Paradise Rock Club

Paradise Rock Club

Former names	Paradise Theater
Location	Boston, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°21′6″N 71°7′11″W / 42.35167°N 71.11972°W / 42.35167; -71.11972Coordinates: 42°21′6″N 71°7′11″W / 42.35167°N 71.11972°W / 42.35167; -71.11972
Owner	Crossroads Presents
Type	Club
Genre(s)	Rock
Seating type	General Admission (Standing)
Capacity	933
Opened	September 22, 1977 (1977-09-22)
Website
www.thedise.com[1]

The Paradise Rock Club (formerly known as the Paradise Theater) is a small (933 person capacity) music venue in Boston, Massachusetts. Because of its small size, it appeals to top local rock and alternative performers as well as American bands visiting Boston for the first time (R.E.M., Steve Earle, The Double Yellow). The venue accommodates small music festivals and non music related events. The Paradise is located on the edge Boston University's campus (BU) and draws a student-based crowd. Most shows have an age requirement of eighteen or older.^[2]

History

The Paradise Rock Club opened as the Paradise Theater on September 22, 1977. It was owned by Don Law Company, a Boston music giant that also controlled the Boston Garden and the Cape Cod Coliseum.^[3] Don Law was a former BU student who got his start working as a promoter for the Boston band The Remains. Identifying Boston's large student population as a key music market, Law and colleague Frank Barsalona began purchasing Boston venues to capitalize on the strong local music scene and willing audience. ^[4]

The venue transferred hands to Live Nation, but was purchased back by Don Law and David Mugar in 2009.^[5] After the purchase, Paradise was owned by Don Law, Declan Mehigan and Joe Dunne.^[6] It is now owned by Law, Mehigan, Dunne and Mugar.^[7] Though the Don Law Company is now Crossroads Presents, they are still prominent players in the Boston music scene and own The Paradise, the Orpheum Theater, House of Blues Boston, and the Brighton Music Hall in partnership with Live Nation.^[8][9]

In 2010, Paradise Rock Club completed a three-month renovation that moved the stage fifteen feet to the left, relocated the box office to the front of the venue, demolished the bar and positioned it to the back of the venue. These renovation features provided an open view of the stage. The artist rooms were upgraded with televisions and refrigerators and were relocated to the second floor, as well as doubled in room size. The new additions to the venue were a separate space provided for opening acts, a private bathroom with a shower installed next to the newly added dressing rooms, a new washer and dryer was also included. "All the bands that come through are always looking for the nearest laundromat, so we figured, why not," says Declan Mehigan.^[10]

Policies

For a list of the Paradise Rock Club policies, check here. Some include:

• No alcohol
• No smoking
• No backpacks
• Must be 18+ to enter unless otherwise noted.
• Non-Professional cameras ARE allowed.

Notable events

The Burlington, Vermont improvisational jam band Phish played the venue seven times in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The Irish rock band U2 played a landmark show at the Paradise Rock Club on December 13, 1980. They opened for the band Barooga Bandit. Roughly 150 people are in attendance for U2's set, even though the capacity is 500. Nonetheless, the crowd is very enthusiastic and calls for not just one encore (which was 11 O'clock Tick Tock) but two (which was Out Of Control). By the time Barooga take the stage, only 40 audience members are left, some of whom are U2 and their crew. This concert began U2's strong connection with the city of Boston, a "home away from home" for the band.U2's Boy album had recently risen out of England's post-punk scene and they were beginning to gain radio airplay in America. The band chose Boston as one of its first locations to promote this album.<http://www.u2gigs.com/show1031.html>

References