying to give back to the community. I’m really just doing this to help the music scene grow.”