VU Performance Venues - What are they now?

[MJG196]

Is anyone here near a place where the VU performed? What does that place look like now?


LA CAVE, Cleveland: I am heading to Cleveland in January and I plan to photograph 10615 Euclid Avenue. I think it may be a parking lot, now.

Masonic Auditorium, Cleveland: It's still there, so I'll try to snap it!

National Roller Skating Arena, Washington DC: I live just outside DC and will try to get up to this address. I think it is a grocery store.

[bobbldr]

The building on the far right in both photos is the RI School of Design Auditorium here in Providence with the popular "Waterfire" installation.

[alfredovu]

In 1989 I went to 53 Berkeley St in Boston (original location for the BTP) and there was a 7 Eleven there ... nevertheless, you can go to Olivier´s and almost all the venues have a Google Street View link to check ... I just did it for the BTP and the 7 Eleven is stilll there.

[MJG196]

Fantastic photo.

[sars]

I took these in 2007, when I was still living in Chicago:

Former site of Poor Richards:



Poor Richard's (1363 N. Sedgwick)

From what I could find online, Poor Richard's began as a church and then became a concert venue. I really couldn't find much about it online. Somewhere along the line it became a Baptist church called Pillars Rock, which is now long gone. There was an empty lot where (I presume) the building once stood. The area smells like shit because it's next door to a horse theater/stable thing. I was sad to find nothing there. I was hoping to see the inside of the building because of the footage that had been shot there.

Former site of the Aardvark Cinamatique:


with the Second City right next door:



Aardvark Cinematheque (1608 N. Wells)

The original building is gone and has been replaced with Piper's Alley, which houses a movie theater, some shops, and a Starbucks, among other things. Right next door is the Second City comedy troupe, which is housed in a fairly old building and had a cool facade. I think the current Second City may have been part of the old Aardvark, but the employees I talked to think it may have been an apartment building before they moved in.
a little more info: http://cinematreasures.org/theater/8584/

Former site of the original Kinetic Playground/Rainbo:





The new Kinetic:



The Kinetic Playground (4800 N Clark)

I first went to the current Kinetic Playground (down the street at 1113 W. Lawrence) and spoke to two Dans and one Steve, who were really cool. Steve was a bona fide old timer who knew a lot of the history. According to him, the Kinetic Playground was originally the Electric Theater and was owned by Aaron Russo (famous producer who made a lot of 80's movies: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751567/.) It inhabitaed or was next door to another famous venue, The Rainbo. According to Steve, the Electric Theatre opened in the late 60's and changed its name to the Kinetic Playground after an Electric Theater in New York threatened them with a lawsuit. During its existence, they had shows with many of the typical big 60's names (Hendrix, the Doors, etc...) In 1971, the Kinetic staff took a trip together to Las Vegas. They came back to find the enitre building burned down. The building's remains were torn down, and a roller /ice rink was put in its place. During the reconstuction, human remains dating back to the construction of the original building (1920's-ish.) Very misterious. The original Kinetic was only open for about three years.
The current Kinetic opened three years ago, and Aaron Russo allowed them to take on the name that had been dorment for thirty+ years. If you're at all familiar with Chicago music, it's across the street from the Aragon, and a short distance from the Green Mill, the Riviera and the former Uptown.
more articles: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_did_Rainb ... Playground
here are the condos being built over the former Kinteic/Rainbo: http://www.metropolitan-us.com/rainbo/history.html

The former home of the Quiet Knight (and the only original building still standing. It was on the second floor:)





The Quiet Knight (953 W Belmont)

The only original building of the four I visited. The Quiet Knight was open from the 60's through the 80's, and was called Tut's and possibly Medusa's at one point or another. The Quiet Knight was located on the building's 2nd floor, which now is divided between a hair salon called Milio's and a tanning salon called Ultimate Exposure. The building was fairly damaged after a restaurant fire a few years ago (the man working at Ultimate Exposure demonstarted this for me by jumping up and down on the floor a few times and rattling everything in the room.) The album "953 West" by the Siegel-Schwall Band was recorded there.

[radiofreesimulacrum]

I live near three venues
Leicester airport, Liecester Ma.
Which is an open field now
http://www.members.tripod.com/airfields ... #leicester

the Paramount Theatre,Springfield Ma
Which is being renovated
http://paramounttheater.blogspot.com/


And the Woodrose Ballroom South Deerfield Ma
Which I think is now an insurance company.

article written by the former owner of the woodrose
http://www.berkshirefinearts.com/?page= ... gory=Music

Anyone feel like contacting him an asking about the V.U. at the woodrose?

[foxhole]

The former Woodrose Ballroom is now an auction gallery:

http://www.douglasauctioneers.com/index.php?id=2

[radiofreesimulacrum]

[quote="foxhole"]The former Woodrose Ballroom is now an auction gallery:

[url]http://www.douglasauctioneers.com/index.php?id=2[/url][/quote]

Thanks
for some reason I thought it was the building across the street