According to Dan Wakefield’s “New York in the Fifties,” Billie Holiday played a concert at the Sheridan during the summer of ‘57, co-sponsored by Art d'Lugoff (owner of the Village Gate) and the Village Voice. This was apparently her first major NYC appearance since the late '40s. Wakefield writes that she had a nightclub date in Philadelphia earlier that evening, which ended at 11 p.m. A Voice staffer was dispatched to pick her up in Philly, and try to get her to NYC before 2 a.m. as there was a 3 a.m. entertainment curfew in force at the time. Since she insisted on stopping at a bar about halfway through the journey, they didn’t make it until well after 2—“but the police had been greased, and Billie started on the dot of three.”
According to this site, the date was June 15, 1957. Charles Mingus was also on the bill, and Jean Shepherd acted as M.C. Mingus played the theater again later that year on December 7.
Is it known whether the Village East was ever used as a rock venue? In a commentary track on the recently released New York Dolls DVD entitled “All Dolled Up,” photographer Bob Gruen recalls that the first time he ever took a picture of the band was backstage at the Village East Theater. Apparently this was some kind of glam-rock festival with the Dolls, the Magic Tramps, and Teenage Lust on the bill—but is Gruen referring to the same theater as the current movie house?
Through much detective work, I’ve located a few rare images of the Palladium during its rock venue phase. These were taken in 1980 during AC/DC’s “Back in Black” show.
Was the Commodore purpose-built as a legit theater, movie house, or both? Approximately when did Loew’s take it over? And when did it become the Village Theater?
Here’s a glimpse at the interior.
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Brief discussion an photos on forgotten-ny.com, with emphasis on its incarnation as the 46th Street Rock Palace.
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According to Dan Wakefield’s “New York in the Fifties,” Billie Holiday played a concert at the Sheridan during the summer of ‘57, co-sponsored by Art d'Lugoff (owner of the Village Gate) and the Village Voice. This was apparently her first major NYC appearance since the late '40s. Wakefield writes that she had a nightclub date in Philadelphia earlier that evening, which ended at 11 p.m. A Voice staffer was dispatched to pick her up in Philly, and try to get her to NYC before 2 a.m. as there was a 3 a.m. entertainment curfew in force at the time. Since she insisted on stopping at a bar about halfway through the journey, they didn’t make it until well after 2—“but the police had been greased, and Billie started on the dot of three.”
According to this site, the date was June 15, 1957. Charles Mingus was also on the bill, and Jean Shepherd acted as M.C. Mingus played the theater again later that year on December 7.
http://www.flicklives.com/Timeline/1957.html
Is it known whether the Village East was ever used as a rock venue? In a commentary track on the recently released New York Dolls DVD entitled “All Dolled Up,” photographer Bob Gruen recalls that the first time he ever took a picture of the band was backstage at the Village East Theater. Apparently this was some kind of glam-rock festival with the Dolls, the Magic Tramps, and Teenage Lust on the bill—but is Gruen referring to the same theater as the current movie house?
Through much detective work, I’ve located a few rare images of the Palladium during its rock venue phase. These were taken in 1980 during AC/DC’s “Back in Black” show.
Main page
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Exterior
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Interior
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A few queries for anyone who might know:
Was the Commodore purpose-built as a legit theater, movie house, or both? Approximately when did Loew’s take it over? And when did it become the Village Theater?