Legendary Music Venues in New Haven

[ucp990411]

Somebody mentioned NRBQ. Their shows at The Shaboo Inn in Mansfield were terrific. Great venue which mysteriously burnt down to the ground around 1978.
The NRBQ station on Pandora is my favorite

 

[August_West]

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

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.

Remember third world cafe on Whalley?

 

[huskymedic]

Remember third world cafe on Whalley?

Third World INTERNATIONAL Cafe!

 

[August_West]

Third World MEDELLIN Cafe!

fixed that 4 U

 

[ET7774]

• Cream, Jethro Tull, Traffic, Emerson Lake and Palmer - the old New Haven Arena
• Little Feat - Woolsey Hall
• Tower of Power - Toads
• too many to remember - New Haven Arena

 

[Improviser]

It’s driving me nuts… it was next to Vito’s Deli. Rock Club keeps jumping in my head but not positive.

Why not call the New Haven Chamber of Commerce and ask them to check their records for that time period, or if you want to be ambitious, call the New Haven Assessor's Office for the personal property taxes for that property address? Or, if you live in the area, check out their records.

Rented businesses probably paid some taxes on the personal property for their space.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I'm not listing any place where I cannot explicitly remember who I saw there (NH Coliseum?) or know I never heard music there (Yale Bowl), or house/loft space concerts, or from temporary stages at neighborhood festivals (Westville Art Walk, Quinnipiac River Festival), or wherever I've no doubt forgotten about. Definitely saw some Yale Jazz Festival performances within a Morse College lounge, and Jane Ira Bloom in a performance space within one of the other residential colleges.

Toad's Place
Oxford Ale House -> Great American Saloon
Great American Music Hall (have to look up the exact name of the place in Whaley Ave where I saw James Brown, and also an Oasis d'Neon two show punk festival with more than a dozen bands)
Ron's Place
The Grotto
Shubert Theater
College Street Music Hall
Cafe Nine
Lyric Hall
The State House
Three Sheets
Woolsey Hall
Morse Recital Hall
Battel Chapel
Lyman Center
Pardee-Morris House
Westville Music Bowl
New Haven Green
Edgerton Park
Beecher Park
Edgewood Park

HAMDEN (the next town north)
Best Video
Outer Space
Spaceland Ballroom
Town Center Park

I'll leave out naming artists other than a couple above, but will respond if challenged or requested. Many performances were quite fine, whether the artists were famous or not, and the music spanned across rock, punk rock, soul, jazz, classical, folk, world, Americana, and more.

 

[Improviser]

I'm not listing any place where I cannot explicitly remember who I saw there (NH Coliseum?) or know I never heard music there (Yale Bowl), or house/loft space concerts, or from temporary stages at neighborhood festivals (Westville Art Walk, Quinnipiac River Festival), or wherever I've no doubt forgotten about. Definitely saw some Yale Jazz Festival performances within a Morse College lounge, and Jane Ira Bloom in a performance space within one of the other residential colleges.

Toad's Place
Oxford Ale House -> Great American Saloon
Great American Music Hall (have to look up the exact name of the place in Whaley Ave where I saw James Brown, and also an Oasis d'Neon two show punk festival with more than a dozen bands)
Ron's Place
The Grotto
Shubert Theater
College Street Music Hall
Cafe Nine
Lyric Hall
The State House
Three Sheets
Woolsey Hall
Morse Recital Hall
Battel Chapel
Lyman Center
Pardee-Morris House
Westville Music Bowl
New Haven Green
Edgerton Park
Beecher Park
Edgewood Park

HAMDEN (the next town north)
Best Video
Outer Space
Spaceland Ballroom
Town Center Park

I'll leave out naming artists other than a couple above, but will respond if challenged or requested. Many performances were quite fine, whether the artists were famous or not, and the music spanned across rock, punk rock, soul, jazz, classical, folk, world, Americana, and more.

Best Video had, and most likely still does have, a lot of Bluegrass music and even a weekly, open to the public and free, jam session in bluegrass with musicians playing and singing around a circle.

I liked the rock group from Cheshire, Big Fat Combo that played there. In the warmer months, at their parking lot, they have outdoor music from many genres.

 

[Ctedgeman]

What band were you in?

Signs of Hope. We were not that good.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

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

Add folk series at mActivity in East Rock

 

[Petero]

I fondly remember one of the best concerts I have seen Janice Joplin in Woolsey Hall at Yale. Very special.

 

[Rich]

Living Colour @ Toad’s
Ozzy, Van Halen and Rage Against the Machine at the Coliseum

 

[nycscooby]

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

I was at Toad’s that night and left early and missed that Stones show. I didn’t hear the rumors. Pretty sure it was Steel Wheels tour so ‘86?

 

[boog204]

I was at Toad’s that night and left early and missed that Stones show. I didn’t hear the rumors. Pretty sure it was Steel Wheels tour so ‘86?

89... I was only 10 but remember hearing about this the next day. For those who were there, how did everyone find out about this in the moment? Can only imagine how cool it would have been to see them at such a small venue.

 

[dvegas]

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.

Pretty sure the only music at the Keg Dive was a lousy jukebox. 18 drinking age definitely made life more interesting (and dangerous). I had SCSC buddies (before it was SCSU) who started hanging out at Montego Bay, not exactly the spot for caucasian guys, I suspect they were chasing another kind of white

 

[Viet Vet]

1964 at New Haven Arena (my dad used to take me there to see the Blades): Everly Brothers, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, and The Beach Boys.

 

[cohenzone]

House of Zodiac way back in the 60s. Mostly local bands. The original one was on Derby Ave I believe near Forest. Rd. A second one opened for a while in West Hartford on Farmington Ave near Trout Brook Dr.

 

[mauconnfan]

Yeah, it wasn't Agora for very long.

Went to the Agora a few times after drinking some yards at ???? Started with a B???

Then finish the night we’d ride over to Daniel’s in Hamden and put our disco faces on until closing in later years Boppers was the closing place hoping for a W.

 

[WillB4]

Check out on Amazon Tony Renzoni in the book section. He has written a couple of books on the music scene in CT. One is "The History of Rock in CT" the other is about the music venues in CT. Cool reads.

Knew the guys that owned the Shack in Watertown, their remark was, "bring in the Wildweeds once a month and we're good".

 

[huskymedic]

Pretty sure the only music at the Keg Dive was a lousy jukebox.

Nah… Keg House had bands every week.

Regular rotation of Eyes, Fast Fingers, Fountainhead, The Crayons, Apple, TireBiter, Michael Bolotin Band off the top of my head. Big ads alongside Toads weekly in the old New Haven Advocate.

 

[Waquoit]

Check out on Amazon Tony Renzoni in the book section. He has written a couple of books on the music scene in CT. One is "The History of Rock in CT" the other is about the music venues in CT. Cool reads.

I stumbled onto this website.

 

[UConnDad]

Went to the Agora a few times after drinking some yards at ???? Started with a B???

Then finish the night we’d ride over to Daniel’s in Hamden and put our disco faces on until closing in later years Boppers was the closing place hoping for a W.

Richter’s?

 

[alexd]

This is fun....

The Grotto - Lone Justice, Alex Chilton, The Replacements, Lloyd Cole & the Commotions,

Toads - Smithereens, los lobos, lone justice, hot tuna, REM, U2, max creek, the ramones, NRBQ, Jason & the Scorchers, Fountainhead, B Willie Smith. Blushing Brides, Arizona Maid Band.... more???

New Haven Coliseum - J. Geils, CSN, Santana, MTB

The New Haven Green - Susan Tedeschi

 

[UConnDad]

Nah… Keg House had bands every week.

Regular rotation of Eyes, Fast Fingers, Fountainhead, The Crayons, Apple, TireBiter, Michael Bolotin Band off the top of my head. Big ads alongside Toads weekly in the old New Haven Advocate.

Liked the Crayons. They played all around the area.

 

[Richmondhsky]

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.

Wow…these venues take me back! Toads was great. Oxford Ale House was almost my downfall. $5 all the beer you could drink night. Was a little hike from SCSU but worth it. Funny aside, our group played a drinking game…first guy to have to go to the bathroom had to pay the others $5. Guys would try to sneak out on all fours.
Keg House might as well have been a frat house. worked there as a bouncer…football connection. Great cover bands!
Thanks for posting this, made me laugh recalling great times in school !