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The Cellar Door

January 21, 2023

For other uses, see Cellar door (disambiguation).

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.

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.

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]

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. ^ a b c "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. ^ a b c d 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. ^ . Archived from the original on 2014-02-07.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Harrington, R. (1981, January 31) 2 From D.C. Buy The Cellar Door, Style Section. Washington Post, p. G4.
  11. ^ a b c d e (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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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.

Coordinates: 38°54′18.5″N 77°4′4.1″W / 38.905139°N 77.067806°W / 38.905139; -77.067806

January 21, 2023
cellar, door, other, uses, cellar, door, disambiguation, seat, music, club, located, 34th, street, georgetown, neighborhood, washington, from, 1964, through, january, 1982, occupied, location, former, music, club, called, shadows, premier, music, spots, washin. For other uses see Cellar door disambiguation The Cellar Door was a 163 seat music club located at 34th amp 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 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 Contents 1 Notable recordings 2 Notable artists 3 Closing 4 Cellar Door Productions 5 Later tenants 6 ReferencesNotable recordings EditSome performances at The Cellar Door were recorded and released Albums based on live sets there include In Person by Bud amp Travis 1964 Live Evil by Miles Davis 1970 later expanded into The Cellar Door Sessions 1970 released 2005 5 6 Live at the Cellar Door by Richie Havens recorded 1970 released 1990 Live at the Cellar Door by Neil Young recorded 1970 released 2013 7 FM amp AM by George Carlin 1972 won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album 8 9 Live at The Cellar Door by The Seldom Scene 1975 considered their signature live album The Redneck Jazz Explosion by Danny Gatton 1978Notable artists EditSome of the notable artists who played there include The Coasters John Abercrombie Billy Joel America in their first American appearance Joan Armatrading Artful Dodger Jackson Browne 10 Brewer and Shipley Brecker Brothers Aztec Two Step Bud amp Travis Allen Collins Band 1983 Jimmy Buffett JJ Cale George Carlin Harry Chapin Cheech and Chong Chick Corea Larry Coryell Bill Cosby warm up comic for the Mitchell Trio with John Denver The Country Gentlemen Jim Croce Miles Davis 6 John Denver 10 He sang his Leaving On A Jet Plane there prior to being released by Peter Paul and Mary Take Me Home Country Roads was sung for the general public for the first time anywhere at the club on December 30 1970 The Joy of Cooking Stevie Wonder The Everly Brothers Mort Sahl The Dillards Fat City later to become the Starland Vocal Band 11 Doc and Merle Watson Gabe Kaplan Neil Sedaka John Fahey David Mallett The Flying Burrito Brothers The Newgrass Revival Paul Siebel Danny Gatton Steve Goodman 11 Great Speckled Bird Ian amp Sylvia Happy The Man Richie Havens Rick Nelson Pete Kennedy 6 B B King Carole King Ramsey Lewis Trio Gordon Lightfoot Ian amp Sylvia Les McCann Roger McGuinn Charlie Mingus Chad Mitchell Trio Judy Collins Joni Mitchell Modern Jazz Quartet Anne Murray 12 Rick Nelson Gram Parsons Performed with a backing band at The Cellar Door At the time looking for a female vocalist for duets his bandmates ran across Emmylou Harris at a small neighboring bar performing cover songs Their introduction was the real start of Harris career and a boost for Parsons act Les Paul Minnie Riperton Lee Ritenour Carly Simon Tom Paxton Pointer Sisters 13 Tom Principato 6 John Prine 14 Richard Pryor 10 Bonnie Raitt in 1969 14 Linda Ronstadt 10 her band was made up of later members of The Eagles Buddy Rich Chris Rush 11 Tom Rush John Sebastian Shakti w John McLaughlin 15 16 Patti Smith Stephanie Mills Tommy Smothers David Steinberg The Stone Poneys Taj Mahal 11 James Taylor 10 Livingston Taylor Nighthawks Jimmy Thackery 17 George Thorogood 17 Mary Travers Paul Davis as a warmup for Mary Travers Muddy Waters Tom Waits Glenn Yarbrough 11 Neil Young 10 18 Brand X Warren Zevon Donal Leace Gladys Knight and the Pips Leo Kottke The PersuasionsSome 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 EditIn 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 EditThe 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 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 EditWhen 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 References Edit Clinking glass and swinging sound change the image of Georgetown The New York Times May 25 1964 Weintraub B 1976 November 20 Concert market booming in D C Billboard Magazine 88 47 a b c The MetropoList Washington Post p 3 Retrieved 2014 03 14 Live Online Washington Post 1998 12 04 Retrieved 2014 03 14 Miles Davis The Cellar Door Sessions 1970 Allaboutjazz com Retrieved 2014 03 14 a b c d Harrington R 2003 November 21 Recordings deliver taped measure of area clubs The Washington Post p T 34 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 The Cellar Door at AllMusic George Carlin Official Website Archived from the original on 2014 02 07 a b c d e f g Harrington R 1981 January 31 2 From D C Buy The Cellar Door Style Section Washington Post p G4 a b c d e 1973 July 14 Who When Where concert listings Billboard Magazine p 17 Accessed 2010 01 11 1973 July 14 From the Music Capitals of the World Billboard Magazine p 57 Accessed 2012 09 15 Pointer Sisters 1973 June 30 Pointer Sisters tour dates Billboard Magazine p 36 a b 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 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 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 a b Alpert B 1993 May 15 M Street Shuffle Washington Post p A23 1970 November 21 From the music capitals of the world Billboard Magazine 82 47 p 27 Bill amp John Denver Billdanoff com Retrieved 2014 03 14 A William Reid v John J Boyle Cellar Door Venues Inc PDF Bischoffmartingayle com Retrieved 2014 03 14 The Dream Home That Never Was Washingtonpost com 2007 08 04 Retrieved 2014 03 14 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 Devaney Robert 7 June 2018 The Georgetowner Ins amp Outs In Where Cellar Door Was Starbucks No 5 Retrieved 9 September 2018 Berkman Alec 17 July 2017 BISNOW New Kids On The Block Georgetown Retrieved 9 September 2018 Coordinates 38 54 18 5 N 77 4 4 1 W 38 905139 N 77 067806 W 38 905139 77 067806 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Cellar Door amp oldid 1125454977, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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