Saturday, October 13, 2012

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!






5/1/80RITZ OPENS!!!
6/14/80Plasmatics
9/23/80Pretenders
10/28/80Utopia w/ Todd Rundgren
11/25/80Rockpile
11/30/80XTC
12/6/80U2First US date
3/8/81Johnny Winter
3/26/81The Jam
3/29/81George Thorogood and the Destroyers
4/8/81Kraftwerk
5/5/81Splitz Enz
5/15/81PIL
5/26/81The Jam
6/28/81Squeeze
6/29/81Squeeze
7/23/81The Cure
7/24/81The Cure
8/2/81Iggy Pop
8/3/81Kraftwerk
9/25/81Birthday Party
9/30/81Tina Turner
10/1/81Tina Turner
10/2/81Tina Turner
10/3/81Tina Turner
10/8/81Tom Velarire (Television)
10/20/81Jimmy Cliff
10/21/81Jimmy Cliff
10/30/81Siouxsie & the Banshees
10/31/81Siouxsie & the Banshees
11/17/81Frank Zappa
11/18/81New Order
11/18/81New Order
11/20/81U2
11/21/81U2
11/22/81U2
12/17/81Misfits
1/22/82Depeche ModeFirst US Date
1/23/82Depeche Mode
3/17/82U2
3/18/82U2
3/28/82Leon Russell
4/13/82Ted Nugent
4/18/82Mike Oldfield
5/3/82Graham Parker
5/7/82Depeche Mode
6/10/82Marianne Faithful
6/15/82Pointer Sisters
6/18/82Bauhaus
6/19/82Bauhaus
7/1/82Average White Band
8/4/82Billy Idol
8/27/82Cheap Trick
9/1/82Black Flag
9/26/82Ozzy Osbourne
10/25/82Vaity 6
10/26/82Gary Numan
11/10/82Pat Travers
11/25/82Peter Gabriel
11/28/82Stray Cats
12/7/82Phil Collins
12/9/82Iggy Pop
3/24/83Depeche Mode
4/6/83Nick Lowe & Paul Carrick
4/8/83The Cure
4/30/83REM
5/8/83The Cure
5/18/83REM
5/27/83Fixx
5/28/83Fixx
7/9/83UB40
8/4/83The Cure
8/5/83The Cure
10/3/83Michael Stanley
10/12/83Graham Parker
10/30/83Hot Tuna
11/22/83B-52s
11/23/83Eric Clapton
12/8/83UB40
12/28/83Manowar
4/17/84Utopia   /Visitor
4/26/84Gang of Four
6/26/84Marillion
6/30/84Steel Pulse
8/5/84Difford & Tilbrook
8/6/84General Public
8/9/84Black FlagSisters of Mercy
8/10/84Bad MannersUbran Blight
8/11/84Way of the WestZerra
8/14/84Nick Lowe
8/15/84TalasHarpo
8/16/84Fela Anikulupa Kuti
8/17/84Talk Talk
8/18/84Illustrated Man
8/22/84Tina Turner
8/23/84Tina Turner
8/25/84Eric Burdon
8/26/84Gun Club
8/27/84Grandmaster Flash and Furious 5Melle Mel
9/2/84Urban Blight
9/9/84The Sisters of Mercy
9/9/84Black Flag
9/10/84Jane Siberry
10/3/84Husker Du
10/12/84Ministry
10/26/84Beastie Boys
11/21/84Hanoi RocksBelefegore
11/23/84Aku AkuDolce Vita
11/24/84The Church Tommy keene Alex Chilton
11/26/84Higher Education
11/27/84John Waite
11/29/84Los Lobos
11/30/84Romeo VoidThe Sound, Eastern Bloc
12/1/84Romeo Void
12/6/84Bobby McFerrin
12/7/84Vicious PinkOnly US Date!
12/8/84Red Hot Chili Peppers
12/12/84Black Uhuru
12/13/84Black Flag
12/14/84The Rescue
12/15/84The Higsons
12/21/84Tom Verlaine
12/22/84Tom Verlaine
12/27/84Ramones
1/17/85Chuck Berry
2/8/85Beastie Boys
2/25/85Sting         SOLO FIRST SHOW
2/26/85Sting
2/27/85Sting
4/13/85Nik Kershaw
4/19/85Scandal
5/11/85Eubstyrzende Neubauten
6/7/85Sisters of Mercy
6/17/85Gregg Allman
7/1/85the Power Station
7/5/85Redds and the Boys
9/17/85Mountain
9/21/85Cocteau Twins
9/23/85Cocteau Twins
9/27/85Slayer
9/29/85Shriekback 
10/2/85Love & Rockets
10/3/85Midnight Oil
10/11/85The Neats
10/12/85SagaShy Talk
10/14/85The Tomboys
10/17/85Duane Eddy and the Ray Beats
10/17/85Duane Eddy with the Raybeats
10/18/85Fats Domino
10/19/85Nick Lowe
10/31/85Fishbone
10/31/85Red Hot Chili Peppers
11/2/85Dead Kennedys
11/7/85The Damned
11/14/85Nils Lofgren
11/15/85Nils Lofgren
11/22/85Adrian Bellew
11/29/85Til Tuesday
12/6/85The Cult
12/12/85Bad BrainsFleshtones
12/21/85Motorhead
12/26/85They Might Be Giants
1/16/86The Residends
1/24/86The Dictators
1/26/86Toy DollsDickies
1/27/86Jerry Garcia
1/28/86Jerry Garcia
2/13/86Howard Stern Show
2/22/86Social Distortion
2/28/86The Damned
4/4/86Venom
4/5/86Voiviod
4/23/86The Allman Brothers
4/26/86Lords of the New Church
5/3/86Fishbone
5/16/86The Del Lords
5/23/86Swans
5/24/86Wendy O Williams
5/27/86Samhain
6/14/86Anthrax
6/14/86Exodus
6/21/86Replacements
7/10/86Fixx
7/11/86Modern English
7/14/86Samhain
7/14/86Celtic FrostDOA, MDC
7/17/86Lou Reed
7/18/86Let's Active
7/19/86The Church 
7/31/86Cramps
8/1/86Cramps
8/8/86Southside Johnny &  the Asbury Jukes
8/15/86Psychic TV
8/22/86Feelies
8/28/86Blow Monkeys
8/29/86Chris Spedding
9/5/86Weather Update and Mahavishnu Orchestra with John McLaughlin
9/18/86Sly & Robbie & the Taxi Gang featuring Yellowman
9/19/86BodeansTen-Ten
9/20/86Circle Jerks
10/3/86Robert Gordon
10/23/86Nick Cave & Bad Seeds
10/31/86Dead Boys
11/1/86Robyn Hitchcokc & The Egyptians/ Beat Rodeo
11/2/86Nick Cave & Bad Seeds
11/2/86Nick Cave
11/7/86Ramones
11/13/86Iggy Pop
11/14/86Richard Lloyd
11/13/86Iggy Pop
11/15/86Gene Love Jezebel
11/20/86Berlin
11/22/86Billy Bragg
11/28/86Fishbone
12/3/86Charlie Watts
12/4/86Charlie Watts Orchestra
12/7/86Slayer
12/11/86Everything But The GirlLester Bowie's Brass Fantasy
12/12/86Red Hot Chili PeppersTSOL, Thelonius Monster
12/13/86Lone JusticeThe Right Profile
12/17/86Communardsin Pursuit
12/19/86Jason & The ScorchersGeorgia Satellites
12/20/86Ian Hunter
12/26/86Beastie BoysMurphy's Law
12/27/86Bad BrainsSNFU, Warzone, Leeway
12/29/86Cramps
12/30/86Cramps
12/31/86Sim KinisonBuster Poindexter
1/2/87Lords of the New Church
1/3/87Johnny Winter
1/7/87Lou Reed
1/8/87Lou Reed
1/17/87Bad Brains
1/23/87Wasp Saxon
1/30/87Dave EdmundsLa Bamba
1/31/87Dave EdmundsLa Bamba
2/5/87Human League
2/7/87
2/14/87Peter Murphy
2/22/87Slayer
2/26/87Julian Cope
2/28/87Mightly Lemondrops
2/28/87The Chameleons UK with the Mighty Lemon Drops
3/21/87Hoodoo Gurus
4/18/87The Dead Boys
4/24/87Mission UK
4/25/87Oingo Boingo
5/1/87Buthole Surfers
5/3/87Wiseblood
5/14/87World Party
5/22/87The Godfathers
5/30/87Fuzzbox
6/2/87The Cult
6/20/87The Bear
6/26/87The Saints with Faith No More
7/11/87King Diamond
7/14/87Voivoid
7/15/87New Model Army
7/17/87Andy Summers
7/25/87Fishbone
8/11/87Cure
9/10/87Ramones
9/11/87Ramones
9/19/87Hoodoo Gurus
9/25/87Hooters
9/30/87Tina Turner
10/1/87Tina Turner
10/2/87Tina Turner
10/3/87Tina Turner
10/3/87Marillion
10/4/87Warren Zevon / X
10/11/87Jorma Kaukonen
10/17/87Husker Du
10/20/87Jimmy Cliff
10/21/87Jimmy Cliff
10/23/87Guns n' Roses
11/6/87Jesus & Mary Chain
11/8/87The Cure
11/15/87Sting
11/16/87Sting
11/21/87The Neville Brothers
12/3/87Joe Cocker
12/26/87The Dead Boys
12/27/87Fishbone
12/29/87Cramps
1/2/88Ramones
1/16/88Ministry
2/2/88Guns n' Roses
2/5/88Dead Milkman
2/28/88White Lion
3/6/88Motorhead
3/23/88Faster Pussy Cat
4/1/88Blondie
4/9/88Gaye Bykers on Acid
4/22/88Peter Murphy
4/29/88They Might Be Giants
5/5/88The Alarm
5/7/88Gwar
5/7/88Danzig
5/12/88Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush
6/16/88Lene Lovich
6/30/88Gwar
7/14/88Nina Hagen
7/20/88Iggy Pop
7/23/88John Mayall
7/29/88Divinyls
7/29/88Jeffrey Osborne
7/30/88Bonnie Raitt
8/3/88Kiss
8/10/88Overkill
8/12/88Kiss
8/13/88Kiss
8/17/88Megadeth
8/18/88Megadeth
8/19/88Ramones
8/20/88Ramones
9/11/88Sugarcubes
9/20/88Robyn Hitchcokc & The Egyptians/ Peter Buck
9/30/88The Damned
10/1/88The Godfathers
10/13/88Kix
10/20/88Fishbone
10/21/88Fishbone
10/26/88InnocenceThe Swing, Tour De Force, Concrete Jungle
10/28/88Sonic YouthDie Kreuzen, Laughing Hyenas
10/29/88Southside Johnny & the JukesJanata, Soozie Tyrell and the Wild Blue Markins
10/30/88Southside Johnny & the Jukes
11/3/88Joe Walsh
11/4/88King DiamondArmoured Saint
11/5/88Living ColourRoyal Crescent Mob, the Deed
11/8/88Dr Hunter S Thompson
11/10/88Leata Galloway & Onaje Allan Gumbs
11/11/88Highway 101Sweethearts of the Rodeo
11/13/88Jimmy Page
11/16/88The Ian Hunter / Mick Ronson Band
11/17/88KassavTabou Combo
11/19/88The Butthole Surfers
11/20/88Devo
11/23/88The Neville Brothers
11/25/88The Feelies
12/10/88Hot Tuna
12/16/88Ministry
12/23/88Vovoid
12/30/88The Dead Boys
12/31/88The Dead Boys
1/3/89Cramps
1/6/89Blue Oyster Cult
1/17/89Living Colour
1/25/89Restless HeartRodney Crowell
1/27/89Ramones
1/28/89Ramones
2/10/89Nick Cave & Bad Seeds
2/18/89Dinosaur Jr
2/25/89Monowar
3/3/89Ovekill
3/10/89The Desert Rose BandPatty Loveless
3/11/89Paul Stanley
3/12/89Gregory Isaacs
3/17/89The Wolfe Tones
3/18/89Meatloaf
3/19/89Jamnesty '89City Beat, Miller, Miller, Miller & Sloan, Indaba, the Wilmingtons, The cucumbers
3/24/89Southside Johnny & the Jukes
3/25/89Restless HeartRodney Crowell
4/1/89Michelle Shocked
4/6/89The Jeff Healey BandThe ThievesLast show at original RITZ!!!
4/6/89The RadiatorsFirst show at "NEW RITZ"