• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • NEWS+OPINIONS
    • NEWS TO US
    • COLUMNS
      • APPARENT HORIZON
      • DEAR READER
      • Close
    • LONGFORM FEATURES
    • OPINIONS
    • EDITORIAL
    • Close
  • ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
    • FILM
    • MUSIC
    • COMEDY
    • PERFORMING ARTS
    • VISUAL ARTS
    • Close
  • DINING+DRINKING
    • EATS
    • SIPS
    • Close
  • LIFESTYLE
    • CANNABIS
      • TALKING JOINTS MEMO
      • Close
    • WELLNESS
    • GTFO
    • Close
  • STUFF TO DO
  • TICKETS
  • ABOUT US
    • 5 DOUBLE-U’S
    • MASTHEAD
    • DISTRIBUTION
    • ADVERTISE
    • SUBMISSIONS
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • Close
  • BECOME A MEMBER

Dig Bos

The Dig - Boston's Only Newspaper

READ CURRENT STREET ISSUE

DIG Year End 2020

OLD-SCHOOL MASSACHUSETTS VENUES: A LOVE STORY

Written by BRIAN COLEMAN Posted November 27, 2020 Filed Under: A+E, Books

About 5% of the rich history of performance venues in our lovely, funky, fractured city.


Performance venues have been a big part of my life since I was about age 15. In my early years I would, of course, go to movies, the occasional theater or sporting event. But by the time I was approaching adult consciousness, I began to understand that the setting of any event was almost as important as the performance itself.

My earliest experiences in this regard took place in the shady corners of Central New Jersey, where I went to high school, at the infamous City Gardens club in Trenton. It was an old, pretty much abandoned supermarket at the end of a dirt road, and it booked some of the most amazing music the world had to offer in the ’80s, from reggae to hip-hop to down-and-dirty punk rock.

Promoter, booker (and mailman) Randy “Now” Ellis was the reason City Gardens became a scene, and he changed my life. Lord knows what I would have done without those shows—the Descendents, Circle Jerks, Bad Brains, Toasters, Ramones, Ministry. The list numbers in the hundreds (seriously, I have a list). I was also close enough to spend quality time in the pit of NYC’s CBGB dozens of times in the mid- and late 80s, mostly at “Hardcore Matinees.” Warzone, Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front, Youth of Today, Life’s Blood, Murphy’s Law. Good times.

I realized after attending these shows that venues are all very different, but essential to the beating heart of any region’s arts scene. And the owners who allowed weirdos to put on shows in those venues are equally important, even if they are assholes.

To belabor the point further—the ecosystem around any venue deserves even more attention and study. The promoters who book shows, make no money, and deal with more bullshit than Job. The radio DJs on college stations who make no money but show up every week to connect the dots. The flyer-makers who draw crude imagery to entice believers and soon-to-be-converts to dark corners. The record stores who carry the tapes, CDs, and 7” vinyls of up-and-coming bands.

My work in the Buy Me, Boston book series continues my celebration not only of venues, but scenes as well. Scenes can spring up in the weirdest of places—one good example is the art gallery/punk connection. Existing in cities from LA to Berlin, Boston has several great examples in the late ’70s and early ’80s: Punkt/Data, Gallery East and the Media Workshop are some of my favorites to explore.

Art students and punkers are both outcasts from society, whether real or imagined, and they always welcome discontents into the fold. This gave us some pretty interesting cross-pollinations—Magnus Johnstone paintings hanging in Gallery East while SSD tried to melt the paint off the walls; Human Sexual Response or Mission of Burma performing at Mass College of Art, sponsored by Punkt/Data, with no one batting an eye at any off-kilter outfits or sounds coming from the stage area.

Away from the fringe gallery scene, two of Boston’s most legendary venues—the Rat (aka Rathskeller) and the Club (outside of Central Square)—weren’t supposed to turn into Boston’s version of CBGB, but that’s the way it worked out. Why? Because the owners had no better ideas than to let a bunch of glue-sniffing weirdos play original music in 1975. They became clubhouses for castaways, and legends like Willie “Loco” Alexander, DMZ, Marc Thor, Mickey Clean & the Mezz and a lot more were carved out, night by night, beer by beer.

In the late ’80s, another unlikely venue became a petri dish for all kinds of music, from klezmer and belly dance jams to avant-garde jazz and grimy rock: the Middle East Café. This was due in large part to the late Billy Ruane and his compadres (Joe Harvard, Skeg Kendall)—Billy provided the monetary and emotional support, and the bands were free to stretch out, get better, freak out, and make waves.

The biggest tragedy is that there was never enough culture mixing in Boston’s nightlife (or daily life, which is still true today) when it came to musical genres/scenes and parts of town. There wasn’t enough R&B and hip-hop in Downtown Boston and Cambridge, not enough rock in Roxbury and Dorchester.

Aside from centrally located venues like the Bradford Hotel, Boston Center for the Arts (Cyclorama), Berklee Performance Center, and the Channel club in Fort Point, promoters booking gospel, R&B, rap, and so-called world music generally stayed across the Charles. Halls like the Strand Theater, William Reed and Carver Auditoriums, all manner of churches and even smaller spots—Combined Philanthropies Hall in Mattapan, Skycap Plaza, Roscoe’s, the Denison House, and Biff’s Lounge.

And that, my friends, is about 5% of the rich history of performance venues in our lovely, funky, fractured city. I mention only the above venues not because they are more or less important than any other spots, but because I am not here to take up too much space. I could go on and on about the Western Front, Boston Tea Party, Sugar Shack, Estelle’s, Johnny D’s, the Surf Ballroom, Wally’s, Green Street Station… Don’t get me started (again).

The moral of the story is this: As long as performers have something to offer and as long as promoters/bookers and venue owners have the guts to book them, we will have live entertainment.

Well, except for this year, which almost destroyed all live music, entertainment, and entertainers. So can we just all agree that 2020 never happened and move on?


Brian Coleman is the author of the Buy Me, Boston series as well as the Check The Technique hip-hop oral history book series. For more information on his work, visit BrianColemanBooks.com and BuyMeBoston.com 

BRIAN COLEMAN

Brian Coleman is the author of the Buy Me, Boston series as well as the Check The Technique hip-hop oral history book series. For more information on his work, visit BrianColemanBooks.com and BuyMeBoston.com

More from author
  • BRIAN COLEMAN
    https://digboston.com/author/brian-coleman/
    STILL SPINNING: HUB VINYL ICON SKIPPY WHITE AND THE TUNES BOSTON HAS HUMMED SINCE THE '60S
  • BRIAN COLEMAN
    https://digboston.com/author/brian-coleman/
    THE TRIUMPHANT AND TRIPPY RETURN OF BILL SEBASTIAN'S OUTERSPACE VISUAL COMMUNICATOR

Filed Under: A+E, Books Tagged With: books, Events, Venues

WHAT’S NEW

IT'S HARDER THAN EVER TO FIND A BATHROOM IN BOSTON. WHAT'S THE CITY DOING ABOUT IT?

IT’S HARDER THAN EVER TO FIND A BATHROOM IN BOSTON. WHAT’S THE CITY DOING ABOUT IT?

ON NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION, PROTESTERS CALL FOR EVICTION MORATORIUM

ON NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION, PROTESTERS CALL FOR EVICTION MORATORIUM

WU AND CAMPBELL TO SPEAK AT MAYORAL CANDIDATE WEBINAR

WU AND CAMPBELL TO SPEAK AT MAYORAL CANDIDATE WEBINAR

Hard right wingers casually tour the Capitol during last week's attack. Via C-SPAN.

HOW TO DEFEAT THE HARD RIGHT

BAKER URGED TO SIGN GAME CHANGING CLIMATE BILL

BAKER URGED TO SIGN GAME CHANGING CLIMATE BILL

APPOINTED SOMERVILLE OFFICIAL SPURS OUTRAGE WITH TWEETS FROM DC MOB SCENE

APPOINTED SOMERVILLE OFFICIAL SPURS OUTRAGE WITH TWEETS FROM DC MOB SCENE

Primary Sidebar

HEMPIRE FREEDOM PACK 25% OFF

FEATURED EVENT

Most Popular

  • APPOINTED SOMERVILLE OFFICIAL SPURS OUTRAGE WITH TWEETS FROM DC MOB SCENE by MARC LEVY
  • INSIDE THE FIGHT TO DOCUMENT THE HORRORS AT AMERICA’S OLDEST WOMEN’S PRISON by SHELBY GREBBIN AND ISHA MARATHE
  • VIDEO: COP WHO BRAGGED THAT HE HIT PROTESTERS SHOWS HOW BAD APPLES THRIVE IN BOSTON by CHRIS FARAONE
  • THE WSJ FEATURE ON WORCESTER’S POLICE CHIEF IS PURE COPAGANDA by BILL SHANER
  • STATE LOOKS TO SPEND $75K TO PREVENT FUTURE STORROWINGS by DAN ATKINSON

READ CURRENT MEMBER EDITION

DIG Member 1.9 – 11/26/20

READ CURRENT STREET ISSUE

DIG Year End 2020

Footer

digbos

Light and sweet and hoppy, we’re loving this lat Light and sweet and hoppy, we’re loving this latest incarnation of a #beer that’s been in the making for months. https://digboston.com/video-jacks-abby-x-boston-celtics-pride-and-parquet-hoppy-lager-unboxing-tasting/ #fun #video #review #Boston #Massachusetts
Jostling for position and influence are the disadv Jostling for position and influence are the disadvantaged candidates, existing industry participants, and municipalities … https://digboston.com/the-road-to-home-delivery-pt-5-dogs-in-the-fight-identifying-the-players/ #cannabis #politics #analysis #Massachusetts
The candidates will be interviewed about the upcom The candidates will be interviewed about the upcoming race. https://digboston.com/wu-and-campbell-to-speak-at-mayoral-candidate-webinar/ #politics #mayor #campaign #Boston #Massachusetts
Participants took to the streets in the hope of sw Participants took to the streets in the hope of swaying the Biden administration. https://digboston.com/on-national-day-of-action-protesters-call-for-eviction-moratorium/ #housing #justice #protest #national #Boston #Massachusetts
“They refuse to respond to this humanitarian cri “They refuse to respond to this humanitarian crisis where people really need them. We’re just ignoring this problem and it’s getting worse and worse.” https://digboston.com/its-harder-than-ever-to-find-a-bathroom-in-boston-whats-the-city-doing-about-it/ #politics #unhoused #homeless #bathroom #public #health #Boston #Massachusetts
Environmental #justice and #climate change advocat Environmental #justice and #climate change advocates are pushing for its passage. https://digboston.com/baker-urged-to-sign-game-changing-climate-bill/ #environment #globalwarming #legislation #politics #Massachusetts
In short, it’s amazing. For details, check the # In short, it’s amazing. For details, check the #video … https://digboston.com/video-night-shifts-tea-party-is-subtle-love-for-people-who-hate-most-hard-teas/ #review #fun #beer @NightShiftBeer
HOW TO DEFEAT THE HARD RIGHT: Some thoughts on the HOW TO DEFEAT THE HARD RIGHT: Some thoughts on the Capitol attack and building a more democratic nation. The latest from DigBoston's @jasonpramas. https://digboston.com/how-to-defeat-the-hard-right/ #democracy #politics #Capitol #US #America #attack #Biden #Trump #grassroots #movement #analysis #strategy #MAGA
“Should Mayor Walsh be confirmed by the Senate, “Should Mayor Walsh be confirmed by the Senate, I am ready to take the reins and lead our city through these difficult times.” https://digboston.com/walsh-to-wash-janey-to-become-1st-black-boston-mayor-1st-woman-to-lead-city/ #politics #Boston #Massachusetts #BlackLivesMatter
APPOINTED #SOMERVILLE #OFFICIAL SPURS #OUTRAGE WIT APPOINTED #SOMERVILLE #OFFICIAL SPURS #OUTRAGE WITH TWEETS FROM DC #MOB SCENE: Mayor Curtatone says “We’re taking it seriously and doing our due diligence” https://digboston.com/appointed-somerville-official-spurs-outrage-with-tweets-from-dc-mob-scene/ #politics #controversy #Massachusetts #Capitol #Congress #WashingtonDC #MAGA #Trump
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Social Buttons

DigBoston facebook DigBoston Twitter DigBoston Instagram

Masthead

About

Submissions

Advertise

Privacy Policy

Customer Service

Distribution

About Us

DigBoston is a one-stop nexus for everything worth doing or knowing in the Boston area. It's an alt-weekly, it's a website, it's an e-mail blast, it's a twitter account, it's that cool party that you were at last night ... hey, you're reading it, so it's gotta be good. For advertising inquiries: [email protected] To reach Editorial: [email protected] For internship opportunities: [email protected]