The Ritz - NYC!

Growing up in Jersey in the 80's was a great time!  Every weekend my buddies and I would hop a train (or drive when we could) to NYC and catch a show at the legendary RITZ!

The Ritz was locaed at 119 E 11th Street between 4th and 3rd Ave in the East Village.  It was a weird residential street, with this big, loud club stuck right in the middle of the block!

The Ritz would always books the new wave/underground bands that we heard on WLIR radio.  It felt like we lived there between 85-87!

I am starting to compile a list of shows that I saw here (I still have some stubs!).  So far, I can only list a few:

5-11-85  -  Einstuerzende Neubauten
6/21/86  -  Replacements
7/11/86  -  Modern English
7/31/86   -  Cramps
10/23/86  -  Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
11/22/86  -  Billy Bragg
12/26/86  -  Beastie Boys
3/21/87  -  Hoodoo Gurus
4/24/87  -  Mission UK

I went to college out of state in the fall of 1987, so my trips back were very infrequent.  The Ritz as I knew it, had it's last show on Saturday April 1st, 1989 and closed it's doors at that location.

It then renamed itself the "New Ritz" and moved to the old Studio 54 (yes, the epic disco club) location at 254 W 54th Street and had the first show (the Radiators) on Thursday, April 6th.   Although this was a very cool building/location, the 119 E 11th location was by far the best.

I remember just hanging out before the bands would come on watching the huge video screen over the stage.  They would always play cartoons, strange organic, and computer generated content to the music of The The, Big Audio Dynamite and other "alt" bands from the mid 80's.  And who could forget the huge nuclear bomb hanging from the ceiling!  Such a great venue.

I don't have any pics of the Ritz (outside or inside).  So, if there are any other Ritz fans, please post them here or send them to me and I will post them.

Advert for the U2 show at the Ritz - March 17/18, 1982

The original location Ritz was open a glorious 3258 days!  Need a walk down memory lane?  I have compiled the best list of known shows at the original Ritz.  Have a ticket stub to a show I don't have listed?  Please let me know!

5/1/80 RITZ OPENS!!! 6/14/80 Plasmatics 9/23/80 Pretenders 10/28/80 Utopia w/ Todd Rundgren 11/25/80 Rockpile 11/30/80 XTC 12/6/80 U2 First US date 3/8/81 Johnny Winter 3/26/81 The Jam 3/29/81 George Thorogood and the Destroyers 4/8/81 Kraftwerk 5/5/81 Splitz Enz 5/15/81 PIL 5/26/81 The Jam 6/28/81 Squeeze 6/29/81 Squeeze 7/23/81 The Cure 7/24/81 The Cure 8/2/81 Iggy Pop 8/3/81 Kraftwerk 9/25/81 Birthday Party 9/30/81 Tina Turner 10/1/81 Tina Turner 10/2/81 Tina Turner 10/3/81 Tina Turner 10/8/81 Tom Velarire (Television) 10/20/81 Jimmy Cliff 10/21/81 Jimmy Cliff 10/30/81 Siouxsie & the Banshees 10/31/81 Siouxsie & the Banshees 11/17/81 Frank Zappa 11/18/81 New Order 11/18/81 New Order 11/20/81 U2 11/21/81 U2 11/22/81 U2 12/17/81 Misfits 1/22/82 Depeche Mode First US Date 1/23/82 Depeche Mode 3/17/82 U2 3/18/82 U2 3/28/82 Leon Russell 4/13/82 Ted Nugent 4/18/82 Mike Oldfield 5/3/82 Graham Parker 5/7/82 Depeche Mode 6/10/82 Marianne Faithful 6/15/82 Pointer Sisters 6/18/82 Bauhaus 6/19/82 Bauhaus 7/1/82 Average White Band 8/4/82 Billy Idol 8/27/82 Cheap Trick 9/1/82 Black Flag 9/26/82 Ozzy Osbourne 10/25/82 Vaity 6 10/26/82 Gary Numan 11/10/82 Pat Travers 11/25/82 Peter Gabriel 11/28/82 Stray Cats 12/7/82 Phil Collins 12/9/82 Iggy Pop 3/24/83 Depeche Mode 4/6/83 Nick Lowe & Paul Carrick 4/8/83 The Cure 4/30/83 REM 5/8/83 The Cure 5/18/83 REM 5/27/83 Fixx 5/28/83 Fixx 7/9/83 UB40 8/4/83 The Cure 8/5/83 The Cure 10/3/83 Michael Stanley 10/12/83 Graham Parker 10/30/83 Hot Tuna 11/22/83 B-52s 11/23/83 Eric Clapton 12/8/83 UB40 12/28/83 Manowar 4/17/84 Utopia   / Visitor 4/26/84 Gang of Four 6/26/84 Marillion 6/30/84 Steel Pulse 8/5/84 Difford & Tilbrook 8/6/84 General Public 8/9/84 Black Flag Sisters of Mercy 8/10/84 Bad Manners Ubran Blight 8/11/84 Way of the West Zerra 8/14/84 Nick Lowe 8/15/84 Talas Harpo 8/16/84 Fela Anikulupa Kuti 8/17/84 Talk Talk 8/18/84 Illustrated Man 8/22/84 Tina Turner 8/23/84 Tina Turner 8/25/84 Eric Burdon 8/26/84 Gun Club 8/27/84 Grandmaster Flash and Furious 5 Melle Mel 9/2/84 Urban Blight 9/9/84 The Sisters of Mercy 9/9/84 Black Flag 9/10/84 Jane Siberry 10/3/84 Husker Du 10/12/84 Ministry 10/26/84 Beastie Boys 11/21/84 Hanoi Rocks Belefegore 11/23/84 Aku Aku Dolce Vita 11/24/84 The Church  Tommy keene Alex Chilton 11/26/84 Higher Education 11/27/84 John Waite 11/29/84 Los Lobos 11/30/84 Romeo Void The Sound, Eastern Bloc 12/1/84 Romeo Void 12/6/84 Bobby McFerrin 12/7/84 Vicious Pink Only US Date! 12/8/84 Red Hot Chili Peppers 12/12/84 Black Uhuru 12/13/84 Black Flag 12/14/84 The Rescue 12/15/84 The Higsons 12/21/84 Tom Verlaine 12/22/84 Tom Verlaine 12/27/84 Ramones 1/17/85 Chuck Berry 2/8/85 Beastie Boys 2/25/85 Sting         SOLO FIRST SHOW 2/26/85 Sting 2/27/85 Sting 4/13/85 Nik Kershaw 4/19/85 Scandal 5/11/85 Eubstyrzende Neubauten 6/7/85 Sisters of Mercy 6/17/85 Gregg Allman 7/1/85 the Power Station 7/5/85 Redds and the Boys 9/17/85 Mountain 9/21/85 Cocteau Twins 9/23/85 Cocteau Twins 9/27/85 Slayer 9/29/85 Shriekback  10/2/85 Love & Rockets 10/3/85 Midnight Oil 10/11/85 The Neats 10/12/85 Saga Shy Talk 10/14/85 The Tomboys 10/17/85 Duane Eddy and the Ray Beats 10/17/85 Duane Eddy with the Raybeats 10/18/85 Fats Domino 10/19/85 Nick Lowe 10/31/85 Fishbone 10/31/85 Red Hot Chili Peppers 11/2/85 Dead Kennedys 11/7/85 The Damned 11/14/85 Nils Lofgren 11/15/85 Nils Lofgren 11/22/85 Adrian Bellew 11/29/85 Til Tuesday 12/6/85 The Cult 12/12/85 Bad Brains Fleshtones 12/21/85 Motorhead 12/26/85 They Might Be Giants 1/16/86 The Residends 1/24/86 The Dictators 1/26/86 Toy Dolls Dickies 1/27/86 Jerry Garcia 1/28/86 Jerry Garcia 2/13/86 Howard Stern Show 2/22/86 Social Distortion 2/28/86 The Damned 4/4/86 Venom 4/5/86 Voiviod 4/23/86 The Allman Brothers 4/26/86 Lords of the New Church 5/3/86 Fishbone 5/16/86 The Del Lords 5/23/86 Swans 5/24/86 Wendy O Williams 5/27/86 Samhain 6/14/86 Anthrax 6/14/86 Exodus 6/21/86 Replacements 7/10/86 Fixx 7/11/86 Modern English 7/14/86 Samhain 7/14/86 Celtic Frost DOA, MDC 7/17/86 Lou Reed 7/18/86 Let's Active 7/19/86 The Church  7/31/86 Cramps 8/1/86 Cramps 8/8/86 Southside Johnny &  the Asbury Jukes 8/15/86 Psychic TV 8/22/86 Feelies 8/28/86 Blow Monkeys 8/29/86 Chris Spedding 9/5/86 Weather Update and Mahavishnu Orchestra with John McLaughlin 9/18/86 Sly & Robbie & the Taxi Gang featuring Yellowman 9/19/86 Bodeans Ten-Ten 9/20/86 Circle Jerks 10/3/86 Robert Gordon 10/23/86 Nick Cave & Bad Seeds 10/31/86 Dead Boys 11/1/86 Robyn Hitchcokc & The Egyptians/ Beat Rodeo 11/2/86 Nick Cave & Bad Seeds 11/2/86 Nick Cave 11/7/86 Ramones 11/13/86 Iggy Pop 11/14/86 Richard Lloyd 11/13/86 Iggy Pop 11/15/86 Gene Love Jezebel 11/20/86 Berlin 11/22/86 Billy Bragg 11/28/86 Fishbone 12/3/86 Charlie Watts 12/4/86 Charlie Watts Orchestra 12/7/86 Slayer 12/11/86 Everything But The Girl Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy 12/12/86 Red Hot Chili Peppers TSOL, Thelonius Monster 12/13/86 Lone Justice The Right Profile 12/17/86 Communards in Pursuit 12/19/86 Jason & The Scorchers Georgia Satellites 12/20/86 Ian Hunter 12/26/86 Beastie Boys Murphy's Law 12/27/86 Bad Brains SNFU, Warzone, Leeway 12/29/86 Cramps 12/30/86 Cramps 12/31/86 Sim Kinison Buster Poindexter 1/2/87 Lords of the New Church 1/3/87 Johnny Winter 1/7/87 Lou Reed 1/8/87 Lou Reed 1/17/87 Bad Brains 1/23/87 Wasp Saxon 1/30/87 Dave Edmunds La Bamba 1/31/87 Dave Edmunds La Bamba 2/5/87 Human League 2/7/87 2/14/87 Peter Murphy 2/22/87 Slayer 2/26/87 Julian Cope 2/28/87 Mightly Lemondrops 2/28/87 The Chameleons UK with the Mighty Lemon Drops 3/21/87 Hoodoo Gurus 4/18/87 The Dead Boys 4/24/87 Mission UK 4/25/87 Oingo Boingo 5/1/87 Buthole Surfers 5/3/87 Wiseblood 5/14/87 World Party 5/22/87 The Godfathers 5/30/87 Fuzzbox 6/2/87 The Cult 6/20/87 The Bear 6/26/87 The Saints with Faith No More 7/11/87 King Diamond 7/14/87 Voivoid 7/15/87 New Model Army 7/17/87 Andy Summers 7/25/87 Fishbone 8/11/87 Cure 9/10/87 Ramones 9/11/87 Ramones 9/19/87 Hoodoo Gurus 9/25/87 Hooters 9/30/87 Tina Turner 10/1/87 Tina Turner 10/2/87 Tina Turner 10/3/87 Tina Turner 10/3/87 Marillion 10/4/87 Warren Zevon / X 10/11/87 Jorma Kaukonen 10/17/87 Husker Du 10/20/87 Jimmy Cliff 10/21/87 Jimmy Cliff 10/23/87 Guns n' Roses 11/6/87 Jesus & Mary Chain 11/8/87 The Cure 11/15/87 Sting 11/16/87 Sting 11/21/87 The Neville Brothers 12/3/87 Joe Cocker 12/26/87 The Dead Boys 12/27/87 Fishbone 12/29/87 Cramps 1/2/88 Ramones 1/16/88 Ministry 2/2/88 Guns n' Roses 2/5/88 Dead Milkman 2/28/88 White Lion 3/6/88 Motorhead 3/23/88 Faster Pussy Cat 4/1/88 Blondie 4/9/88 Gaye Bykers on Acid 4/22/88 Peter Murphy 4/29/88 They Might Be Giants 5/5/88 The Alarm 5/7/88 Gwar 5/7/88 Danzig 5/12/88 Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush 6/16/88 Lene Lovich 6/30/88 Gwar 7/14/88 Nina Hagen 7/20/88 Iggy Pop 7/23/88 John Mayall 7/29/88 Divinyls 7/29/88 Jeffrey Osborne 7/30/88 Bonnie Raitt 8/3/88 Kiss 8/10/88 Overkill 8/12/88 Kiss 8/13/88 Kiss 8/17/88 Megadeth 8/18/88 Megadeth 8/19/88 Ramones 8/20/88 Ramones 9/11/88 Sugarcubes 9/20/88 Robyn Hitchcokc & The Egyptians/ Peter Buck 9/30/88 The Damned 10/1/88 The Godfathers 10/13/88 Kix 10/20/88 Fishbone 10/21/88 Fishbone 10/26/88 Innocence The Swing, Tour De Force, Concrete Jungle 10/28/88 Sonic Youth Die Kreuzen, Laughing Hyenas 10/29/88 Southside Johnny & the Jukes Janata, Soozie Tyrell and the Wild Blue Markins 10/30/88 Southside Johnny & the Jukes 11/3/88 Joe Walsh 11/4/88 King Diamond Armoured Saint 11/5/88 Living Colour Royal Crescent Mob, the Deed 11/8/88 Dr Hunter S Thompson 11/10/88 Leata Galloway & Onaje Allan Gumbs 11/11/88 Highway 101 Sweethearts of the Rodeo 11/13/88 Jimmy Page 11/16/88 The Ian Hunter / Mick Ronson Band 11/17/88 Kassav Tabou Combo 11/19/88 The Butthole Surfers 11/20/88 Devo 11/23/88 The Neville Brothers 11/25/88 The Feelies 12/10/88 Hot Tuna 12/16/88 Ministry 12/23/88 Vovoid 12/30/88 The Dead Boys 12/31/88 The Dead Boys 1/3/89 Cramps 1/6/89 Blue Oyster Cult 1/17/89 Living Colour 1/25/89 Restless Heart Rodney Crowell 1/27/89 Ramones 1/28/89 Ramones 2/10/89 Nick Cave & Bad Seeds 2/18/89 Dinosaur Jr 2/25/89 Monowar 3/3/89 Ovekill 3/10/89 The Desert Rose Band Patty Loveless 3/11/89 Paul Stanley 3/12/89 Gregory Isaacs 3/17/89 The Wolfe Tones 3/18/89 Meatloaf 3/19/89 Jamnesty '89 City Beat, Miller, Miller, Miller & Sloan, Indaba, the Wilmingtons, The cucumbers 3/24/89 Southside Johnny & the Jukes 3/25/89 Restless Heart Rodney Crowell 4/1/89 Michelle Shocked 4/6/89 The Jeff Healey Band The Thieves Last show at original RITZ!!! 4/6/89 The Radiators First show at "NEW RITZ"