In this wake of this post, this pairing seemed like a no brainer.
East 14th Street between Irving Place and 3rd Avenue, 1988:
East 14th Street between Irving Place and 3rd Avenue, 2010:
Of course, beyond being a location in the afore-cited "Bright Lights, Big City" - as well as the unfortunate host of MTV's abortive dance program, "Club MTV" - The Palladium had a long history. Initially called the Academy of Music, the building always had an affiliation with live music. It opened as a concert venue in the early 70's and was rechristened as the Palladium in 1976. In its run as same, it hosted a slew of notable acts. Arguably its most fabled moment was as the site of what became the cover shot of The Clash's seminal London Calling.
My first trip inside the building was in 1982 to see Devo perform on the Oh No! It's Devo tour. If you think the street looks gritty in that shot from "Bright Lights..." above, you should've seen it then. The venue was turned into the prototypical 80s megaclub in 1985. In the wake of that transformation, I did go back for the odd show. I saw Public Image Ltd. there on the tour for the Bill Laswell-produced, Album (their opening number was a vocal-free cover of "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin). I saw Digital Underground (with Tupac) and the 2 Live Crew there in 1990. Probably my favorite ever show there was Cop Shoot Cop and the Unsane opening for Foetus, which was lovably loud and endearingly ugly.
The era of the big club came and went and the Palladium closed its doors in 1999, later to meet with a wrecking ball. For a little while, it was a vacant lot before N.Y.U. erected a massive dormitory in its footprint (see below)
Whenever I walk down that strip of 14th street, I still catch myself looking up to search for the massive mural that used to adorn the edifice. I miss that.
love these 'then and now' posts.. because we were hanging in the same places. The Palladium was the site of my first live rock show.. The Ramones circa 1978!
Posted by: Sarampines | November 29, 2010 at 07:39 PM
A great pool hall, or billiards, on the first floor Julian's. Spent many an hour and a dollar there. Ephemeral NY will have her blog about it very soon.
http://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/
Posted by: mykola (mick) dementiuk | November 30, 2010 at 09:00 AM
The 1988 shot looks slightly menacing... raw... real. The new photo does not. Looks like suburbia.
Posted by: EV Grieve | November 30, 2010 at 09:10 AM
Plus my '100 Whores' shows seedy 3rd Avenue at the time and what you could get there
http://www.100whores.com/index.htm
Posted by: mykola (mick) dementiuk | November 30, 2010 at 09:15 AM
The Palladium was also my first live rock show. Patti Smith and Richard Hell and the Voidoids in 1977 or early 78, it was winter and cold. And then, just a short time later, my 2nd show, MeatLoaf (yes!). Patty Smith handed out some poems that I still have somewhere. After, we got on the L train and accidentally took it in the wrong direction. In 1978 Williamsburg was certainly not where 4 9th grade girls wanted to be at 2am. It was about as creepy as it gets, and we had to wait about 45 minutes to get the train back in the other direction.
Posted by: Jill | November 30, 2010 at 08:22 PM
More Clash at Palladium circa 1980. Nice pictures btw. I found more here:
http://www.go2jo.com/music/the-clash-the-palladium-nyc-1980/
Posted by: MEK | December 01, 2010 at 09:29 AM
My first show after moving back to NY was at the Palladium in Feb. 1980, saw the Boomtown Rats, then wandered down to Disco Donut and stuffed my face with giant bear claws and apple turnovers. (My metabolism was a little faster back then.) But the reason the Palladium was knocked down was BECAUSE of NYU - they got the street re-zoned so they could build a dorm on the Palladium site, promising they would incorporate the old building into the new one, and then one day the bulldozers were there and the Palladium was gone. Thanks, NYU, you sickening institution, for yet another blatant lie to your neighbors in your quest for world dominion.
Posted by: Lisa | December 03, 2010 at 10:36 AM
Amen, Lisa.
Posted by: Alex in NYC | December 03, 2010 at 11:32 AM
Grew up in NJ just 30 minutes outside of NYC. Three stops on the train and there you were. The Academy of Music / Palladium was the place I saw my first rock show ...Traffic (while Dave Mason was still in the band) early 1970's. I guess I was in Jr or High School at the time. Saw many shows there during the course of my teens to 30's. Even worked security for a few shows through a college roommate's connections.
Photographed a lot of bands too including Springsteen, The Clash, The Police and more.
I see someone posted a link to my Clash @ The Palladium 1980 photos.
http://www.go2jo.com/music/the-clash-the-palladium-nyc-1980/
Here are my Springsteen @ The Palladium 1978 photos.
http://www.go2jo.com/music/bruce-springsteen-the-paladium-1978/
Also saw & photographed lots of music down the street from the Palladium at Irving Plaza ... Graham Parker & The Rumor, XTC, Steel Pulse and on and on .... great times! Great memories! Lots of great music!
Thanks for the look back!
Posted by: Joe Streno | December 05, 2010 at 05:56 PM
Man what a lot of memories you stir up from the mid 80's, Oingo Boingo, Tubes,and at the Ritz the B52s, the Cure. Are you one of the guys I smooched with? Devo in Philly, all those other concerts now just ticket stubs and memories. But sure nice ones. Thanks.
Sally Miller
www.SallyMiller.com
Posted by: Sally Miller | December 15, 2010 at 08:55 PM
Great shots of that most fascinating of streets! Do you have the exterior shot separately? Would like to see that mural again, as well as the Julian neon sign! I spent many a long day + evening shooting pool... Indeed, memories are best stirred and not shaken!
Posted by: freeto | January 25, 2011 at 08:58 AM