Cameo Theater

The Cameo Theatre was built in 1936 and is located at 1445 Washington Avenue in Miami Beach, Florida. The Cameo has a long history and was a major venue for punk and hardcore acts beginning in 1985 when Richard Shelter struck a deal with Cameo owner Zori Hayon to book shows there. According to the Miami New Times, Richard Shelter's first Cameo event was held in July 1985 and featured D.O.A.^[1]

In an interview with Roger Deering, Kristy O'Brien describes the Cameo and the local scene in the 80's. "Growing up in South Florida during the 1980s was a heady experience for anyone with alternative inklings. Against the backdrop of endless blue skies, genteel faded pastel jewel box buildings, midnight porch-sitting elderly and relentless heat tempered with hope, beat the heart of the underground music world known as the Cameo Theater. And undeniably the intense rhythm of that Miami Beach heartbeat was everyone’s favorite local band, the Drills. Most of the great hardcore punk bands such as Black Flag, Ramones, and the Dead Kennedys came to play in this tiny, decrepit hot pink and lime green art deco throwback and as opening band, the Drills were a huge part of the burgeoning all ages movement." ^[2]

Richard Shelter was the first promoter to bring punk and hardcore to the Cameo. According to Shelter, "When I got back off the road with Pickett and started doing bigger shows at the Cameo, the financing came from Patrick, the owner of Tobacco Road, whom I had worked for part time as a waiter."

Promoters

Crossover Concerts

Crossover Concerts was founded by Paco D`Onis and Jim Quinlan. The company was formed in 1986 and held its first show the Cameo Theater at the end of November 1986. Crossover Concerts goal was to book everything from African pop to speed metal. They also planned to renovate and eventually buy the Cameo.^[3] De Onis and owner Zori Hayon closed the Cameo in late 1989 for renovations and reopened it in March 1990 with a concert by the Sugarcubes.^[4]

In the early 90s, The Cameo more or less became a disco dance club. By the end of 1992 de Onis had left, still marveling at the staying power of disco nights, which lasted five years.

Club Era

The disco madness ended in June 1997 after federal, state, and local undercover agents repeatedly bought cocaine inside the Cameo. Authorities closed the club. A few months later they allowed owner Zori Hayon to reopen after he paid $35,000 in fines and agreed to end the theater's under-21 events, including disco nights." ^[5]

Major shows

1985

left

• July 19: D.O.A, Dirt Clods and Harvest.^[6]
• August 3: John Cale, Meat Puppets and Psycho Daisies.^[7]
• August 9: Adrenalin OD, Tex & the Horseheads
• Sept 14: Die Kreuzen, Amazing Grace, The Drills
• November 26: Dead Kennedys, Raw Power, Sewer Zombies and Broken Talent.^[8]
• December 21: Suicidal Tendencies, The Drills, Daverse

1986

• January 11: Circle Jerks, The Descendents, Maggot Sandwich
• January 25: Black Flag, Painted Willie, Gone
• April 18: Government Issue, Rugged Edge, Nuclear Beer
• April 26: G.B.H., The Meatmen, Rugged Edge
• May 17, 1986: UK Subs,Mad Parade,Rugged Edge
• May 31: D.R.I., Silent Rage, The Lead
• June 21: G.B.H., Agnostic Front, Hellwitch (this was at Lincoln Road, not the Cameo)
• July 12: Descendents, Dag Nasty, Die Kreuzen, The Drill ^[9]
• November 6: Bad Brains, Dr. Know, The Drills
• November 14: Sonic Youth, Firehose and Charlie Pickett & the MC3 ^[10]
• November 15: 7 Seconds, Disorderly Conduct, Belching Penguins, Sector 4, The Chosen

1987

• January 10: Marginal Man, Disorderly Conduct, The Roidz, The Lead
• January 17: Johnny Thunders Jerry Noland Band, The Preachers, The Skulls and Sleepwalker ^[11][12]
• January 24: Gang Green, Amazing Grace, True Believers
• February 21: The Dead Boys, The Drills
• February 27: Descendents, Straw Dogs, Rugged Edge
• March 13: At War and Nuclear Assault.^[13]
• March 14: Fear, Silent Rage, Rugged Edge
• March 21: Bad Brains, Toxic Reasons, KGB
• April 4: D.O.A., Rhythm Pigs, Amazing Grace, Sector 4, X-Men^[14]
• May 2: Anti-Heros, Psychic Violents, Doldrums, White Lunch, KGB
• May 10: D.R.I., B.P. (Belching Penguins ?), Rugged Edge, Love Guns
• May 23: Butthole Surfers, Flag of Democracy, Rape in Vermont^[15]
• June 13: Descendents, Rollins Band, M.I.A.
• July 4: The Meatmen The Chosen, Psychedelicatessan, Steven Stilleto and the Switchblades.^[16]
• July 11 (however advertised as July 10): 7 Seconds, Dag Nasty, Youth of Today
• July 18: The Lords of the New Church
• July 25: T.S.O.L. and The Drills
• August 15: The Exploited, Rugged Edge
• October 3: The Dead Milkmen, Nuclear Valdez, Johnny Blaze
• October 10: Bl'ast, FWA, Chocolate Grasshopper, Nuclear Beer plus Skate Jam outside
• October 23: G.B.H., The Accüsed, The Undead, Rugged Edge
• November 20: Fishbone, Scream
• December 5: Red Hot Chili Peppers and Faith No More ^[17]
• December 12: D.I., The Roidz, Doggy Style, The Doldrums
• December 16: Anthrax, Exodus, Celtic Frost
• December 19: Circle Jerks, Necros and The Drills
• December 27: Ministry
• December 31: Agnostic Front, Verbal Assault, Rugged Edge

1988

• January 4: Megadeth ^[18]
• February 20: The Exploited
• March 5: The Dead Milkmen
• March 25: Meat Puppets
• March 26: Toxic Reasons, The Skulls, KGB
• March 28: Nasty Savage ^[19]
• April 2: Agent Orange, All, Doughboys, Johnny Blazes
• May 20: M.D.C., The Big Thing, The Roidz ^[20]
• June 11: U.K. Subs, Broken Bones, Rugged Edge
• June 24: Youth of Today, FWA, Raging Pusbags, Second Generation, Bad Rep
• July 3: J.F.A, Skatemaster Tate, Toxic Zombies, Dr. Martens, Y.D.L.
• August 13: The Vandals, The Mentors, Shudder to Think, No Fraud
• September 6: Overkill ^[21]
• October 20: Iggy Pop and Jane's Addiction.^[22]
• November 12: Suicidal Tendencies, Uncle Sam, Rugged Edge, Nuclear Beer
• November 19: Ramones, The Dickies, Amazing Grace
• December 3: Butthole Surfers
• December 13: Voivod ^[23]
• December 23: Danzig

1989

• January 13: Circle Jerks, Dr Know, Dead Serious
• February 4: Uniform Choice, Gorilla Biscuits, Bold, Insted, Reason to Believe, Bad Rep
• February 16: 7 Seconds. Agony in the Garden, The Drills
• April 1: Gang Green
• April 8: Killing Joke, Amazing Grace
• April 14: Dead Milkmen, Live Skull
• April 17: The Replacements^[24]
• May 7: All
• May 27: SNFU, The Accüsed, Brotherhood, Powerhouse
• June 9: Cro-Mags, Destruction, Mortician, The Believers
• July 5: Mentors, St Vitus, The Roidz (Sun - event moved)
• July 29: The Damned, Agony in the Garden

References