Legendary Music Venues in New Haven

[Skiblets]

Agora in West Hartford used to push grocery carts of beer bottles on a couple bags of ice around and you’d buy them that way.

Saw NRBQ there and was front row for Sam Kinison right before he blew up big. My buddy heckled him and Sam told him he had to shave his mothers back before he slept with her the night before (his phrasing and delivery were much better than that).

Saw Squeeze and REM there on consecutive nights. Summer of 85 or 86

 

[Ctedgeman]

I went to my first hardcore shows at the Tune Inn, but that was in 97 and I have no idea what it was before that. I was never a big fan of Toad's. I only went there a few times and I played there once too.

 

[Waquoit]

Actually it was West Hartford.

I didn't want to pile on. Maybe the best time I ever had there was a Friday when I bud and I made gametime decision to head over late. It was packed but just as we drove in, a car left from a legal spot right up front. We get out and a guy wants to sell me a ticket for 10 dollars. I ask why, it's only $9.50 at the door. He says, I mean 10 for 2. OK. We enter just as the lights go down and decide to head for the stage, foregoing another beer. As crowded as it was, we got to the stage like the Red Sea parted for us. Just as it's about to start I kick something. Two Heineken's on the rings! Eddie Money and his band come out and rock for two hours. No ballads. Maybe the best 5 bucks I ever spent.

 

[sledog]

Hendrix at Woolsey and JGB at the Coliseum

 

[SoCalCanine]

Saw Squeeze and REM there on consecutive nights. Summer of 85 or 86

I was at both those shows.

 

[huskyjawz]

Saw Squeeze and REM there on consecutive nights. Summer of 85 or 86

I was at the REM show.

 

[king conn]

I didn't want to pile on. Maybe the best time I ever had there was a Friday when I bud and I made gametime decision to head over late. It was packed but just as we drove in, a car left from a legal spot right up front. We get out and a guy wants to sell me a ticket for 10 dollars. I ask why, it's only $9.50 at the door. He says, I mean 10 for 2. OK. We enter just as the lights go down and decide to head for the stage, foregoing another beer. As crowded as it was, we got to the stage like the Red Sea parted for us. Just as it's about to start I kick something. Two Heineken's on the rings! Eddie Money and his band come out and rock for two hours. No ballads. Maybe the best 5 bucks I ever spent.

I still have the drumstick I caught when the drummer spun it into the crowd

 

[Improviser]

Nothing in comparison to the large venues described above, or the kind of music most here would recognize from a bygone era, but the Old Kasey's Restaurant on Chapel and College Streets, was bought out by Joel Schiavone, a New Haven Developer. It was called the New Haven Restaurant and this was in the 1970's. It had weekend entertainment in the basement and I think a restaurant on the main level.

Joel would stand up in his bathing suit and put his feet in a bucket, hold a long handled bath scrub brush and sing the Bobby Darin song, "Splish Splash." No great singer was he, but it was kind of a funny gross out. I think he had suds in the bucket and washed himself. The suit stayed on so that was as far as it went.

He did have acts like the Marvelettes and actually the Platters too. These groups had peaked even by that time, but they gave a good show, if you like that kind of music. He had a local female singer who was pretty good too and she preceded the music acts of the night.

I think the place lasted just a few years. Near Claire's in New Haven and across from the green.

 

[husky8273]

Bobby & the Midnights - Woolsey Hall, 1/31/81

Tom Tom Club - Toad's

 

[Viet Vet]

Hungry Charlie’s… then Caleb’s Tavern. Right next to the venerable Mory’s.

Bingo!

 

[August_West]

I went to my first hardcore shows at the Tune Inn, but that was in 97 and I have no idea what it was before that. I was never a big fan of Toad's. I only went there a few times and I played there once too.

Anyone remember the name of the man who ran the tune inn and also booked the moon cafe nine and a bunch of other great original rooms in New Haven? Just the best. A legend.
I’ll hang up and listen.

 

[bazzdog]

OK, I used to go to Ron's Place, Rudy's, the Grotto, Toad's Place, I've been to Tune Inn and the Moon. There's the Coliseum, of course.

GREAT, GREAT, GREAT.

Now, my real reason for starting this thread: friends and I are having a little disagreement about a club in the 80s located on Center Street. It used to be an arcade, followed by a club that I believe was named "The Cave" and then it eventually became "The Urban Jungle" around 1990. It closed and became the Tune Inn later that decade.

Does anyone know the name of the place before it was "The Urban Jungle"?

OK, so to make this a little more fun, best music experience in New Haven:

1. We saw Tin Machine in front of a light crowd at Toad's; Bowie was right there, 10 feet away (or less) from anyone who wanted to get near, which was easy to do in a sparse crowd. A few months later he played a sold out HCC.

Worst experience:

1. A friend in the music industry told me the Rolling Stones were going to play Toad's in a few hours. I didn't believe him but I did head down there with a friend, we walked into Toad's at about 6 pm, had a few drinks, didn't look like anything was happening. So we left... We were idiots because we even saw someone dismantling a pay phone and thought nothing of it... Yes, the Rolling Stones played Toad's that night.

I was in New Haven that night too at one of the pizza places near Toads
We went down there after we heard The Stomes weee gonna be there. We saw them going into their bus at the end. I walked right past Joey Ramone on the street. You can’t miss him

 

[uconnblueinky]

I went to my first hardcore shows at the Tune Inn, but that was in 97 and I have no idea what it was before that. I was never a big fan of Toad's. I only went there a few times and I played there once too.

What band were you in?

 

[uconnblueinky]

Saw Korn in like 94 at Toads place , place was off the wall.. Saw Biohazard in 96 at Toads , the bassist started talking smack to some local hardcore scenesters in the crowd and the scenesters beat the crap out of the members of Biohazard. Saw Jasta 14 at the tune inn . Kittie and mindless self indulgence at Toads in 98

 

[boba]

OK, I used to go to Ron's Place, Rudy's, the Grotto, Toad's Place, I've been to Tune Inn and the Moon. There's the Coliseum, of course.

GREAT, GREAT, GREAT.

Now, my real reason for starting this thread: friends and I are having a little disagreement about a club in the 80s located on Center Street. It used to be an arcade, followed by a club that I believe was named "The Cave" and then it eventually became "The Urban Jungle" around 1990. It closed and became the Tune Inn later that decade.

Does anyone know the name of the place before it was "The Urban Jungle"?

OK, so to make this a little more fun, best music experience in New Haven:

1. We saw Tin Machine in front of a light crowd at Toad's; Bowie was right there, 10 feet away (or less) from anyone who wanted to get near, which was easy to do in a sparse crowd. A few months later he played a sold out HCC.

Worst experience:

1. A friend in the music industry told me the Rolling Stones were going to play Toad's in a few hours. I didn't believe him but I did head down there with a friend, we walked into Toad's at about 6 pm, had a few drinks, didn't look like anything was happening. So we left... We were idiots because we even saw someone dismantling a pay phone and thought nothing of it... Yes, the Rolling Stones played Toad's that night.

I would have been there too, but I had to work. Sons of Bob opened as I recall.
Saw Tom Tom Club there, though and Al Stewart. Not the same. Fleetwood Mac at Tragnassal!

 

[huskymedic]

Anyone remember the name of the man who ran the tune inn and also booked the moon cafe nine and a bunch of other great original rooms in New Haven? Just the best. A legend.
I’ll hang up and listen.

Fernando Pinto… crazy bastard.

One could make quite the night bouncing around New Haven in the late 70’s/early 80’s. Toad’s, Agora, Arcadia Ballroom (aka Brawlroom), Keg House, Oxford Ale House, Great American Saloon, Grotto or just sit on the hood of the car in front of Ron’s Place and freak watch .

Drinking age was 18 and life was simpler.

 

[SCNCHuskie]

I saw U2 at Woolsey Hall in May of 83, right before they became big. Great venue.

I was also at that show. I saw The Pretenders at Woolsey Hall also. Note: I saw U2 & years later Bon Jovi at Toad’s place.

 

[August_West]

Fernando Pinto… crazy bastard.

One could make quite the night bouncing around New Haven in the late 70’s/early 80’s. Toad’s, Agora, Arcadia Ballroom (aka Brawlroom), Keg House, Oxford Ale House, Great American Saloon, Grotto or just sit on the hood of the car in front of Ron’s Place and and freak watch .

Drinking age was 18 and life was simpler.

Ding ding ding! Excellent

 

[August_West]

I would have been there too, but I had to work. Sons of Bob opened as I recall.
Saw Tom Tom Club there, though and Al Stewart. Not the same. Fleetwood Mac at Tragnassal!

On a morning from a Bogart movie
In a country where they turn back time
You go strolling through the crowd like Peter Lorre
Contemplating a crime

 

[WlfdHusky]

Ding ding ding! Excellent

He is still booking shows at cafe 9 and some jazz room as well as some outdoor things around east rock.

 

[upstater]

Fernando Pinto… crazy bastard.

One could make quite the night bouncing around New Haven in the late 70’s/early 80’s. Toad’s, Agora, Arcadia Ballroom (aka Brawlroom), Keg House, Oxford Ale House, Great American Saloon, Grotto or just sit on the hood of the car in front of Ron’s Place and freak watch .

Drinking age was 18 and life was simpler.

Which meant drinking age was 16...

 

[upstater]

Darn it, no one is going to remember what that place was called in the late 80s!>!>!>! This is going to kill me.

 

[ucp990411]

Back in the day I was quite a concert goer. Best concert I ever saw was Humble Pie with Peter Frampton at the New Haven Arena in perhaps 1970. Also saw Led Zeppelin at the Yale Bowl in 1969 maybe. Led Zeppelin 2 had just been released. Also, The Beach Boys at The New Haven Coliseum. There were more but my memory is a bit foggy with good reason from those days.

 

[August_West]

He is still booking shows at cafe 9 and some jazz room as well as some outdoor things around east rock.

Yup I know.

 

[huskymedic]

Which meant drinking age was 16...

Yeah… my bad for not adding “Legal” before drinking age (Malone’s)

Darn it, no one is going to remember what that place was called in the late 80s!>!>!>! This is going to kill me.

It’s driving me nuts… it was next to Vito’s Deli. Rock Club keeps jumping in my head but not positive. Think building ended its life as the Brass Monkey and burned down.