[10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]
| Location | 700 Cookman Avenue (Corner of Cookman & Bond Street ), Asbury Park, NJ 07712 |
|---|---|
| Type | Music Venue, Coffee Shop, Afterhours club |
| Genre(s) | Folk, blues (music), blues rock, singer-songwriters, rock, heavy metal |
| Capacity | 124 |
| Opened | 1968 |
The Upstage Club was a legendary coffee shop, music venue, and afterhours club located in Asbury Park, New Jersey, United States. The Upstage Club was opened by Tom and Margaret Potter in 1968 at Cookman Avenue & Bond Street, Asbury Park, NJ. Influential musicians such as Bruce Springsteen, Bill Chinnock, Southside Johnny (John Lyons), David Sancious, Little Steven Van Zandt, Garry Tallent, Vini Lopez, and Danny Federici first honed their live performance skills at the club.[1] It was where the band the Asbury Jukes was created.[2] The building is featured in the Rock and Roll Hall of fame.[2]
Although Asbury Park is currently associated with the sounds of rock 'n' roll in the 60's and 70's, its music history did not start there. Since the turn of the century, its music community has included Broadway lyricists, Sousa, and Artie Shaw in addition to contemporary artists. In its heyday, there were at least 10 elegant supper clubs and jazz joints lining Springwood Avenue.[3]
The Upstage Club was opened above a Thom McAn shoe store in 1968 by Tom and Margaret Potter, predating longstanding music venues such as The Stone Pony and The Saint. When it opened, there was a café (coffee shop) on the second floor and a music room on the third floor. The club was alcohol-free, and musicians would jam there all night until dawn.[2] In his book about the Asbury Park Music scene, Beyond the Palace, Gary Wien wrote, "This is where it all began..."Musicians gathered each night at a club on the corner of Cookman Avenue and Bond Street that was set on top of a Thom McAn shoe store. The Upstage brought the sights of San Francisco psychedelia and the sounds of Greenwich Village together in an endless array of all night jam sessions, which attracted the best young musicians in the area."[4][5] The Club's opening coincided with the race riots and increasing use of drugs in the area. It was a refuge from the choas. A sign on the door read, “Leave your anger and hate outside with your booze and drugs.”[2] The Upstage Club has been said to have helped develop the Jersey Shore sound or 'Asbury Sound," though musicians and others closely involved with the regional music scene view object to the concept and see each band as having a personality and style of their own. [6] The musicians frequenting the Upstage Club did create several bands commonly associated with this sound. According to Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg, "If the sound that developed at the Shore in the 70's was unique, it was because you could play traditional blues and rock-and-roll. At the same time, audiences were open to experimentation. We mingled everybody's' styles." [7][6]
In the late 1960s Springsteen jammed there with John Lyon, Van Zandt, Garry Tallent, Danny Federici, David Sancious and Vini Lopez.[2] The Asbury Jukes', the E Street Band's, and the Hubcap's roots extend to The Upstage Club. Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg said "When we started, it was usually me convincing a club owner we had a band that played pop tunes...He'd hire us, and then I'd run to the Upstage club in Asbury Park and whoever was there at the time became the band. We used to call it 'the band of the week." Rosenberg said that the Hubcaps consisted mostly of Jukes who were not busy when he was recruiting for the Hubcaps.[7] Van Zandt Garry Tallent, Danny Federici, Vini Lopez and David Sancious, would all later join Springsteen in the E Street Band.[8][7]
A documentary about the club called "Just Before the Dawn" that tells the story of The Upstage Club was released on April 21, 2017 during the Asbury Park Music & Film Festival.[1] The film was directed by Tom Jones. It reflects on Asbury Park during the 1970's, the impact of race riots, and the emergence of it unique sound. The film features interviews with musicians who played at the aura of the Upstage.[1] There is also a book about The Upstage Club by Carrie Potter-Devening entitled, "For Music's Sake. Asbury Park's Upstage Club and Green Mermaid Cafe. The Untold Stories.[5][9]
The Upstage Club closed in 1971. In 2014, the site of the former Upstage Club was listed for sale at 1.8 million dollars, which includes a $750,000 liquor license.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c Staff (March 16, 2017). "Just Before the Dawn" Documentary Tells The Story of The Upstage Club. [1] New Jersey Stage. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f De Poto, T. (January 26, 2014). "Springsteen's proving grounds in Asbury Park, the Upstage Club, is for sale for 1.8 million. [2] The Star-Ledger. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ DeMasters, K. [3]. (2001, August 19). A Revival, Musically at Least, Sparks Asbury Park. New York Times. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ Rothenberg, D. & G. Wien[4] (2006). Beyond the Palace. Bloomington, IN: Trafford Publishing.
- ^ a b Angermiller, M. A. (April 22, 2017). "Watch Bruce Springsteen Perform at Asbury Park Music Festival in New Jersey." [5] Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ a b Wien, G. (nd). "Stone Pony and the Asbury Sound." [6] New Jersey Stage. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ a b c Demasters, K. (May 30, 1999). "The Jersey Shore Sound Pays a Visit to the City." [7] New York Times. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ Cahillaine, K. (May 1, 2005). "Two Guys Left Behind In the E Street Shuffle." [8] New York Times. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ Potter-Devening, C. (2011). For Music's Sake. Asbury Park's Upstage Club and Green Mermaid Cafe. [9] New York: Authorhouse.