A - Music On Long Island - Venues - LibGuides at Freeport Memorial Library

The Action House

Located at 50 Austin Boulevard in Island Park, New York, The Action House was a club-size venue that some have called "Long Island's premier music venue." Prior to becoming The Action House, the location in Island Park was a dinner club known as The Shell House. This venue was in existence from the mid-1960s through early 1970s.

Among the talent which graced the stages of this venue were Marvin Gaye, The Who, The Four Seasons, Frank Zappa's Mothers Of Invention, The Velvet Underground (which featured Freeport's Lou Reed), Sly & The Family Stone, Cream (featuring Eric Clapton), Billy Joel (as a member of The Hassles), Chuck Berry, Chicago, The Grateful Dead, Alice Cooper (whose longtime manager is Oceanside native Shep Gordon), Rod Stewart (with The Faces), B.B. King, Little Richard, The MC5, The James Gang (featuring future Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh), The Stooges (including Iggy Pop), The Amboy Dukes (including Ted Nugent), Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page (as part of The Yardbirds), The Ronettes, The Byrds, Fleetwood Mac, The J. Geils Band, T. Rex, The Allman Brothers Band, Black Sabbath (with frontman Ozzy Osbourne), and The Doors.

The Action House's owner, Phil Basile, also opened other Long Island venues, including Rockpile (believed to be set in the same location as The Action House), Speaks (believed to be set in the same location as The Action House), Channel 80, and Industry.