The Cellar Door

Last updated

The Cellar Door was a 163-seat music club located at 34th & M Street NW in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. from 1964 [1] through January 7, 1982. It occupied the location of a former music club called The Shadows.

Contents

One of the premier music spots in Washington, D.C., the small club served as the genesis for entertainers and as a tryout venue for larger markets. [2] Many artists cut their professional teeth performing at The Cellar Door, while audiences delighted in being within a few feet of the stage at the tiny venue. Many music and comedy notables in 1960s and 1970s performed there. [3] [4]

Notable recordings

Some performances at The Cellar Door were recorded and released. Albums based on live sets there include:

Notable artists

Some of the notable artists who played there include:

Some music was written on site. Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert (as Fat City) opened for John Denver in December 1970. Late one night, Denver helped finish writing a song that Danoff and Nivert had started. They debuted "Take Me Home, Country Roads" on December 30, 1970. [19]

Closing

In January 1981, The Cellar Door was sold for an undisclosed sum to Paul Kurtz and Howard Bomstein from Washington, D.C. [10] Ultimately, the club was closed down by the Washington, D.C. fire marshal after numerous warnings. Licensed for 163 seats, it had occasionally admitted more than 200 people SRO. Also, the books for liquor sales were allegedly being done improperly: so instead of making money, a fair amount of money was being lost unbeknownst to the club owners.

Cellar Door Productions

The Cellar Door Nightclub was a partnership between Jack Boyle and Sam L'Hommedieu Jr. The pair also owned two other popular Georgetown nightspots, The Crazy Horse and The Bayou, as well as The Stardust, a music club in Waldorf, Maryland. They went on to found Cellar Door Productions, which became the largest concert promoter from Baltimore to Florida, with offices in Washington D.C., Ft. Lauderdale FL, Myrtle Beach, SC, and Detroit. Bill Reid was president of Cellar Door Productions from 1983 until his firing in 1997. [20] The Cellar Door Cos. were sold to SFX Entertainment in 1999. [21] Cellar Door developed the Nissan Pavilion concert venue, [3] now called the Jiffy Lube Live, west of Washington, DC. [3] The mailing address of Jiffy Lube Live (now owned by Live Nation) is 7800 Cellar Door Drive. As well as Virginia Beach's Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at 3550 Cellar Door Dr, VB, VA.

Boyle continued with SFX after it was purchased by Clear Channel Entertainment and is now retired. L'Hommedieu managed the Warner Theatre (Washington, D.C.) during the 1980s.

Later tenants

When the Cellar Door ceased operating, a comedy club was announced as the next tenant. However, mayor Marion Barry learned that Mafia money was involved, and decided not to grant a liquor license. A few years later, Cafe Seynabou, a restaurant featuring the cuisine of Senegal, opened at the site, but it closed within 24 months. It stayed vacant for quite some time after that. It eventually hosted the Philadelphia Cheesesteak Factory until May 2009, then Capriotti's Sandwich Shop in 2014. [22]

In 2017, Starbucks announced plans to take over the vacant 2,600-square-foot space. [23] Alec Berkman, BISNOW national contributor reported on July 17, 2017 that before its summer break, in June, the Georgetown-Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission approved design plans for a Starbucks store. The commission was initially opposed to Starbucks’ signage. However, its opposition was reversed when Starbucks corporate gave a commitment to honor the Cellar Door by exhibiting photos of the many entertainment acts that appeared at the venue over its years of operation at the historic location. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Denver</span> American singer (1943–1997)

Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer and songwriter. He was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the 1970s and one of the bestselling artists in that decade. AllMusic has called Denver "among the most beloved entertainers of his era".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starland Vocal Band</span> American pop band

Starland Vocal Band was an American pop band, known for "Afternoon Delight", one of the biggest-selling singles of 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Washington, D.C.</span>

Washington, D.C., has been home to many prominent musicians and is particularly known for the musical genres of Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, bluegrass, punk rock and its locally-developed descendants hardcore and emo, and a local funk genre called go-go. The first major musical figure from District of Columbia was John Philip Sousa, a military brass band composer. Later figures include jazz musicians, such as Duke Ellington, Charlie Rouse, Buck Hill, Ron Holloway, Davey Yarborough, Michael A. Thomas, Butch Warren, and DeAndrey Howard; soul musicians, including Billy Stewart, The Unifics, The Moments, Ray, Goodman & Brown, Van McCoy, The Presidents, The Choice Four, Vernon Burch, guitarist Charles Pitts, and Sir Joe Quarterman & Free Soul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">9:30 Club</span> Nightclub and concert venue in Washington, D.C.

The 9:30 Club, originally named Nightclub 9:30 and also known simply as the 9:30, is a nightclub and concert venue in Washington, D.C. In 2018, Rolling Stone named the 9:30 Club one of the 10 best live music venues in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take Me Home, Country Roads</span> 1971 single by John Denver

"Take Me Home, Country Roads", also known simply as "Country Roads", is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two on Billboard's US Hot 100 singles for the week ending August 28, 1971. The song was a success on its initial release and was certified Gold by the RIAA on August 18, 1971, and Platinum on April 10, 2017. The song became one of John Denver's most popular songs. It has continued to sell, with over 1.8 million digital copies sold in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afternoon Delight</span> 1976 single by Starland Vocal Band

"Afternoon Delight" is a song recorded by Starland Vocal Band. It was written by band member Bill Danoff. In the US, it became a #1 single on July 10, 1976, and earned a gold record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taffy Nivert</span> American singer-songwriter

Mary Catherine "Taffy" Nivert-Danoff is an American songwriter and singer. She is best known for co-writing "Take Me Home, Country Roads", which was popularized by John Denver, and for being a member of the Starland Vocal Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clyde's Restaurant Group</span> Restaurant owner and operator in the Washington metropolitan area

Clyde's Restaurant Group is an American company that owns and operates 12 restaurants in the Washington metropolitan area. Founded in 1963 to take advantage of a change in Washington, D.C.'s liquor laws, it pioneered a number of changes in the way restaurants in the district operated. In 1970, it purchased the oldest restaurant in the district, Old Ebbitt Grill. The company has since expanded its namesake "Clyde's" restaurant into a small chain, as well as opened and purchased other restaurants. In 2019, the company was acquired by Graham Holdings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Danoff</span> American songwriter and singer (born 1946)

William Thomas Danoff is an American songwriter and singer. He is known for “Afternoon Delight", which he wrote and performed as a member of the Starland Vocal Band, and for writing multiple hits for John Denver, including "Take Me Home, Country Roads".

<i>Olivia Newton-Johns Greatest Hits</i> 1977 greatest hits album by Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album released by Olivia Newton-John in 1977. In Australasia, it was released as Greatest Hits Vol. 2 as an extension of the 1974 compilation First Impressions, while in other regions, it fully spanned Newton-John's career up to the point of release.

The Bayou was a music venue and nightclub located in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. The club occupied an old building at 3135 K Street, NW, in Georgetown, under the Whitehurst Freeway for forty-six years. The club opened in September 1953 on the site of a former Dixieland nightclub called The Pirates Den which featured Dixieland jazz until the early 1960s when the format changed to rock and roll. Performers included Count Basie and Woody Herman.

<i>How Can I Unlove You</i> (album) 1971 studio album by Lynn Anderson

How Can I Unlove You is an album by country music singer Lynn Anderson, released in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maryland Route 117</span> State highway in Montgomery County, Maryland, US

Maryland Route 117 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The highway runs 12.40 miles (19.96 km) from MD 28 near Dawsonville east to West Diamond Avenue next to MD 355 in Gaithersburg. MD 117 is an L-shaped highway that connects the rural western Montgomery County communities of Dawsonville and Boyds with Germantown, Gaithersburg, and Interstate 270 (I-270) in the suburban central part of the county. The highway also provides access to Seneca Creek State Park, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and several commuter rail stations along MARC's Brunswick Line, which the highway parallels. MD 117 was the inspiration for the 1971 hit song "Take Me Home, Country Roads".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Living Room</span> Former music venue in New York City

The Living Room was a music venue on Metropolitan Avenue in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, which was originally established on Stanton Street of the Lower East Side in Manhattan, New York City in 1988. The Living Room was co-owned by Steve Rosenthal and Jennifer Gilson. The Living Room has showcased some of the best of New York City’s singer/songwriter, alt-country, and rock. It moved to Brooklyn in 2015 before closing in December of the same year.

Cellar door may refer to:

<i>Live at the Cellar Door</i> 2013 live album by Neil Young

Live at the Cellar Door is a live album by Neil Young, featuring performances from his six 1970 concerts in Washington D.C. It was released on December 10, 2013. The album is volume 02.5 in Young's Archives Performance Series. The album features songs from both Young's early albums and Buffalo Springfield albums, including After the Gold Rush, Harvest, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, On the Beach, Buffalo Springfield and Buffalo Springfield Again.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin Bisnow</span> American singer-songwriter

Austin Bisnow, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and lead singer of the alt band Magic Giant and co-lead singer of the indie folk duo Somewhere In Between. He has written and produced songs for artists such as David Guetta feat. John Legend ("Listen"), Big Time Rush, Jon Batiste & Stay Human, Steve Aoki & Moxie Raia, and Paul Oakenfold, where he was also the featured artist. In addition, Bisnow has collaborated with Akon, Aloe Blacc, Diplo, will.i.am, American Authors, Cody Simpson, Adam Levine, Gym Class Heroes, Benny Blanco, Mike Posner, Claude Kelly, Beast, Sammy Adams, and Cisco Adler.

Owen Danoff is an American singer-songwriter from Washington, D.C. He was a contestant on season 10 of NBC's The Voice where he reached the top 11.

Donal Richard Leace was an American musician and educator.

<i>The Rocky Mountain Collection</i> 1996 greatest hits album by John Denver

The Rocky Mountain Collection is a greatest hits album by the American folk singer John Denver.

References

  1. ↑ "Clinking glass and swinging sound change the image of Georgetown". The New York Times. May 25, 1964.
  2. ↑ Weintraub, B. (1976, November 20). Concert market booming in D.C. Billboard Magazine, 88(47)
  3. 1 2 3 "The MetropoList". Washington Post . p. 3. Retrieved 2014-03-14.
  4. ↑ "Live Online". Washington Post. 1998-12-04. Retrieved 2014-03-14.
  5. ↑ "Miles Davis: The Cellar Door Sessions 1970". Allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved 2014-03-14.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Harrington, R. (2003, November 21). Recordings deliver taped measure of area clubs. The Washington Post, p. T.34.
  7. ↑ McKenna, Dave (9 December 2013). "Neil Young's 'Live at the Cellar Door' is a window into D.C.'s musical past". Washington Post. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  8. ↑ The Cellar Door at AllMusic
  9. ↑ "George Carlin – Official Website". Archived from the original on 2014-02-07.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Harrington, R. (1981, January 31) 2 From D.C. Buy The Cellar Door, Style Section. Washington Post, p. G4.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 (1973, July 14) Who/When/Where (concert listings). Billboard Magazine, p. 17. Accessed 2010-01-11.
  12. ↑ (1973, July 14) From the Music Capitals of the World. Billboard Magazine, p. 57. Accessed 2012-09-15.
  13. ↑ Pointer Sisters. (1973, June 30) Pointer Sisters tour dates. Billboard Magazine, p. 36.
  14. 1 2 Harrington, R. (1989, June 13) Bonnie Raitt, Dry and High; The Singer's Long Road to Sobriety and a Hit Album. Washington Post, p. c.01.
  15. ↑ "Shakti w/ John McLaughlin....November 12, 1977 (First Show) (9PM) : The Cellar Door, Washington, D.C., U.S.A." Tela.sugarmegs.org. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
  16. ↑ "Shakti with John McLaughlin – Live at The Cellar Door, Washington, D.C., U.S.A., November 12, 1977 [REMASTER][FLAC]| Dr. Fusion". Drfusion.blogspot.com. 2009-11-28. Retrieved 2015-10-26.
  17. 1 2 Alpert, B. (1993, May 15). M Street Shuffle. Washington Post, p. A23
  18. ↑ (1970, November 21). From the music capitals of the world. Billboard Magazine, 82(47), p. 27
  19. ↑ "Bill & John Denver". Billdanoff.com. Retrieved 2014-03-14.
  20. ↑ "A. William Reid v. John J. Boyle, Cellar Door Venues, Inc" (PDF). Bischoffmartingayle.com. Retrieved 2014-03-14.
  21. ↑ "The Dream Home That Never Was". Washingtonpost.com. 2007-08-04. Retrieved 2014-03-14.
  22. ↑ Cooper, Rebecca (30 July 2014). "Love 'n Faith brings liquid nitrogen ice cream to Columbia Heights; Capriotti's heads to Georgetown" . Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  23. ↑ Devaney, Robert (7 June 2018). "The Georgetowner; Ins & Outs; In: Where Cellar Door Was – Starbucks No. 5" . Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  24. ↑ Berkman, Alec (17 July 2017). "BISNOW; New Kids On The Block: Georgetown" . Retrieved 9 September 2018.

38°54′18.5″N77°4′4.1″W / 38.905139°N 77.067806°W / 38.905139; -77.067806

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.