Former site of venue (currently the site of the restaurant A Taberna):
As located at 4135 Austin Bouelvard in Island Park, New York, the C-Note Cafe -- noted to be "under new ownership," per a 1994 Long Beach Herald article -- was believed to feature "some of the finest jazz musicians around." The spot was also renowned for its "dinner specials," as served buffet-style during some meal periods. Briefly the venue also hosted metal and punk-oriented artists.
Among the notable artists who performed at this venue were E.Town Concrete, Cipher (a band with Long Beach roots), God Forbid, and Cave In.
Sources:
https://www.setlist.fm/venue/c-note-cafe-island-park-ny-usa-73d582cd.html
Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on April 30, 2025.
Calderone Music Hall was a theater located at 145 North Franklin Street in Hempstead, New York. Salvatore Calderone and son Dr. Frank Calderone were visionary theatre operators in Nassau County, New York, and their Calderone theatre circuit was initially known for showcasing films and live stage shows. The Calderone Theatre opened on June 21, 1949, and in January 1974, Concerts East (an Island Park promotion firm headed by local legend Phil Basile) announced that it would manage the Calderone as a music venue. Reportedly due to a contractual obligation, the Calderone had to keep showing The Godfather Part II while staging concerts only on weekends after midnight. Capacity of the venue was believed to be for around 2,200 patrons.
Among the notable artists who performed at Calderone Music Hall over the next decade into the mid-1980s were Aerosmith, Journey, AC/DC, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Billy Joel (Hicksville native), Electric Light Orchestra, Peter Frampton (who recorded some of his best-selling Frampton Comes Alive album in Commack), ZZ Top, The J. Geils Band, Santana, KISS, Barry Manilow, The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia, The Ramones (whose guitarist Johnny Ramone had ties to Westbury), Meat Loaf (whose primary songwriter Jim Steinman was a native of Hewlett), Hall & Oates, Van Halen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Dire Straits, Elvis Costello, Judas Priest, Devo, Def Leppard, The Stray Cats (natives of Massapequa), The Talking Heads, Motorhead, Santana, The Pretenders, Cheap Trick, The B-52s, Twisted Sister (which includes multiple Long Island natives), and Blondie.
More specific to Freeport, Lou Reed performed at this location, when it was known as the Hempstead Theatre, on December 26, 1972 during Reed's Transformer tour. A recording of this concert, plus a remote radio interview for WLIR, became the Lou Reed album American Poet.
KISS performing live at Calderone Hall in 1975:
Interior of venue:
Same location's exterior, decades later:
Then-upcoming events:
Lou Reed album featuring recordings from this location:
Sources:
https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/calderone-concert-hall-hempstead-w2f9bllw
https://www.setlist.fm/search?page=22&query=calderone+hall
https://www.discogs.com/label/911741-Calderone-Concert-Hall
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calderone_Concert_Hall
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Calderone-Concert-Hall/748038275318860
Researched by Darren Paltrowitz, April 9, 2025. Updated April 30, 2025.
Exterior photo of Channel 80 when it was J. Sprat's:
Exterior daytime photo of Bridgeview Yacht Club:
Exterior nighttime photo of back portion of the Bridgeview Yacht Club:
Channel 80 was located at 80 Waterfront Boulevard in Island Park, New York. This same location is believed to have also housed the Bridgewater Yacht Club and J. Sprat's On The Water. Channel 80's owner, Phil Basile, opened other Long Island venues, including The Action House, Rockpile (believed to be set in the same location as The Action House), Speaks, and Industry.
Among the notable artists believed to have performed at this space are The Fixx, Zebra, and Eek-A-Mouse. Video of Bridgeview Yacht Club can be seen here. A matchbook from Channel 80 can be seen here.
Undated event photo:
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/04/realestate/if-you-re-thinking-of-living-in-island-park.html
https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=lij19870702-01.1.25
https://www.jordanfh.com/obituaries/Michael-A-Palancia?obId=27773553
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/ronald-ruggiero-obituary?id=54133244
https://www.reddit.com/r/longisland/comments/1hr6oo3/industry_in_island_park
http://streetsyoucrossed.blogspot.com/2007/02/where-action-was.html
https://www.setlist.fm/venue/j-sprats-on-the-water-island-park-ny-usa-6bd19a7a.html
https://www.newsday.com/news/long-island-nightclubs-i97818
https://www.facebook.com/groups/35393641926
https://www.byrneweb.com/Fixx/fixx_news_archive.html
https://www.bridgeviewyachtclub.com
Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on April 21, 2025
Little has been documented about the Island Park, New York venue known as Club California. This venue may have been in the same location as Industry and Archie's.
Among the notable artists believed to have performed at Club California are The Ramones, The Stray Cats, and Ranking Roger of The Beat and General Public. A 1988 performance by The Ramones at this venue can be heard here.
Photo of The Ramones performing at Club California in 1988:
Sources:
https://www.setlist.fm/venue/club-california-island-park-ny-usa-1bd2f124.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ITN27lhwHc
https://straycatscentral.wordpress.com/1988/12/31/stray-cats-tour-archive-1988
https://cdn-2.concertarchives.org/venues/club-california
https://www.city-data.com/forum/long-island/292192-speaks-i-think-island-park-2.html
Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on April 19, 2025.
Former site of Club Ritual:
Located at 2686 Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown, New York, Club Ritual (formerly Luxe and Club 2686) was a nightclub which opened in 2002. Select Monday nights featured one of the biggest teen nights in New York. Wednesday nights had been known within one of its prior incarnations as "DeLuxe," Long Island's biggest and most popular "Gay Party." Saturday nights were home to "Ritual", an alt-rock, goth and metal affair that was revered by many.
Among the notable artists who had performed at Club Ritual were Envy On The Coast, Paramore, All Time Low, Cobra Starship, Boys Like Girls, Valencia, Permanent Me, Powerman 5000, Halifax, Hoobastank, The Living End, Mind Over Matter, Skid Row, King's X, Patent Pending, The Receiving End Of Sirens, Vision Of Disorder, Portugal The Man, CKY, Poison The Well, Bayside, Hit The Lights, Men Women & Children, E.Town Concrete, and Butch Walker. Here is video of Paramore performing at this venue. Here is video of Cobra Starship performing there.
Paramore performing live at Club Ritual in 2006:
The Living End tour schedule, including Club Ritual:
Sources:
https://www.concertarchives.org/venues/club-ritual
https://www.setlist.fm/venue/club-ritual-levittown-ny-usa-4bd61bd6.html
https://www.linkedin.com/company/club2686
Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on April 19, 2025.
Undated exterior photo of the venue before its name change:
The Commack Bowling Alley -- now believed to be named Bowlero Commack -- was located at 2183 Jericho Turnpike in Commack, New York. In the early 2000s, the venue was host to performances by Brand New, Shai Hulud, Subterfuge, and Skycamefalling.
Sources:
https://www.concertarchives.org/venues/commack-bowling-alley
https://www.setlist.fm/venue/commack-bowling-alley-commack-ny-usa-43d61777.html
https://www.bowlero.com/location/bowlero-commack
Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on May 1, 2025.
The Crazy Donkey was a popular live music venue and nightclub located at 1058 NY-110 in Farmingdale, New York. The bar is believed to have opened in 2002 and closed in 2011. The last national act documented as performing at The Crazy Donkey was Pepper, a West Coast-based reggae/ska band.
Among the notable performers who performed at The Crazy Donkey are Paramore, Brand New (members originally from Merrick and Levittown), Taking Back Sunday (members with ties to Baldwin and Rockville Centre), Sevendust, Candlebox, Buckcherry, Underoath, The Get Up Kids, Saves The Day (whose bassist Eben D'Amico has ties to Sea Cliff), Loudness, Fozzy (featuring Chris Jericho, who was born on Long Island), UFO, House Of Pain, Hoodie Allen (originally from Plainview), Bayside, Twisted Sister (including Baldwin native Dee Snider), The Misfits, Andrew W.K., GWAR, LMFAO, Thursday, Relient K, Sum 41 (whose drummer Frank Zummo is originally from Long Island), Trivium, Shwayze, Clutch, Steel Train (including Jack Antonoff), NOFX, King's X, Bomb The Music Industry (featuring Baldwin native Jeff Rosenstock), New Found Glory, Demi Lovato, Aaron Carter, Motley Crue's Vince Neil, Glassjaw (featuring Justin Beck of Merrick and Daryl Palumbo of Bellmore), Ratt, Biohazard, Y&T, and Testament.
The Get Up Kids performing live at The Crazy Donkey in 2011:
Saves The Day performing live at The Crazy Donkey in 2011:
Hey Monday performing live at The Crazy Donkey:
Concert posters from the venue:
Sources:
https://www.instagram.com/longislandconnection/p/DDwseg3tl4B
https://patch.com/new-york/farmingdale/crazy-donkey-closes-doors
https://www.longislandpress.com/2011/09/20/farmingdale-nightclub-crazy-donkey-closes-down
https://www.facebook.com/groups/HeyLongIslandDoURemember/posts/10160024409676245
https://longislandmusicscene.fandom.com/wiki/Crazy_Donkey
https://www.setlist.fm/venue/the-crazy-donkey-farmingdale-ny-usa-bd6c5f6.html
https://patch.com/new-york/farmingdale/behind-the-music-the-crazy-donkeys-rick-eberle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH-hMS2HXcs
Researched by Darren Paltrowitz, April 11, 2025.
Exterior photo courtesy of the Freeport Historical Society:
Located at 77 East Sunrise Highway in Freeport, New York, the Celebrity Club was known as the Cotton Inn in the 1930s. Gaetano "Guy" Miceli was the reported proprietor of the Cotton Inn as of 1938. It remained the Cotton Inn until 1949, when new ownership reopened the venue as the Celebrity Club. Howard "Babe" Hicks was reported to be one of the bartenders. As of1958, the Celebrity Club was owned by Julius Hesse, who was also president of Emerald Pools, Inc. The club was advertised as the "Showcase of Talent."
A few dated events of note... Paul Robeson, a prominent civil rights activist, singer, and actor, appeared at a rally supporting Henry A. Wallace's presidential campaign at the Cotton Inn in September 1948. In 1952, a cigarette left in a garbage can reportedly caused a fire that resulted in $10,000.00 in damages to the Celebrity Club; at the time, the club was operated by Irving Cohan of the Bronx. In 1992, the Holmes Brothers, a vocal and instrumental trio from Virginia, released an album that mentioned Freeport's Celebrity Club in the album's liner notes.
The Veneers photographed backstage at this venue:
Matchbook cover from this venue:
Sources:
https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15281coll12/id/5484
https://libguides.freeportlibrary.info/Encyclopedia/c
https://pocketsights.com/tours/place/Celebrity-Club-59839:6677
https://pocketsights.com/tours/tour/Sailing-Through-Freeport%27s-History-6677
https://placesnomore.wordpress.com/dance-clubs-bars
https://longislandtraditions.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/sum2006.pdf
Research by Darren Paltrowitz on April 19, 2025.
Located at 159 Jericho Turnpike in Mineola, New York, Chuckles featured a healthy mix of national headlining acts and local Long Island comics. This spot is rumored to be the first club where Adam Sandler performed, although others have deemed that to be Pips Comedy Club in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Here is video of Frankie Pace performing at the venue in 1985.
A 1984 newspaper advertisement for this venue:
Sources:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=463430993689268&id=104119396287098&set=a.190879967611040
https://longislandcomedy.wordpress.com/2014/02/14/some-history-on-the-long-island-comedy-scene
https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/long-island-stand-up-comedy-1980s-v36444
https://patch.com/new-york/bellmore/no-joke-brokerage-still-going-strong
https://libn.com/2016/11/18/serious-business
Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on May 1, 2025.
