Jan 032007
So many shows with so many international, national and homegrown bands throughout the 80s: it is hard to pick a favorite. For me, I have fun memories of New Music Nights and wonderful memories of Reggae and World Music. Does anyone remember December 2 and 3 1988 that Roy Orbison played before passing away to the Rock N Roll heaven? Or Mick Jones, of Big Audio Dynamite, stopping the show to calm down the stage divers? Or maybe how well Extreme played after their European tour? What memories do you have at the Channel?
Back at ya Roland.
Unfortunately I am out in LA and won’t be back east for a while. I really want to get back and see what condition my house is in.
I remember Wendy O.
The Tubes for my Birthday week in 87, thanks David.
John Butcher was always a trip.
Til Tuesday was great, Ami is still out here makin music in LA.
I’m still trying to get in touch with a few people, like Debi, Todd (where is Lisa?), Laurie Sargent, DB, etc.
Who was shocked about Mark “Snap” Parenteau?
Anyone wants to get in touch with me hit my Church web site and send me a line.
Since I haven’t done so, Thank you Dinky for everything you ever did for me. I had nothing but fun working with you and DB all those years. I remember when you were brought in as Production Manager and it was good to see they found the best possible candidate to meet the criteria I set for the job. Yes, I did more there than met the eye, like the Necco Place thing and expanding the stage, I always sought ways to make a good club a great club.
I was talking about my first pit experiance & started looking. I think it was about 20 years ago I saw DRI & Kreator there was a third band & for the life of me I can’t remember. If anyone remembers that show please reply with who else played that night & if anyone has pictures I would love to see them I live in AZ now so it’s getting harder & harder to reminisce.
Found Peter Lembo. He has a MYSPACE page.
Extreme is back on tour.
Johnny Angel is out here in LA with the Blackjacks.
Rafe Mabry is in Reseda somewhere.
The bands that became at the Channel make for a long list. Those that just visited makes an even longer one. We even had Spencer For Hire there in the day.
Anyone remember the Rick James shows in 88?
Who has stories about any of the Red and White Halloween Ball’s?
I remember a few Fishbone shows with everyone swimming to and from the stage, even one night when the stage security didn’t recognize Fishbone swimming back from the audience and almost pummeled him.
The Temptations, Yellowman, Neville Brothers, New Kids, Butthole Surfers, Nina Hagen: what a diverse array of genres the Channel offered.
I remember Suicidal Tendencies trying to short the house by selling T’s around the corner.
My favorite band at the channel was definitely the neighborhoods. Once during their show I was in the mosh pit (as usual) when this girl slammed the back of her head into my nose. I was pretty drunk so I barely felt it but pretty soon people were pointing to me and making comments. Turns out my nose had been gushing blood and my shirt was covered with it. I wiped it up, got a cold beer, put it on my nose and then went back out to the pit.
There were so many good bands and so many good times there that it’s almost impossible to pinpoint a particular one. The above incident was one of the most memorable. I still live in the Boston area but it’s so gentrified now that I can’t imagine that there is still a good local music scene. The Rat is gone, the old Aerosmith club (forgot the name) is gone. I think the only places that are still around are TT the bears and the Middleast. Although, again those areas have become very yuppie as well and I’m sure that at some point they might not be able to afford to stay open.
I just heard from DB and, through him, John Visser. They are coming home to the Channel (Blog)!
Wow, great to hear from all these old friends. We must keep this site going and also have another reunion soon.
Psycho, you old coot, what have you done?…founded a church?
Too many shows to remember… Slayer, when the mixing riser almost got knocked over by the moshers. Spinal Tap, who used Extreme’s equipment and Extreme added 11′s to the volume knobs. Stompers, just attended a reunion show at Club Casino a few weeks ago…all the old crew were there, including Dinky and Kenny. ‘Hoods, Fools, Gwar, Wendy O, Motorhead, the Sunday BCN all ages shows, all great memories.
Anyone who wants to get in touch, just click my name, and you can email me from my webpage.
The Channel has a Wikipedia page. I tried submitting it, but it may not have gone. It definitely needs some help.
What’s the link?
Go to wikipedia and the page is The_Channel_(nightclub).
hey just wanted to say hello to everyone. whatever… this is great to see all the old friends. any news about a get together? does anyone remember the name of the place we used to go after the channel closed for the night, this is a triva question. we used to go there to party.
Roland…it was usually Foley’s…and then “Moon Villa” for food and “Cold Tea”.
It is SO cool to hear from everyone.
I send greetings from the Mountains of SC!
Also from afar (Helsinki, Finland!) from Jim Thompson, bar-back and security.
And with Domingo in “Smack Tan Blue”.
Check out his book site at http://www.jimthompson.fi/index_en.html
and http://www.sobelweber.com/
Enjoy!
-T
Hey Channel Staff,
Anyone up for a mini reunion before Christmas? I know alot of you have moved, but for those of us who remain… it might be fun.
Robin
Yes, definately up for a reunion soon!
Hey? Remember Al, the homeless guy who used to sweep the Channel parking lot, we he alive and kicking…Saw him in the Prudential Center Shaws market today, not looking much worse for the ware.
He’ll probabaly outlive us all, hehehe!
A reunion sounds good, it would help if you could set a GMT(Greenwich Mean Time) time and add a linkable chat room to expand the reunion to lost souls like me and working bands that frequented the Channel.
My old girlfriend in those days, Flo Scott, used to shoot some of the shows for Harry, so I got to see a lot of different acts. I had even gone to the place back when it was the Mad Hatter, a disco club, with a big light up dance floor. The dance floor stayed there for years, but was painted over grey or black (could never tell in that place). I had friends that would play there too, and always came to support them. My sister Patty owns Broadway Lock in South Boston; she was always chasing Harry and Peter for money owed!Thanks for taking me back all those years! …
Adele Maestranzi
yes it was Foley”s that we went to, but, I am talking about the “house” that we used to go to. It was in South Boston. Can”t give to much away. Does anyone remember that? I am up for a reunion.
ah hah!!! it t’was the “BATCAVE” on Dorchester St. Joe Manning’s ol’ digs on dah third floor…how’s that for remembering! card games,kegs of beer from the club,wild women,chinese food,and everything you could imagine! ah, I miss those days…
Roland, Phantom, et al…
Last I saw Joe M. he was driving warehouse trucks for Cambridge Soundworks. (I ran the Factory Store in Newton)
He and B.A. were still pretty tight, but had mellowed significantly from the “Bat Cave” daze.
Since they shut down the retail Operation, I haven’t heard a thing from him.
Would love to know what they’re up to now.
-T.Hodges
db,
Al use to empty all the garbage barrels for us, when we’d clean the club on Sunday mornings (Kosta’s day off). We’d give him a gallon jug of draft beer for his trouble. (he always refused money)
I’ll always remember the way he could fight off the biggest and baddest rats with nothing but a broomstick and a steady stream of swearing…
-T
okay phanton, that was one of the names we called it. the other name was “the huble” it was the green building. Good memory! This is great to hear from old friends. Do you remember the tanks of “Nitro”. I remember hoe al would go through the garbage and collect all the cans and put them into the back of my pick-up truck and i would drive him to turn them in to cash. He would never take the cash he wanted wine only because he said if he got mugged he didn”t want them to tke his money or butts. If he had something on him he would be a target. Any news on a reunion. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Be for now
The Channel was our home away from home. One of my favorite musical memories was when Buddy Guy played. I was up front in the fray when it was well past bathroom time. I worked my way out of the crowd to the mens room. By the way, the mens room featured my all time favorite piece of grafitti. does anyone remember the condom machine. On the side someone wrote, “This is the worst gum I’ve ever tasted!” Anyway, I digress. After going to the mens room I walked out and decided to hang at the back bar instead of fighting the crowd. I’m leaning against the bar and watching Buddy Guy as he leaves the stage and starts walking and playing his guitar through the audience. It seemed like only seconds but sure enough I found him playing right next to me. It seemed only right to offer him a drink. He accepted and I ordered two shots of Jack Daniels. I slugged mine, and he took only a sip of his. He thanked me and went on his way back to the stage. It was funny watching all of the die hards fighting over the remaining Jack Daniels. One of many great shows which include:
The Ramones
Think Tree
Jon Butcher Axis
Dred Zeppelin
Shake the Faith
The Dream
The Enemy
Stompers
The Fools
10,000 Maniacs
The Zulus
The Black Crowes
Iggy Pop
Paul Stanley ( I think Warrant opened but who cares…) Lemmy was at the bar. I got his autograph on a Channel cocktail napkin!!!
The Joe Perry Project
Del Fuegos (Strawberries Christmas Party)
Oh, also, it should be mentioned that this is where I went on my first date with my wife. December 2 1988, Think Tree with CXEMA. No my memory isn’t that good. I have the poster on my wall both matted and framed. I loved the Channel!! My bro loved it more. He has a number of the event posters and a photo album with a bunch of shows he took pictures at. Not professional mind you but he captured the Ramones and a bunch of other bands.
I have been connecting with many musicians from the Channel period over the past week. My Facebook is getting filled in nicely.
Still looking for Mauro Caputo.
I forgot, Todd (the DJ). I am in LA, too. Find my Facebook.
I’ll never forget the channel.. from the gotham city feel of the dark alley turn on Necco street, to the Pancake House trip after the shows. Although I saw many shows there, three will always stick out…
Barrence Whitfield and the Savages playing the WBCN free lunch show
The night the Stompers filmed the East Side Girl video.
and perhaps the most magical was seeing David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks coming together for a Temptations Reunion. (they were billed Ruffin and Kendricks, but the show was mostly the temps). They sounded great and to hear the songs coming from the masters still gives me goosebumps 20 years later…
one honorable mention moment: ducking the trash can in the mosh pit at the ramones concert…
Hey guy’s, I feel like nobody remembers me! I was always at the “huval”,I hung with Jack Rouch,Ruburb,Mike Smith,Lucky,Andy Arsenault,DB. Most of the bouncers new my two girls, Cyline and Nicky.I married Mary Jane(not for long)!I was with Jack Burke(he gave me the backstage passes and drink tickets?I worked mostly security.I am not sure if you guys remember me but I hope so because I remember all of you. Hey Dinky you should remember this, the nightclub down the cape?George H beat me to it, but not many people wrote about the Stompers. And my favorite times were the Halloween parties,asking for ID’s and everyone had a costume so we had no idea half the time.Or when we had those certain bands where everyone seemed to smoke alot!!I was told to start kicking people out and I said “You may as well close the place cause everyone was doing it!” I really hope we have a REUNION! I will be more than happy to help put it together so let me know what I can do. I have great memories of all you guys, those where the days….
Yes Roland, I remember you.
Roland! I remember you! I wonder if you remember me! You have a brother Armand. I used to stay at your place a lot in the BU area. I thought you were so hot and I had the biggest thing for you. Do you rememeber my Delta 88 convertible that you finally got the top down for me? You used to love to borrow that thing! Has anyone heard of Nikki Jerret and her sister Elissa who used to be married to Joe Perry??
F.Y.I.- JOHN MERCURIO aka J.J. PASSED AWAY OVER THE WEEKEND. HE WAS 55. J.J. WORKED SECURITY AT THE CHANNEL IN THE EARLY 80′s. A VERY GENTLE MAN WITH A BIG HEART. I’LL MISS HIM DEARLY HE WAS A CHARACTER THAT MADE THE CHANNEL THE PLACE THAT IT WAS…
First and foremost I would like to extend my sympathies to JJ and his family and friends. The one thing I remember about JJ is when he would tell you to relax your neck and then he would snap your neck and then the same with the back. Thanks for the memories Big Giant.
Kathy yes I remember you very well!! And I also remember the car, when the jack slipped from underneath and it hit my temple, I thought I was dead. Didn’t you get married and had a couple children? How is that going.I meet your husband when the Channel was getting ready to close up. It was great to hear from you all please do keep in touch and let’s get working on a reunion guys, it would be great. think of all of us on a camping trip. NOW THAT WOULD BE GREAT!! I will do whatever I can to help. I am sorry to report that Armand Passed away 7 years ago, he was run over by a big dig truck. Than I lost my stepfather and three months later my mother and 1 year later my brother John was murdered.
Hey Mantis, It was good to hear that you remembered me. I have such fond memories of all of you, it feels good to hear that tyou know who I am. Lets get together soon.
Wow Roland, I forgot that my car almost killed you! Good times! What’s Jack Roach up to these days? Does everyone remember Channel II that they had on the Cape? Hey Roland remember when I fell in the big hole in the ground that was out front??? I think you are remembering my sister-in-law who was pregnant and who you used to protect fiercly because of it. I do have 2 kids. My 20 year old daughter just married a soldier who is shipping out to Afghanistan in June. Ugh! I am sorry to hear about all of the losses in your family. That’s rough. Armand was a funny guy. I still haven’t heard anything about Nikki or Elissa. I thought Elissa had moved out to LA but I thought Nikki was still in Boston.
I wasn’t there maybe just a year so I don’t think a lot of people other than you remember me. But that’s ok, it was good to hear from you
Hey Kathy, great to hear from you. How can you forget the car almost killing me!!! LOL. I haven’t seen Jack Roach for about 20 years so I don’t know. I remember Channel II, I was there for about 3 months painting it!I have 2 nephewa that got shipped over there 2 x’s so I know what that fells like. I will keep him in our prayers. Do you remember when Peter Boris when we were closing up and he wanted us to leave right away, but I would go out back and open it up for us to stay and drink?I thought Nikki was in Boston also. Ellissa, I have no idea. As a matter of fact I was telling my fiance’ the other day about Nikki and how funny she was.Were you the one I was going out with whenI was at PJ’s Bar when Armand and Donna were living in that high rise on the 18th floor and the elevators weren’t working so I had to walk up all those stairs drunk and by the time I got to thier place I was sober. Thank you for the sympathies for my family. It was great to hear from you, we need to get together and talk about old times and hear about the new. Take care for now. Roland
i met Bono at the Channel after their show at the Garden.
have a picture to prove it! ha. back in the day, sept. 87.
Hi Roland! You certainly had the run of that place! I was never really sure what your job was because you seemed to do everything. But you were my hero when you pulled me out of that hole! I remember water rushing in and I thought I was going to drown! I do remember you telling me about walking up all those flights! I remember hearing about the huval. Not sure if I was there, maybe I don’t remember for other reasons!
I see you in live in Chelmsford now. I work in Manchester, NH at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Maybe we should grab lunch or a drink after work.
Call my cell – 603-486-3132. It would be a scream!
hey kathy,
I will give you a call so we can get together. can’t wait. my cell is 978-935-8064
Just stumbled across this site — too cool! What memories.
Though I frequented all of Boston’s great and mostly gone clubs in the early 80′s, to me, The Channel was always my “home club,” the one where I felt most comfortable. And the one that played the widest variety of music.
Favorite memories:
- Catching a barstool in the forehead during a Ramones concert and watching Johnny wince at the site of where I’d eventually get four stitches (but not until after the show).
- Having B.B. King sit down beside me in the back-end bar before his gig (we chatted a bit — nice guy). s
- Seeing Ministry go from disco-y new wave to industrial — all in one spectacular show.
- Watching the Red Hot Chili Peppers perform one of their first East Coast gigs (Fishbone opened and blew the Chili Peppers away).
- Getting into an argument near the dressing room with Stiv Bator (at the time was with Lords of the New Church), who insisted I give him my beer.
- Catching all my favorite local bands, mid-week: The Atlantics, The Rings, Scruffy the Cat, Lou Miami, Girls Night Out, Robin Lane & The Chartbusters, The Stompers, The Neighborhoods, John Butcher Axis, and many more.
Good times.
Oh, and to all the former Channel employees who’ve written here … as a former customer, you guys were THE BEST. No attitudes — just characters.
You-all were a huge part of what made The Channel a special place. Just wanna say a belated thank you.
Hey Zamboni Driver!
That was very cool of you to leave that message! We may have met at one time or another. But the Channel fans were also the best in Boston. They knew they had a good thing and appreciated it! So are you really a Zamboni driver? I work for the Manchester Monarchs in Manchester, NH. I don’t drive the Zamboni but I do drive a promo car on the ice!
Ahh, the Channel! The bands, the people, the management, the DJ’s, Dinkey, Billy “Bud” McCarthy, Jeff Cole, the fans…and let;s not forget that infamous beer smell and sticky floor. It was a happening place! I think back at how lucky I was to have shared the stage with so many talented and wonderful artists. Meatloaf, Brian Washburn Band, Sweet, Barrence Whitfield, Girls Night Out, The Fools, Bobby Boris Pickett, Southside Johnny and a whole lot more. Hanging back stage with Bonnie Raitt and James Brown. Working with Jonathan Mover, Tom Scholtz, and Tom Hamilton on Boston’s Best Guitarist and Rhythm Section competitions. Hi to all and thanks to those who put effort into getting this site up and running – it ROCKS!
Hi Kathy. Yeah, we probably did run into each other at The Channel back in the day. Great place.
Unfortunately, I’m not a real-life Zamboni driver — only in my dreams! Lucky you, working for the Monarchs. Man, that must be a cool job. I live in Maine and go to lots of Portland Pirates games,including games against your Monarchs!
Was wondering if you or anyone here knows of some good sources to find old-school Boston rock music. In particular, I’m looking for The Rings. Any ideas?
We need to have a reunion this summer. my number is 978-935-8065. I will help get things started.Let me know if anyone is interested.
Sorry I gave my girls number, which you can call if you want. My number is 978-935-8064. Sorry about that.
Was at the channel on July 28, 1984 and saw Stevie Ray Vaughn, (wow 25 years ago, feelin old). Anyway, my gf and i had stopped by the club in the afternoon to see where it was as we were from out of town and had never been there and didnt want to get lost on our way to the show. They were doing a rehersal and we stood outside the side door listening for a while. SRV came out after they were done and we got to meet him and even had our picture taken with him by someone who was a local and had some connection to the band. Although he said he’d send me a copy of the pic he never did, i’d give anything to get that picture. What I remember most about that encounter was that Stevie was hammered! Drinking straight Crown Royal on the rocks and it showed that nite at the show, it was one of the worst live performances by him I ever saw, (and I saw him about a dozen times).
Hello from Kristin Wilson I use to work the Channel concessions 89-91 This was one if not the one of my favorite jobs ever. I hated making the friggin popcorn all the time lol. Fighting off the rats when I opened sometimes was sucky too as they were the size of cats. Burnt my hand many times too making Piggys pizza. I’m short and blonde I spent alot of time with Tony and Chuck who used to do security. From Lynn …
Wargasm and Meliah Rage. I won tix by doing the best fake orgasm on WAAF. Incredible show. Still have the shirt, however it is cut 80′s style and quite tiny. It hangs on the wall lol.
Nice write up…usually I never reply to these thing but this time I will,Thanks for the great info.
The amazing Channel Queen Kelly Stone passed away Friday. Without Kelly we would not have all of the GREAT pictures to reminisce over. God Bless Kelly and her family.