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It is safe to say every student at Ohio State is familiar with the Newport Music Hall, whether having been inside or passing it on the way to class. What many people are not aware of is that Newport’s stage is where U2 played their first American show, John Lee Hooker performed his last show before his death and bands such as Blink-182 rose to fame.
Known as “America’s Longest Continually Running Rock Club,” the Newport began as a movie theater in 1923. In 1970, Harry Laconte turned it into one of the Agora theaters and it remained that way until March of 1984. PromoWest owner Scott Stienecker christened it the Newport Music Hall that month, and in September of the same year, opened the venue with a performance by Neil Young.
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“The Agora in Cleveland still exists, but the building has been moved,” Stienecker said. “Although the Agora name has been around longer, the actual Newport building has been playing shows continuously for the past 24 years, making it the longest.”
Radio host Jerry Elliot compared the Newport’s place on High Street to Wrigley Field’s place in Chicago in an interview for a documentary about the venue.
Despite the change in ownership, not much of the venue has changed. Doorways were widened and the bar was moved to the side, increasing capacity from 1,250 to 1,700. Otherwise, Stienecker wants to keep it real.
“We like to keep it a down-and-raw rock club – it’s what rock and roll should be,” he said.
The majority of the original architecture remains intact, adding character to the building and making it a place where people can feel comfortable to let loose and not worry about spilling a beer.
“It’s a jewel,” said Daddy Wags, a radio host on the documentary. “It’s maybe not the most polished of jewels, but it definitely has retained its value.”
A rich historyThe Newport hosts more than 100 shows a year, with at least 2,400 shows since it first opened.
The first Neil Young show was one of the most memorable, Stienecker said. Among others were Skid Row, a 20-minute sell out and Pearl Jam, who were booked for only $1,000 in 1992 before they made it big.
Pearl Jam wasn’t the only act the Newport booked that went on to fame.
“We booked Hootie and the Blowfish in March of 1994 at the Newport and sold around 700 tickets,” Stienecker said. “Then in September of the same year we booked them at the Polaris Amphitheater where they sold out. That’s over 18,000 people.”
That’s not to say that the Newport didn’t host a slew of large, already well-known acts as well.
When Queen came to play, they had so much equipment on stage that the opening band couldn’t fit and Freddie Mercury had a five-foot space to stand in.
And when AC/DC played one Sunday night, they announced in the middle of their show they would play another concert the following night, with tickets available after their set. The Monday night show sold out that evening.
Many artists find the Newport to be one of the most enjoyable venues for shows because of its ability to bring the artist closer to the crowd.
“I love this place because there is an intimacy you do not get playing at the bigger places,” Joe Walsh said in the documentary. “There’s no such thing as having a bad gig here. You can’t. It won’t let you.”
For other artists, it was the sheer power of the Newport that drew them in.
Rocker Ted Nugent was attracted because it had no noise regulations. Stienecker remembers Nugent putting the butt of his guitar in the soundman’s face and telling him that if he did not turn the sound up as loud as it could go, he would hunt down the man’s family and kill them. That night Nugent lived up to his reputation of playing one of the loudest shows people have ever heard.
Bulding shows its ageDespite the famous artists and its reputation as one of the most well-known rock halls in the country, the Newport still experiences the same issues smaller clubs face.
When Melissa Etheridge played there, all of the stage power went out during her show. Instead of walking out, she picked up her acoustic guitar and played a cover of Janis Joplin’s “Mercedes Benz.”
The night Kiss opened for Rory Gallagher, the Newport experienced another power outage, this time because of heavy storms. Kiss had a candelabra on stage and Gene Simmons handed out candles to everyone in the audience so they could see.
Those were the days when there were the real rock stars, Stienecker said. “There are plenty of people now who want to be real rock stars, like that guy from Fall Out Boy. But back then, they were the real rock stars.”
The Newport continues its tradition of bringing the rising names in the scene today. Bands such as Motion City Soundtrack, Paramore, Cartel, The Starting Line and Streetlight Manifesto are only a few of the hundreds of bands who have had their chance to play at the Newport.
Talent buyer Adam Vanchoff has spent five years working with PromoWest. He said his most memorable experience at the venue was the first show he booked for the company, Brand New.
“According to their tour manager, it was the best show of the entire tour. The band played for two-and-a-half hours that night. They said they really enjoyed playing Columbus. That’s what it’s all about; establishing relationships with artists and management to help the growth of a band in your market while at the same time providing a solid show for the fans,” he said.
For Stienecker, the best part of watching the Newport’s success continue is seeing that it gets better and better. It hasn’t lost its “umph,” and continues to be a great place to watch a show.
As far as future plans go, Stienecker’s goal is simple: “We just want to keep it alive, keep it rollin’, keep it rockin’.”
Kelly McDonald can be reached at [email protected].
