A Walk Down Memory Lane: The Houses of the Holy

[sam_webmaster]

Italy’s Vigorelli velodrome ready for make-over

Gregor Brown | January 21, 2015

Work will begin in August to renovate the once-thriving Vigorelli velodrome in Milan. Photos by Daniel Gould

Italy’s famous Vigorelli velodrome, where Fausto Coppi broke the Hour Record and Led Zeppelin played its only Italian gig, will host races again. A €6.3m (£4.84m) project will begin to renovate the structure and its 397-metre wooden track in Milan’s centre in August.

“We’ve been battling for 10 years to get this work done,” said Daniele L’Aquila, who organised the Vigorelli Velodrome Committee to pressure the city to save the track.

“When it opens, it will be a big day for Milan and for Italy. It’s an important place in cycling, in Italy and in the world.”

Besides the thunder of John Bonham drums, the velodrome welcomed The Beatles in one of the few concerts they played in Italy.

Coppi set his Hour Record on the track while Allied Forces bombed they city. In August 1943, they destroyed part of the track and flames burnt the boards. On a re-built track, Jacques Anquetil and Roger Rivière also broke the Hour Record.

The track stayed alive and remained a centre point of Italian cycling through the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, but attention in the 1990s turned to the road. The track sat alone and rotted with only local American football teams using its infield.

>>> Vigorelli Velodrome in fight for survival

Milan approved a project in 2013 to destroy the track and build a multi-use facility primarily aimed at rugby. The Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, however, stepped in and stopped the project.

“It’s in everyone’s interest,” said the ministry, “that Vigorelli becomes a living monument and opens to the city.”

The city’s government agreed to save Vigorelli and sat aside the money to do so.

“Our idea is to have a cycling school for young cyclist, to let enthusiasts enter like they would at the gym during their lunch hour or after work and to host races like World Cups or the Six Days of Milan,” D’Aquila added. “The football teams will share the space with us when the work is finished.”

Its an outdoor track with a semi-open roof, so in the winter months of December, January and February, it will of little use to cyclists. D’Aquila said that from March onwards, the boards should roar with the sounds of fixed gear bikes.

D’Aquila visited the track with Cycle Sport magazine last winter. Under the long straight and curves banked at 42°, the structure stands in good condition and ready to be re-used. This summer, the city and velodrome committee will decide the best way to replace the rotted boards above.

A large chunk of the €6.3m will go to repair the structure, including the offices below, the 8000 seats surrounding the track and the semi-open roof above.

“This is a stage victory, not an overall win,” D’Aquila said. “It’s a starting point to revitalise track cycling in Italy. We have fixed gear fever in the city. Maybe the kids will try riding Vigorelli and discover a new sport.”

The committee will announce their partnership next week with the Italian cycling federation.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/italys-vigorelli-velodrome-ready-make-153653

[sam_webmaster]

Pontiac blight-fighting group asks for Silverdome improvements

By Dustin Blitchok, The Oakland Press

The Pontiac group Citizens Against Blight has asked for the county and city’s help in addressing the condition of the long-vacant Silverdome, calling the now-roofless stadium an embarrassment to the city and its Canadian owner “no better than a scrapper.”

The 80,000-seat Silverdome, home to the Detroit Lions until 2002, was sold at auction to Andreas Apostolopoulos’ Triple Investment Group in 2009 for $583,000. The stadium was opened in 1975 at a cost of $55 million.

The stadium’s fixtures were auctioned last year, and its inflatable fiberglass roof came down in 2013 and was then destroyed by the elements.

Silverdome representatives said the deflation was a planned event, while city officials said it might have been due to tears in the fabric.

“Mr. Apostolopoulos is no better than a scrapper who goes into a community, scraps, steals, strips and destroys, leaving leftovers for anyone driving into our city to, once again, see and judge us as poor property owners,” Citizens Against Blight said in a letter sent Thursday to Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, Mayor Deirdre Waterman and former Emergency Manager Lou Schimmel.

Mona Hofmeister is chairwoman of Citizens Against Blight and Kevin Stewart is vice chairman. Both are longtime community activists.

A message was left Monday with Triple Investment Group for comment.

The letter comes as Apostolopoulos’ company has made a $1.8 million bid for the 11-acre City Hall property in Allen Park. Toronto-based Triple Investment Group owns other properties locally, including the Penobscot Building in Detroit.

“Please help us clean up our city. If Mr. Apostolopoulos would clean up his act in our city, he would not have so much money to throw around elsewhere,” Hofmeister and Stewart wrote in the letter.

Last year’s auction of stadium fixtures -- including seats, memorabilia, copper wiring and turf -- netted anywhere between an estimated $500,000 and $1 million in revenue.

The property is not entirely disused: Triple Properties received a city permit in 2013 to lease a portion of the venue’s parking lot for the storage of new Chrysler vehicles. A mini-dome on the property is also used for soccer practice.

Hofmeister said Monday that if the Silverdome were a home or business in Pontiac, it would be ticketed for code violations.

“He needs to tear it down. It’s just a shell,” Hofmeister said. “I’ve seen it referred to on the Internet as the world’s biggest birdbath.”

Former Emergency Financial Manager Fred Leeb’s no-reserve auction of the stadium for a fraction of its construction cost remains a point of contention in Pontiac. Proposals for the Silverdome since the Lions’ departure have included a horse-racing track and casino.

Prior to Leeb’s appointment, bids for the stadium of more than $20 million by two groups of developers -- led by Schostak Brothers and Etkins Equities -- were not accepted by the Pontiac City Council.

In March 2012, then-Emergency Financial Manager Schimmel denied a request by Triple Investment Group LLC for a tax abatement for the Silverdome.

Schimmel said at the time that he was expecting “a multi-million dollar plan, and it ended up being sort of routine maintenance.”

The Silverdome was listed as one of eight possible new casino sites in a 2012 ballot proposal initiative by Citizens for More Michigan Jobs to expand gambling in Michigan.

Leeb was part of Jobs First LCC, the coalition behind the ballot proposal. The measure failed to win approval for the ballot from the State Board of Canvassers.

The Lions played their final game at the Silverdome on January 6, 2002, before moving to Ford Field in Detroit.

The stadium hosted Super Bowl XVI in 1982, as well as a Billy Graham crusade, the FIFA World Cup, the NBA All-Star Game and NBA Finals. The stadium was the home of the Detroit Pistons from 1978 to 1988.

In 1987, more than 93,000 people attended WrestleMania III at the Silverdome. Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass at the venue that same year.

The stadium, originally known as Pontiac Metropolitan Stadium, set a world indoor attendance record in 1975 when about 76,000 people saw The Who perform, and broke the record again in 1977 when Led Zeppelin played to an audience of 76,229.

Many of pop music’s major acts played the stadium during its heyday, including Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Madonna, U2 and others.

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/general-news/20150126/pontiac-blight-fighting-group-asks-for-silverdome-improvements

[SteveAJones]

Pontiac blight-fighting group asks for Silverdome improvements

My understanding is the stadium was going to be razed and the site turned into some sort of business complex. The property is situated near an interstate and as such is worth more than the stadium itself. I hope this guy didn't pull a bait and switch, stripping the stadium of it's valuables and then leaving it to rot. Perhaps his firm is struggling to find a buyer for the site and holding off on a demolition until they do. One things for certain, the Silverdome nowadays is quite ghastly.

[sam_webmaster]

A look back at the Oakdale’s history in Wallingford

By Eric Vo Record-Journal staff

WALLINGFORD — With its 4,600-seat theater and wooden dome, the Toyota Oakdale Theatre’s present day footprint is vastly different than its beginnings as a summer concert venue consisting of a tent and rotating stage during the ’50s and ’60s.

Transforming the Oakdale from a seasonal tent show to a year-round modern day music venue took years. The previous owners of the building had to constantly revise expansion plans to appease neighbors and town officials.

Even after expanding, the Oakdale was the subject of a legal dispute, after being issued a cease-and-desist letter by the town in 1996 for violating its permit granted in 1989.

The currently on-going dispute between the town and Live Nation Worldwide Inc., the owners of the Oakdale, is reminiscent of the 1996 situation.

The original Oakdale was founded by Ben Segal and built on an alfalfa field in 1954, according to the music venue’s website. Segal and his family owned the theater and hosted numerous musicals. During the ’60s, concerts featured well-known rock-and-roll bands performing on a rotating stage, such as The Who, The Doors and Led Zeppelin, according to the website.

Performances were held under a large tent near the former Oakdale Tavern. The Segal family had a leasing agreement with the owners of the Oakdale Tavern before purchasing the restaurant and the property it sat on. In 1962, the Segal family purchased the Oakdale Tavern for $600,000, according to a July 7, 1962 Record-Journal article. And in 1970, the wood dome was constructed.

Because the Oakdale was a seasonal venue at the time, it struggled financially. In December 1987, the Oakdale was sold to Oakdale Development Limited Partnership for about $1.6 million, according to a Sept. 9, 1988 article. Oakdale Development Limited Partnership was headed by Robert Errato, who is the executive director of Hamden-based Alliance TCC, a theater construction consulting company.

After Errato purchased the property, his original plans didn’t include preserving the Oakdale, according to an Aug. 31, 1988 article.

“Earlier plans called for the 26-acre Oakdale property to be developed as either a commercial facility or condominiums,” the article stated, “but news of the December sale heightened interest in preserving the theater.”

A group of neighbors rallied together, calling themselves “People for Oakdale’s Survival” to “save the Oakdale from Errato’s initial plan to construct condominiums,” according to a July 7, 1988 article.

Abandoning the condominium plans, Errato came up with an alternative that would preserve the Oakdale, as well as increase business. Errato presented expansion plans in 1988 that included a larger, fully enclosed venue that would be in operation year round. In 1989, he presented the $80 million expansion plan to the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission, dubbed “Oakdale Center.”

The plan consisted of increasing seating at the venue to 4,800, with an adjacent 375-seat restaurant. Errato’s plan also called for the razing of the Oakdale Tavern, as well as the construction of three 100,000-square-foot office buildings and 37,250 square feet of retail shops, according to a June 24, 1989 article.

“A two-century old local landmark has been razed to make room for an expanded Oakdale Musical Theatre,” reads a Feb. 22, 1996 article. “The developer of the project said he was left with no alternative to razing the former Oakdale Tavern ... The expansion will enlarge the theater’s capacity from 3,200 to 4,800.”

Neighbors testified for 11 hours during a public hearing in 1989, emphasizing that they “did not oppose theater renovations, but argued that the proposed office buildings were too tall and the density of development for the site too great,” according to the June 1989 article.

“Residents said the $80 million expansion plan ... could bring unsafe amounts of traffic to South Turnpike Road,” according to a Sept. 10, 1988 article. “Enclosing the summer in-the-round theater may lead to year-round traffic problems, residents said.”

The PZC ultimately voted against Errato’s $80 million plan because it was too large for the 28-acre property and it threatened to alter the character of the neighborhood, according to an article from June 13, 1989.

Errato submitted a revised plan that was approved on July 31, 1989 with 12 conditions of approval. Errato’s new plan was significantly scaled back and would cost $21 million, according to an April 17, 1996 article. In a 1994 letter sent to then-PZC Chairman James Fitzsimmons, Errato and his partner, Beau Segal — Ben Segal’s son — wrote that the barn and Oakdale dome would remain to maintain the history.

The dome would be “converted into a lobby space for the auditorium,” the letter states, “now to be built behind the dome in our lower lot.”

A grand opening of the expanded Oakdale was held in July 1996, featuring a performance by Brooks and Dunn.

Later that year, however, Errato was handed a cease-and-desist letter by the town’s zoning enforcement officer for violating one of the conditions from the 1989 special permit.

Two shows featuring illusionist David Copperfield were scheduled on a weekday in September 1996. One of the conditions of approval from the 1989 permit states that there should be no double shows Monday through Friday.

The appeal went on for months before the ZBA ultimately voted in Dec. 1996 to uphold the cease-and-desist letter. Errato sued the town, taking the case to New Haven Superior Court. In August 1997, however, Judge Jon C. Blue ruled with the town of Wallingford, effectively dismissing Errato’s appeal.

The situation is similar to the current dispute between the Oakdale and the town. Live Nation is appealing a cease-and-desist letter issued by Town Planner Kacie Costello in December 2014.

The town believes the Oakdale is violating the conditions of its 1989 permit by holding events and concerts under the dome area of the venue, which has been labeled as a lobby in letters, site and floor plans. It also cited Live Nation because the venue is generating outside noise, as well as misusing a part of its parking lot.

As in the past, residents around the state have rallied together on social media to show their support for the Oakdale. A petition to “Save the Oakdale” has generated over 7,000 online signatures and a Facebook page of the same name has over 6,000 “likes.”

The ZBA is expected to hold a hearing Feb. 17.

http://www.myrecordjournal.com/wallingford/wallingfordnews/6860594-129/throwback-thursday-a-look-back-at-the-oakdales-history-in.html

[raytuned]

The viglio velodrome,Milan ,sounds like it might have been the tear gas - riot, it was a lot worse than what was reported,

[MooLikeHell]

*** Okay people we must work together and right now! ***

~ Let's save Earl's Court, We Must! ~

Upon my smile of seeing the Zeppelin earl's court book being released, I was in pure shock and a wave of terrible disaster ran through me when I thought all was well, And read the line; “Published on the 40th anniversary of the event and as sadly, the bulldozers move in to demolish the Earls Court Exhibition Centre itself" -- Oh no this is a disaster! And it is not meant to happen! Come on people now, there could not be a better time to get together then right now, and stand for this building to stay.. so much glorious Zeppelin history, and magic cannot be sent into the dirt!

And we all know not only Zeppelin but ALL of the greats!

----------------------------------------------------------------

NOW, As of starting this protest, we all need to figure this out, I've never protested for anything before.. but I know this must be STOPPED.

I'm going to tell everybody now, that I am at a very young age, but Zeppelin has been with me my whole entire life and they have always been and always will be a huge part of it, I've never got the opportunity - And so undoubtably glorious pleasure to see this band perform. And I wanted to visit the places they have performed, just to feel a bit of magic, like wow.. this is where it all happened you know?

And a lot of people are going to doubt this and say it is too late because of it being a money - business deal. And people are going to say this protest won't work. But if everybody believes it will work no matter what - and at least stood for it dammit, it WILL work.

People Also believe the world can't change because everybody is already like this and won't agree to changing it, but if everybody changed right now the whole world could be a beautiful place, and it would WORK. And very fast! So even if you can't change the world alone, it is still an incredibly beautiful thing to stand for because you add up, if everybody else stood for that too.. It would happen! Because we would all want to change it right?? Just like this!

Help me out people! Help US out!

[woz70]

There's already a site run by the Earl's Court Area Action Group:

http://www.saveearlscourt.com/

However, I fear it may be far too late now to make any difference.

[sam_webmaster]

Whatever happened to...The Terrace Ballroom?

By CHRISTOPHER SMART

(Photo courtesy Utah State Historical Society) The Rainbow Randevu, 464 S. Main, as seen in April 1956. The dance hall was renamed the Terrace Ballroom in 1960. Across five decades, the venue played host to star-studded big bands and rock groups and was for many the place to be seen in Salt Lake City.

It's a parking lot now, but at one time, Main Street between 400 and 500 South was a happening block with the Terrace Ballroom sandwiched between the Hotel Newhouse and Little America.

In 1922, the Covey-Ballard Motor Company built the structure that was transformed into the storied dance hall that opened in 1931 as Coconut Grove. It was advertised as the largest ballroom in the country, and brought the wow factor to Salt Lake City during the Great Depression.

Ballroom dancing was the sophisticated entertainment of the day and Salt Lakers were not going to be left behind, as they danced to the music of Lionel Hampton, Les Brown, Tommy Dorsey and many others.

Sometime around 1940, the hall was renamed the Rainbow Ballroom and just after World War II, it morphed again into the Rainbow Randevu.

Jerry Jones and his orchestra played big band sounds and hosted regular dance nights. For many in the 1940s and '50s, it was the place to be on a Friday or Saturday night. Max Engman's orchestra also was a ballroom stalwart that continued to play into the 1980s.

Former broadcaster Don Gale was a regular at the Randevu in the late 1940s and early '50s and remembers dancing to many of the big bands of the day.

"We danced forever. It would go on for hours, until about midnight," he recalled. "It was a great time to be young and in love."

The venue also attracted crooners from across the country, including Nat King Cole, who appeared there in February 1959.

That was just after the Freed brothers, who owned the Lagoon amusement park, bought the ballroom in 1958. They recast it as Danceland but changed the name to the Terrace Ballroom in 1960.

It was the largest venue in Salt Lake City and by the mid- to late 1960s, the acts on the marquee began to change from big bands to rock groups, such as the Byrds, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Iron Butterfly, The Doors and a host of others.

Salt Lake County Councilman Jim Bradley has fond memories of a date at the ballroom in the early 1960s.

"The Terrace was rockin' in those days," he said. "I saw the Beach Boys and I had a hot date. It was great."

The genteel crowds who danced to Jerry Jones were replaced with rowdy youngsters. On several occasions, unruly concerts led to property damage inside the hall. For a short period between 1970 and 1972, no rock bands were booked. The hiatus ended with the performance of the James Gang in February 1972.

Rob Green, a soon-to-be-retired physical therapist, vividly recalls taking in the Iron Butterfly concert in October 1968.

"They played something called 'In a Gadda da Vida' and it was a seminal moment," he remembered. "It went on for half an hour."

Green also recalls the colorful light shows "like pulsing amoebas" that were the backdrops of the concerts. The aroma of marijuana was in the air, he said, and his pals smuggled in booze in small flasks.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/2250392-155/whatever-happened-tothe-terrace-ballroom

[sam_webmaster]

Connecticut officials debate future of Oakdale Theater amid neighbors' noise complaints

WALLINGFORD, Connecticut — Almost 30 noise complaints made in the past year could put the future of a major Connecticut music venue in jeopardy.

The Toyota Oakdale Theatre continues to be under a cease-and-desist order after Wallingford's Zoning Board of Appeals held a hearing Wednesday night amid complaints from neighbors that music from concerts at the theater could be heard in their homes. Town Planner Kacie Costello issued the order in December and the theater appealed it to the board.

No concerts have been canceled yet as a result of the order.

The Oakdale was built in 1954 and has been a stop for well-known rock and blues bands, plays and comedians for decades, ranging from The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Bruce Springsteen and B.B. King to "South Pacific" and "Oklahoma" to Don Rickles and Jerry Seinfeld.

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga are scheduled to perform there June 29, while acts slated this year include Josh Groban and Steve Miller Band.

Costello wrote that under the theater's 1989 special permit, Oakdale is not allowed to have concerts in the lobby, noting that noise could be heard outside the building, which violates conditions of the permit.

"So what does that condition mean?" said Joan Molloy, a lawyer for the theater. "If a noise is heard outside, it does not mean it's produced outside."

Molloy told the board that most of the complaints come from a few people who recently moved into the neighborhood. She said the theater is working on improvements to muffle the sound, such as decibel caps and padding to absorb bass frequencies.

"There have been ongoing shows and events in the dome since 1997, and it hasn't been an issue until 2014," she said.

The theater also is seeking to modify the conditions of its permit.

http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/6f191d0f6fb241449b34fe8ece725e9e/US--Music-Theater-Noise/

[dazedjeffy]

http://www.redbull.com/us/en/bike/stories/1331728006730/bmx-street-rider-tyler-fernengel-inside-the-abandoned-silverdome

Abandoned Silverdome Is A BMX Rider’s Dream Playground

When driving around Detroit, many people would be shocked to see the amount of abandoned buildings scattered across the city. Over the past decade, the ‘Motor City’ has fallen behind bad times. Detroit was forced to file for the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, estimated between $18-20 billion, back in 2013. Once a booming industrial powerhouse, Detroit is now a ghost town compared to what it was.

Former home to the Detroit Lions, Wrestlemania III, Supercross and World Cup soccer games, the famed Silverdome was forced to shut down back in February of 2006. Up-and-coming professional BMX rider, and Michigan native, Tyler Fernengel is the last professional athlete to perform inside the Silverdome, even though he wasn’t performing for anyone other than a couple of cameras and himself.

The abandoned Silverdome is a BMX rider’s dream! With endless rails, stairs and ramps–any rider could have endless hours of fun cruising around the stadium. The 19-year-old remembers the first and last times he was in the Silverdome, “I was 3 years old and had just gotten my first dirt bike. It may have been the first race I ever did – my dad entered me in the amateur Supercross races held every year at the Silverdome. Amateurs would compete they day before the pro Supercross. I raced there every year until I was 10 years old.”

“The last time I was in the Silverdome was nine years ago. When I showed up for the shoot, so many memories were coming back,” said Fernengel, “just sitting in the tunnel – where you come out on the track and where the players would run out – I remember sitting there, years ago, with my dad and all the other kids. It brought back a lot of good memories. Being out on the field, it was crazy to think that there once was a motorcycle track there, every year, with all the fans, but now it’s nowhere near the same — it’s like a war zone.”

[sam_webmaster]

Grande Ballroom documentary hits TV and DVD

"Louder Than Love," the 2012 film chronicling the wild rock counterculture at Detroit's Grande Ballroom, will mark its DVD release with a Detroit Public TV showing Friday night.

The MC5's Wayne Kramer and Grande founder Russ Gibb will join director Tony D'Annunzio and the Detroit News' Susan Whitall for the two-hour pledge-drive special at 8 p.m. on WTVS-TV (Channel 56). They'll introduce a truncated version of the film, which documents the late-1960s scene where bands such as the MC5 and the Stooges made their names alongside visiting acts like Led Zeppelin and the Who.

"Louder Than Love" is at last making its way to DVD after screening at more than 35 festivals and other events, racking up strong reviews along the way. D'Annunzio secured DVD licensing rights for the soundtrack of 20-plus vintage Detroit songs by the Frost, Mitch Ryder, Savage Grace and others. The disc also includes extensive bonus features, including previously unseen interview footage and archival video material.

DVDs can be purchased during Friday's DPTV showing or ordered online at www.artweardetroit.com. Copies are also making their way into select area retailers, including Eastpointe's Melodies & Memories, which will host a signing event by D'Annunzio at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

'Louder Than Love'

8 p.m. Friday

WTVS-TV (Channel 56)

Also streaming live at www.dptv.org

 

http://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/2015/12/17/grande-ballroom-documentary-dvd-public-television/77501886/

 

[sam_webmaster]

Atlanta officials, music industry veterans honor the ‘Unofficial Mayor of Atlanta Music’
Jan 4, 2016

Atlanta paid its respects to the “Unofficial Mayor of Atlanta Music” by declaring Jan. 4, 2016, “Alex Cooley Day” and posthumously presenting him with the Phoenix Award, the highest honor an individual or group can receive from the mayor.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, the Atlanta City Council, Live Nation Atlanta President Peter Conlon and Eddie’s Attic Talent Buyer/Promoter Andy Hingley joined a crowd of nearly 100 at Atlanta City Hall to honor the long-time Atlanta concert promoter, who died Dec. 1 at 75 in his Florida home.

“Alex can be considered one of the men who helped the Atlanta community with race relations because it was he who brought acts like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin to perform at a Georgia music festival back in the ‘60s when music performers would not dare to come to the South,” Council President Ceasar C. Mitchell said. “Alex knew music was color blind and loved by all. Today, we pause to remember him and his contribution to our great city.”

Cooley, an Atlanta native and former owner of Eddie’s Attic, attended Grady High School, Georgia State University and The University of Georgia before getting into the music industry.

Cooley initially opened the family-style pizza restaurant Pappa’s Pizza Parlor in Buckhead off Roswell Road, where he booked gigs typically featuring a banjo player and a piano player.

Cooley began promoting music full-time after taking an impromptu trip to the Miami Pop Festival in 1968, then pooling together $170,000 from 17 friends to host the inaugural Atlanta International Pop Festival in 1969, which featured acts including Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

The following July, outside of Byron, Ga., about 100 miles south of Atlanta, the three-day Second Atlanta International Pop Festival was held and featured more than 30 musical acts, including rock icon Jimi Hendrix, Spirit, Hampton Grease Band and the Allman Brothers Band.

After stepping back from festivals, Cooley co-founded Concerts/Southern Promotions with Conlon and went on to own several music venues in Atlanta including Alex Cooley’s Electric Ballroom, Alex Cooley’s Capri Ballroom, The Roxy, The Cotton Club and The Tabernacle. Cooley also booked gigs at The Omni, The Great Southeast Music Hall and the Fox Theatre.

After a distinguished career, Cooley was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1987 and was appointed to the Board of Governors for the Atlanta chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 1993.

Cooley took a hiatus until 1994 when he and his longtime friend Conlon held the first Music Midtown at Peachtree and 10th streets.

Conlon said Cooley’s contributions to the city can be seen in his continuous efforts to bring music to the city that would eventually mold Atlanta into the cultural hub it has become.

“I remember being on the phone with him, watching him fight with agents, telling them what a great market Atlanta was,” Conlon said. “You can see it when he financed the International Pop Festival in Hampton in 1969 when the only international thing we had in Atlanta was the pancake house, but it showed what he thought of the city… you have to understand the struggle with Lester Maddox as governor, Richard Nixon as president and you decide to put on a festival with a black headliner in south Georgia. It was a lot of work and it put us on the map.”

 

Conlon noted the Pop Festival was held the same year as The Woodstock Music & Art Fair, which "got all of the attention because it was in a media market" (New York).

“The difference is Alex’s festival actually made money, unlike Woodstock,” Conlon said. “If we had Ted Turner and CNN earlier, people would still be talking about it more than Woodstock.”

Conlon then added Cooley wasn't in the industry for money, but for the experience.

“He wanted to make sure certain acts performed here,” Conlon said. “[He made sure] Nina Simone played here, that Etta James was here before she passed away. I remember we had a long discussion about encouraging Richard Pryor to do three nights at the Fox Theatre because he [Alex] thought it was important for the city, but it was never about the money with Alex, it was about the performance.”

During the presentation of the Phoenix Award, Reed said Cooley was a music legend and loved sharing the talent of the artists he worked with.

"He was known as the 'Unofficial Mayor of Atlanta Music' and that is a title that is well earned," Reed said. "His career as a concert promoter was exemplary and rarely matched. He gave back to Atlanta by producing the International Pop Festival and helping found the Music Midtown Festival along with Peter Conlon. His influence in Atlanta will live on for generations."

Speaking on how Cooley helped shape his life and career, Hingley said he never met anyone like Cooley and that he personally and professionally relied on Cooley every day.

"[He lived] one of the most amazing full lives anyone could ever witness," Hingley said. "He was incredibly young at heart... he was certainly a friend, a mentor and certainly a father figure. So I am eternally grateful for the opportunity he has given me and the path he has put me on. And finally during this time, when I reflect on Alex, I think of a Bruce Lee quote in which he referenced immortality. Bruce believed the key to immortality was to live a life worth remembering and he [Alex] has certainly done that."

On Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. the public is invited to a "Celebration of Life" for Cooley at The Tabernacle.

[sam_webmaster]

Newcastle Mayfair hosted the world's biggest band Led Zeppelin on this day 45 years ago

By David Morton | 17 Mar 2016

The Rolling Stones, The Who, Pink Floyd, as well as Led Zep, were some of the bands appearing in Newcastle in the early 1970s

It was a great year for rock music - 1971.

The Beatles had broken up, but the Rolling Stones had returned from a long exile, The Who weren’t going to be fooled again, and Pink Floyd would soon head to the dark side of the moon.

The biggest band on the planet, however, was Led Zeppelin, and on this night 45 years ago they rocked Newcastle Mayfair to its foundations.

It was an era when all these acts, and more, headed to Tyneside.

But Zeppelin were a bit different.

The English band, who’d actually made their first UK performance at the Mayfair in October 1968, refused to release singles, rarely gave press interviews, and wouldn’t do television.

They never appeared on Top of the Pops, despite the show using a version of one of their songs - Whole Lotta Love - as its theme tune for many years.

Today, this PR approach would mean commercial suicide. Back then it gave Zeppelin a mystique which set them apart from their rivals.

As the 1970s dawned, their early albums hit the top of the charts in the UK and USA.

And it was in the United States, especially, where they became monstrously big, drawing huge audiences.

The Mayfair show was part of a so-called ‘back to the clubs’ tour where the band wanted to re-connect with their audiences at smaller venues. They’d returned from the States where their last two dates had been at New York’s cavernous Madison Square Garden.

It was Sunderland promoter Geoff Docherty who managed to get the world’s biggest band to the Mayfair.

He said: “At the very start of their career, I booked them to appear up here for £75 when they were unknowns.

“In the meantime, they suddenly got very big and their infamous manager Peter Grant cancelled the gig, but not before I made him promise to let me promote them if they ever came to the North East.

“And so in 1971, I was able to promote the Mayfair show and also put them on at Sunderland Mecca and Newcastle City Hall later that year.

“Tickets at the Mayfair were 75p. Imagine that? We built a huge stage and they were just fantastic. The place was bedlam.”

 

 

An early shot of Led Zeppelin from the late-1968

 

Geoff also promoted the likes of Eric Clapton, The Who, T Rex and Free.

Check out his books A Promoters Tale and Three Minutes of Magic.

As for the Mayfair show, Zep delighted the sell-out audience, with guitarist Jimmy Page showing off his new double-neck guitar.

One of the songs they played was Stairway To Heaven. Unreleased at the time, it would appear on their classic fourth album, which emerged later that year. That album would go on to sell over 33 million copies worldwide - to date.

Four and a half decades later, the music and media historian Chris Phipps says: “When Led Zeppelin played the Mayfair, it was part of their ‘back to the clubs’ tour. This was a thanks to the small venues that had given the band a step up the ladder - or should I say Stairway- to world domination.

“The band was a planetary alignment of guitar prodigies Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, Black Country vocalist Robert Plant and fellow Midlander drummer John Bonham.

“On March 18, 1971 they would preview new material from the forthcoming Led Zeppelin IV.

“On November 11, 1971, Newcastle got a second bite when the band kicked off a European tour at the City Hall.”

In the event, Zeppelin’s last shows in the region would come in late 1972 at Newcastle City Hall.

They would go on to sell over 200 million albums.

 

Two years after Led Zeppelin had played Newcastle Mayfair - on March 18, 1971 - they were touring the United States in their own private jumbo jet

 

In America, they are the biggest selling act behind The Beatles.

They all but invented the concept of stadium rock in the US, breaking attendance records set by the Beatles in 1973, and The Who in 1977.

On tour in the States, they used a private Boeing 737 - the Starship - to fly them from city to city.

They also left a legacy of smashed hotel rooms, drug and alcohol abuse, relations with groupies, and rumours of occult-dabbling that have been woven into rock’n’roll folklore.

After the 1972-73 UK shows, the band toured mainly in the States, and Zep fans in this country would have to travel to Earls Court in 1975 and Knebworth in 1979 to see their idols.

1980 would prove to be the swansong for the band when drummer John Bonham died after a drinking binge.

They reunited for a one-off show at London’s 02 Arena.

Led Zeppelin remain one of the most successful and influential rock bands ever.

Newcastle Mayfair closed in 1999 and is sadly missed.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/history/newcastle-mayfair-hosted-worlds-biggest-11049510

http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/march-18-1971

[sam_webmaster]

Nine of the most iconic gigs in Edinburgh music history

Led Zeppelin at King’s Theatre

Led Zeppelin were probably one of the biggest bands in the world in 1973. They had four albums under their belt, they were about to release a fifth and had a chunk of unreleased music to unveil that would eventually appear on Physical Graffiti.

So before the release of Houses of the Holy, the masters of classic rock commenced on a UK tour that featured a rare Edinburgh date at King’s Theatre (above you can see fans queuing to buy tickets in November 1972).

They played four songs from their new album that night, including fan favourites from their first four albums. And yes, they played ‘Stairway to Heaven’.

-------------------------

http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/january-28-1973

http://www.wow247.co.uk/2016/07/22/iconic-edinburgh-gigs/

 

 

[SteveAJones]

^^^

Great find, Sam.

[sam_webmaster]

Dallas' once-imperiled Cabana Hotel, where the Beatles stayed, could be spared by developer
By Robert Wilonsky | City Columnist | Updated: 12 August 2016

I asked my dad the other day if he had any fond memories of the old Cabana Motor Hotel on Stemmons Freeway, to which he replied something about swimming in the Olympic-sized pool and using the men's-only health club and taking a date there and how there used to be mirrors on the bedroom ceilings and ...

"I don't think I got drunk there," he said, his recap trailing off. So that's a yes.

"Always thought it should have been more than a jail," Dad said when talking about the hotel built in the early '60s by the same man who decorated Las Vegas with Caesars Palace and Circus Circus.

He was referring to the Bill Decker Detention Center, which is what the grand 10-story hotel became in 1985, just 22 years after it opened its doors as a lavish hotel and hosted the likes of the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix. It's been a detention center longer than it was a hotel that opened through Mob-tied millions and was partially owned by Doris Day.

But here's some breaking news: The old hotel on the outskirts of the Design District and in the shadow of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge could become a new hotel. Which is a stunning turn of events, given that the thing was supposed to be torn down and hauled off long ago.

It's a bona fide landmark moment in a town that's not necessarily known for preservation.

Next week Dallas County Commissioners will vote on selling the Cabana to Dallas-based Circa Capital Corporation, a real estate investment, development and management company that specializes in hotels in the U.S. and Mexico. According to docs prepared for the Aug. 16 agenda meeting, they've agreed to buy it for $10.35 million.

Frank Aldridge III, Circa's president and CEO, doesn't want to say anything at all about the purchase -- or what's to become of the property. Well, OK. He will say this one thing, because it's probably the biggest thing:

"Our interest is not in tearing the building down. At all."

Which is the exact opposite thing that was said by the last group eyeing the old Cabana, Dallas-based Lincoln Property, which wanted to build a data center on the site.

Earlier this year Lincoln backed out for reasons it never explained, which forced the county to put the property back on the market. A few bidders stepped up, the county commissioners stepped behind closed doors for a few meetings, and Circa Capital Corporation emerged as the winner.

But its president and CEO isn't interested in taking a victory lap until the paperwork's signed following next week's meeting.  And even then, it's far  -- really far -- from a done deal: The purchase and sale agreement comes with several outs during the next four months as Aldridge's group goes through inspections and due diligence and all the other caveats that come with plunking down $100,000 in earnest money.

Which says nothing about how the city factors into this deal.

All options are on the table to redevelop a building of this size and significance, including a host of possible subsidies, said Karl Zavitkovksy, head of the city's economic development department.

Zavitkovsky has already had a brief conversation with Aldridge about the building

"He's an experienced hotel developer," Zavitkovsky said. "It's good to see it get in his hands."

For now, anyway.  After all, we thought that Lincoln deal was a done deal, too, until the building went back on the market.  Even Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins doesn't want to say too much, lest he foul up the deal.

"If we all work together -- city, county and private developers -- we can move forward on a great project and put some money back in taxpayers' pockets, as it adds another economic engine to the Design District, one of our fastest-growing neighborhoods," he said Thursday. That's what you call hedging your bet.

And, yes, I know. There are plenty of people who think the hotel needs to go,  who believe it's been so thoroughly abused since the county bought it for more than $8 million in 1984 that there's no way it can be turned back into a hotel.

And maybe they're right: I was last in there in 2005, when the Decker was reopened to make room for Katrina evacuees stashed on the top floor -- where the Beatles stayed. Every room was a concrete box, a jail cell without doors,  far from the "super-plush" hotel where Raquel Welch once served cocktails whilst dressed in a Roman toga.

But skeptics also said they couldn't reopen the Statler Hilton, which former mayor Tom Leppert once threatened to raze because it was a danger to public safety. And they said the Butler Brothers building next to Dallas City Hall was too far gone to save.

I took a long walk around the hotel Thursday; anyone can. Remnants of each incarnation remain.

A dusty front door, decorated with a crisp Dallas County seal, welcomes you to the Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Community Supervision and Corrections Department & Electronic Monitoring. A parking spot is guarded by a faded sign that says it's for the "JAIL COMMANDER ONLY." An Avalon Corrections sign by the old pool deck says all visitors must present photo ID before entering, and even then can "enter only when authorized to do so."

The grand Cabana signs are gone; the Olympic-sized pool and front fountain have been filled in; and the naked statues were long ago hauled off to God knows where. But even close up, there are enough echoes left to remind you that once upon a long time ago, this derelict spread was, as this newspaper once reported, inspired by "the lavishness of Roman emperors."'

Just ask my dad.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local-news/20160811-dallas-once-imperiled-cabana-hotel-where-the-beatles-stayed-could-be-spared-by-developer.ece

 

[Walter]

Very interesting read Sam.  Thanks for posting it.  On a side note, wouldn't it have been awesome to be that guy sitting poolside while John Paul Jones is noodling on a mandolin right next to you!?!  

[SteveZ98]

On 5/30/2015 at 8:40 AM, sam_webmaster said:

Connecticut officials debate future of Oakdale Theater amid neighbors' noise complaints

 

WALLINGFORD, Connecticut — Almost 30 noise complaints made in the past year could put the future of a major Connecticut music venue in jeopardy.

 

The Toyota Oakdale Theatre continues to be under a cease-and-desist order after Wallingford's Zoning Board of Appeals held a hearing Wednesday night amid complaints from neighbors that music from concerts at the theater could be heard in their homes. Town Planner Kacie Costello issued the order in December and the theater appealed it to the board.

 

No concerts have been canceled yet as a result of the order.

 

The Oakdale was built in 1954 and has been a stop for well-known rock and blues bands, plays and comedians for decades, ranging from The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Bruce Springsteen and B.B. King to "South Pacific" and "Oklahoma" to Don Rickles and Jerry Seinfeld.

 

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga are scheduled to perform there June 29, while acts slated this year include Josh Groban and Steve Miller Band.

 

Costello wrote that under the theater's 1989 special permit, Oakdale is not allowed to have concerts in the lobby, noting that noise could be heard outside the building, which violates conditions of the permit.

 

"So what does that condition mean?" said Joan Molloy, a lawyer for the theater. "If a noise is heard outside, it does not mean it's produced outside."

 

Molloy told the board that most of the complaints come from a few people who recently moved into the neighborhood. She said the theater is working on improvements to muffle the sound, such as decibel caps and padding to absorb bass frequencies.

 

"There have been ongoing shows and events in the dome since 1997, and it hasn't been an issue until 2014," she said.

 

The theater also is seeking to modify the conditions of its permit.

 

http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/6f191d0f6fb241449b34fe8ece725e9e/US--Music-Theater-Noise/

This picture shows the wooden structure that replaced the old tent in which Zep performed. This are now serves as the lobby to the 4500 seat theater where shows are currently held. 

[sam_webmaster]

London's Culture Death: What the City's Best Music Venues Look Like Now
by Emma Garland and Chris Bethell.  Sep 29, 2016

MARQUEE CLUB (1958 - 1996, 2001 - 2003, 2007 - 2008)

Who played there: Residencies during the 60s alone included The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, The Who, King Crimson, Yes, Jethro Tull, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac and The Manish Boys featuring David Bowie. Then came Status Quo, The Police, Joy Division, Buzzcocks, Iron Maiden and, on several occasions in the early 80s, my dad.

Why did it shut down: Sold for redevelopment.

What is it now: A New York-style pizzeria that describes itself as "casual-chic" and therefore cannot possibly be anything that remotely resembles a New York pizzeria. Also, some flats.

https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/londons-culture-death-what-the-citys-best-music-venues-look-like-now

 

[sam_webmaster]

Philadelphia Spectrum:

What was the best concert you ever attended? Readers share their memories

By Andy Vineberg, Bucks County Courier Times

In a column a couple of weeks ago, I called Bruce Springsteen's two marathon September concerts at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park probably the best shows I've ever seen. By anyone.

The combination of the epic, record-setting lengths, dream-come-true setlists filled with personal-favorite songs, an incredibly fortunate vantage point from the pit both nights and Springsteen's unbridled passion, energy, intensity and joy left me wondering if I'd ever experience anything like these two shows again.

The phrase "best concert ever" resonated with at least one reader, who called me that afternoon to share 40-year-old memories of his favorite concert of all time.

"By far the greatest concert experience I ever had was Led Zeppelin at the Spectrum in 1975," said the caller, who identified himself as Mitch from Lower Bucks. "There's not a band I haven't seen but for the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, and nothing even came close (to Zeppelin). It was all about the music — so powerful.

"I've never been to a concert where the excitement in the air was so palpable as Led Zeppelin in their heyday. The electricity coming from the amps and band was indescribable, especially Jimmy Page. He just mesmerized the crowd with one long lead (guitar solo) after another."

Mitch also recalled the energy emanating from drummer John Bonham, as well as singer Robert Plant's interplay with the crowd, specifically during "Black Dog."

Mitch's call made me feel two things: Envious of people who were lucky enough to have seen Led Zeppelin live, and curious about what other people's all-time favorite concerts were.

So I posed the question to friends and readers on Facebook and got a wide range of responses.

Bobby Fisher, a guitarist from Levittown now living in New Port Richey, Florida, also said Led Zeppelin, specifically June 1972 at the Spectrum.

"My friends and I were in the second row, right in front of the stage," Fisher wrote. "It was an amazing concert. They opened up with 'Immigrant Song' and went right into 'Heartbreaker.' "

--

http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/life-style/local-feature/what-was-the-best-concert-you-ever-attended-readers-share/article_c37d976a-872a-11e6-8448-477de99d955f.html

[SymphonyX]

That's blasphemy, hope they are using authentic water from New York ( Catskill/Delaware watershed )  or the Pizza will never taste like real NYC pizza

[sam_webmaster]

Five world-beating achievements as University of Surrey celebrates 50th anniversary

11 Oct 2016  | By Georgina Townshend

Would you believe us if we told you Led Zeppelin, your computer mouse and the endangered language of Archi are all connected? Because they are, and it’s all down to the University of Surrey.

On Saturday October 22 the university will mark the 50 years since it moved from Battersea to Guildford with a procession along Guildford High Street.

Everyone is invited to join the celebration which begins at 10.30am next to the Scholar statue at the bottom of the street.

In late 1968, popular rock group The Yardbirds officially disbanded, with future performances still booked. Undeterred, guitarist Jimmy Page swiftly formed a new band. Originally called The New Yardbirds, in a twist of fate they were forced to change their name due to a legal dispute.

They chose to reveal their new name Led Zeppelin – a humorous nod to their chances of going down like a lead balloon – at their performance for the University of Surrey’s Students Union at Battersea.

full article:  http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/five-world-beating-achievements-university-12005925

[sam_webmaster]

Seattle, Green Lake Green Lake Aquatheater (1952 Film)

[SteveAJones]

^^^

Great post! I found this to be very interesting, having travelled to the Aqua Theater in 2010 to photograph what remains of it. Some of those shots were posted to this thread:

 

Edited October 22, 2016 by SteveAJones

[sam_webmaster]

Memories of rock legends live on as Hofheinz era ends

By J.R. Gonzales  | March 4, 2017 | Houston Chronicle

Many Houstonians will remember Hofheinz Pavilion as the House that Elvin Built (but never played at) or the spot where Phi Slama Jama held court.

But the arena, which shuts its doors for good Sunday to be reborn as the Fertitta Center, was also where one could catch some of the hottest acts of the 1970s.

The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Yes, Elvis Presley, Alice Cooper, George Harrison, Bob Dylan and The Band, and Fleetwood Mac were just a few of the big names to toil there.

Not all of those shows went smoothly. It was near the end of a 1970 Led Zeppelin concert when fans rushed the stage.

"'Whole Lotta Love,' a demanded encore, resulted in pounding chaos," wrote the Houston Chronicle's Jill Melichar in her review. "Freaked-out fans swarmed the stage and the Zeppelin barely escaped. [Robert] Plant turned to run, but whirled around for a final bravado with head thrown back, body arched and arm raised tautly."

Wrote Donna Gaye on the Bayou City History Facebook page:

"I am the infamous 'little bird' who jumped up on Led Zeppelin's stage Easter night, 1970, and scrambled behind their huge speakers, dancing on my knees for the rest of the concert.

"A big roadie protected me from the angry police, and standing in the delivery access driveway, I got a sweet kiss on the cheek by all the band members."
Related

 

A few months later, gate crashers posed a headache for security at the Traffic/Mott the Hoople/Mountain concert. According to the Houston Post, they caused $2,000 in damages to the box office and Hofheinz floor. As a result, the University of Houston put a moratorium on rock concerts there.

Not every concert resulted in chaos. Wrote Amy Proctor:

"I saw Elton John there with my late sister. ... [H]e was awesome. It was during his crazy hats and glasses days so he made many colorful costume changes. It was a very different experience than the Summit because you were so close to the stage."

Joel Berry and his wife went to see the Who there in 1970. They watched the show mere feet away from guitarist Pete Townshend.

"Since they had announced a few weeks before the show that they weren't going to play 'Tommy' again, we were surprised when Townshend stepped up to the mic and said, 'We don't feel like playing anything else right now, so I hope you don't mind if we play this.'

"With that, they launched into 'Tommy.' They played the entire album, uninterrupted. It was spectacular. We had seen them a couple of times before that, and several times since, but this remains one of our favorite Who experiences."

The Rolling Stones -- with Truman Capote, Ahmet Ertegun and Terry Southern in tow --  pulled into Hofheinz during the band's infamous 1972 North American tour.

"I saw the Rolling Stones there," wrote Patrick Gutierrez. "I ran into a guy at a friend's house the day of the show who had a ticket and couldn't or didn't want to go. Bought the ticket for $20 and was pretty close to the stage."

In the 1980s and beyond, Madonna, the Clash, the Blues Brothers and Prince would play Hofheinz. Other venues would eventually open and concerts there would become fewer and far between.

Now, the old arena will hold a spot in Houston concert history with other long-gone venues, such as the Sam Houston Coliseum, the Music Hall, the Summit, and, going way back, the old City Auditorium.

- Houston Chronicle

 

http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/march-29-1970