Music On Long Island - Historical Venues: R

Reds -- someone written as "Club Reds" or "Red's" -- was a short-lived club located in Levittown, New York in the early 1980s. Among the touring artists who performed at the venue were Gang Of Four, The Ramones, Modern English, and Bauhaus.

A short-haired Johnny Ramone performing alongside Joey Ramone at Reds in 1983:

Sources:

https://www.setlist.fm/venue/reds-levittown-ny-usa-bd0a5ca.html

https://www.concertarchives.org/venues/reds--1051891

https://www.tourdatesearch.com/tourdate/1982-11-22/80670/reds-in-levittown-ny-usa

https://concerts.fandom.com/wiki/Ramones_Concerts_1980s

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ramonesforlife/posts/496941051770553

https://www.city-data.com/forum/long-island/252608-all-my-old-clubs-dead-good-21.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/HeyLongIslandDoURemember/posts/10157091547081245

http://www.bauhausgigguide.info/gig.php?gid=184

Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on April 28, 2025.

Located at 40 West Merrick Road at the north west corner of Merrick Road and Church Street, The Right Track Inn was originally the Stephen Pettitt building. The club presented concerts in 1970s and 1980s, not only presenting cover bands and local artists, but also plenty of punk rock, hardcore, hard rock and oldies acts.

Among the notable artists who performed at this venue were The Ramones, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Ministry, The Stray Cats, Taylor Dayne, The Good Rats, Book Of Love, Peter Tork of The Monkees, The Zen Tricksters, Little Buster, Broken Arrow, Bo Diddley, Richie Havens, Vision Of Disorder, The Off Hour Rockers (featuring Jackie Martling), Dream Theater (including Long Beach native Mike Portnoy), The Crumbsuckers (featuring future Life Of Agony drummer and Baldwin native Dan Richardson), Youth Of Today, Mind Over Matter, Agnostic Front, and Sick Of It All.

Video of Book Of Love performing at Right Track Inn can be watched here. Vision Of Disorder performing at RTI can be seen here. A Mind Over Matter gig at RTI can be seen here. The Zen Trickers playing at RTI can be seen here. A photo believed to have been taken of Ministry's Al Jourgensen at this photo from 1990 can be seen here.

Flyers for this venue:

Ticket stubs for the venue:

The Keys live at The Right Track Inn:

Bootleg album of The Falling Stairs:

Review of Stretch Armstrong playing at this venue from Good Times:

Sources:

https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15281coll12/id/6489

https://www.facebook.com/groups/45134247402

https://www.facebook.com/groups/HeyLongIslandDoURemember/posts/10159742899296245

https://www.amityvillerecord.com/articles/right-track-inn-reunion-in-amityville-raises-money-for-li-music-and-entertainment-hall-of-fame

https://www.fallingstairs.com/thoughts/vn8nxggsyl5re1g1o9b9fb7ashx0f9

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/right-track-inn-freeport-ny--324399979379924503

https://fallingstairs.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-1990-at-the-right-track-inn-freeport-ny

Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on April 13, 2025. Updated on June 3, 2025, June 21, 2025, June 23, 2025 and July 11, 2025.

Before changing owners and becoming Centre Station, RJ Daniels occasionally held live performances featuring national acts and notable headliners. Notables who performed at RJ Daniels include Taking Back Sunday, Deer Tick, Hop Along, The Hold Steady, The Felice Brothers, Lucero, and Geese. These live events were believed to be produced in conjunction with the Tommy Brull Foundation, which also produced events at former Long Beach venue Junction. The Tommy Brull Foundation is set to be presenting Built To Spill at the same venue in December 2025, which you can read more about here.

Footage of The Hold Steady performing live at RJ Daniels can be seen here.

Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on June 21, 2025. Updated on November 13, 2025.

Roosevelt Raceway opened as a racetrack located just outside the village of Westbury, New York. The site of Roosevelt Raceway was considered part of the Hempstead Plains. It opened in the 1930s and would prominently feature auto racing and harness racing. After Roosevelt Raceway closed in 1988, the site was primarily used a flea market. Several years prior to its closing, the Raceway hosted a live professional wrestling event in 1985 which featured NWA World Champion Ric Flair, Carlos Colon, "Dr. D" David Shultz, The Wild Samoans, and other wrestling notables.

On the musical end, in August 1972, Roosevelt Raceway was home to the Festival Of Hope. The two-day festival featured performances by Ike & Tina Turner, Sly & The Family Stone, Jefferson Airplane, Chuck Berry, James Brown, The Shirelles, Sha-Na-Na, Billy Preston, Dr. Hook, Looking Glass, Bo Diddley, Stephen Stills, Elephant's Memory (which had served as a backing band for John Lennon and Yoko Ono), The James Gang (featuring future Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh), and Commander Cody; McKendree Spring is believed to have not performed as scheduled. The event was an intended fundraiser for the Nassau Society for Crippled Children and Adults, and its attendance has been estimated to be between 20,000 and 40,000. Audio of James Brown performing live at the Raceway can be heard here.

Two years later, Summersault '74 followed at the same site. This event reportedly drew around 75,000 fans and featured performances by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Joni Mitchell, Jesse Colin Young, Tom Scott & The LA Express, and The Beach Boys. Documented non-festival performers at this venue include Alice Cooper and Oscar Brand. Audio of The Beach Boys' performance can be heard here, while CSNY's performance can be heard here.

A vintage commercial for Roosevelt Raceway can be viewed here.

Concert posters:

Bootleg album for CSNY performance:

Tina Turner performing live at Roosevelt Raceway in 1972:

Sources:

https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/long-island-rock-festivals-rxx5xoyl

https://www.facebook.com/savoldiwrestling/posts/program-and-card-from-icwnwa-night-of-champions-i-held-at-roosevelt-raceway-in-w/901110548849280

https://www.concertarchives.org/venues/roosevelt-raceway

https://www.setlist.fm/venue/roosevelt-raceway-westbury-ny-usa-73d6d285.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1974/09/09/archives/80000-jam-roosevelt-track-for-summer-rock-finale.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1972/08/13/archives/music-rock-at-the-roosevelt-raceway.html

https://www.tumblr.com/route22ny/120483477048/summersault-74-an-all-day-rock-concert-at

https://www.reddit.com/r/ClassicRock/comments/1fc721o/crosby_stills_nash_young_played_a_packed

https://concerts.fandom.com/wiki/August_12,_1972_Roosevelt_Raceway,_Westbury,_NY

Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on April 13, 2025.

Logo of the former venue:

Former site of The Roxy:

Located at 277 New York Avenue in Huntington, New York, The Roxy Music Hall billed itself as "unquestionably the #1 rock club on Long Island," but was also active in sponsoring and supporting the NHL's New York Islanders. The venue was founded by Frank Cariola, a songwriter and Four Seasons road manager who would also go on to start up other venues on Long Island.

Among the notable artists who performed at The Roxy were Korn, Marilyn Manson, Overkill, Hatebreed, 311, GWAR, Life Of Agony, Stuck Mojo (featuring future Fozzy guitarist Rich Ward), Testament, Warrant, Slaughter, Nancy Sinatra, Vision Of Disorder (featuring members from Bellmore and Merrick), Biohazard, Stuttering John Melendez (Massapequa native), Trixter, KISS co-founders Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, Blue Oyster Cult (featuring Long Island natives Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma), Accept, Clutch, Michael Monroe of Hanoi Rocks, Type O Negative (whose frontman Peter Steele was believed to reside in Lido Beach later in his life), and Widespread Panic.

Advertisements for then-upcoming events:

Ticket stubs for events at this venue:

Review of a 1996 Marilyn Manson concert at this venue:

Mercyful Fate (featuring King Diamond) live at Roxy Music Hall in 1993:

Sources:

https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/heavy-metal-long-island-twisted-sister-u48270

https://www.concertarchives.org/venues/roxy-music-hall

https://www.setlist.fm/venue/roxy-music-hall-huntington-ny-usa-5bd7dbe8.html

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/korn/1996/roxy-music-hall-huntington-ny-3bdeb8b8.html

https://www.facebook.com/TheNyhcChronicles19792015/posts/roxy-music-hall-huntington-1995/1853202664825072

https://www.piercingmetal.com/coming-early-2020-the-sundance-roxy-reunion-w-zebra-overkill-yt-more

Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on April 13, 2025.

Original exterior of the Valley Stream Theatre:

The Rio on its last legs:

Originally the 1,800-seat Valley Stream Theatre, the Rio Theatre was located at 69 Rockaway Avenue in Valley Stream, New York. It was initially a movie theater when opened in 1926 and in the 1980s featured concerts, sometimes partnering with the nearby music store Slipped Disc Records for in-store evenings with artists performing at the Rio. The theater is believed to have closed in the early 1980s and to have since been demolished in 1997.

Among the notable artists who performed at this venue were Metallica, Slayer, The Stray Cats, Gerry & The Pacemakers, John Stamos, Overkill, and Anthrax. A 1984 performance by Metallica at the Rio can be heard here. A 1984 performance by Slayer at this venue can be heard here. A 1984 performance by Overkill at the same venue can be heard here.

More on the early days of Metallica can be found here, per early fan and friend of the band John Kornarens. A Paltrocast interview with Michael Alago, who signed Metallica to a major label deal in the 1980s -- within a few years of the Rio show -- can be found here. A Paltrocast Q&A with Jonny Zazula, who was instrumental within the early careers of Metallica and Anthrax, can be read here.

Discussion about Slayer's 1984 performance at the Rio possibly leading to the cancellation of future concerts at the same venue took place in November 2025 with Slayer biographer D.X. Ferris -- as part of a virtual event hosted by the Freeport Memorial Library -- which you can see here.

Concert flyers from the venue:

Sources:

https://www.setlist.fm/venue/rio-theatre-valley-stream-ny-usa-33d23019.html

https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/4661

https://www.vsvny.org/index.asp?SEC=17E2184D-D1F2-402C-8953-35B0520559EA&DE=87E7EFF1-CB1D-4180-9915-35563AD90F0E

https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/4661/comments

https://www.metallica.com/tour/1984-01-21-valley-stream-new-york.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqrwmrI7-hKSb_iZk7-hOTfNda7cmevB2H-MshxlmL0V0n1MHPU

Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on April 19, 2025. Updated on May 7, 2025, June 26, 2025 and November 6, 2025.

Located at 200 NY-106 in Oyster Bay, New York, Rumrunners was also often written as Rum Runner's and Rum Runners. Many of its concerts featuring national acts and out of town headliners were booked by the promotions company Heartbeat Concerts.

Among the notable artists who performed at this venue were The Ramones, Hot Tuna, Fishbone, The Replacements, The Church, Al Di Meola, Zebra, 10,000 Maniacs (featuring Natalie Merchant), Robert Gordon, E-Street Band guitarist Nils Lofgren, The Toasters, The Fleshtones, The Dead Milkmen, Tommy James, The Good Rats, and Johnny Winter.

A 1980s-era television commercial for the club can be seen here. A review of a Ramones performance at this spot can be read here.

Undated photo of venue exterior post-closing:

Advertisement for then-upcoming performances at the venue:

The Ramones' Richie Ramone performing live at Rumrunners:

Ticket stub from venue:

Sources:

https://www.setlist.fm/venue/rumrunner-of-oyster-bay-oyster-bay-ny-usa-1bd025f8.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/long-island/458734-rock-clubs-80s-long-island-oyster.html

https://www.longislandpress.com/2015/09/18/behind-the-times-september-18-2015

https://www.facebook.com/groups/364720897055

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKSGijb96-Q

Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on April 21, 2025.