User:Cmweddle/sandbox
| Address | 1610 Chenevert |
|---|---|
| Location | Houston, Texas |
| Capacity | 450 |
| Opened | 1971 |
| Closed | 1978 |
| Website | |
| www | |
Liberty Hall was a venue located in downtown Houston, Texas from 1971 to 1978. It was located where the Toyota Center is currently. Liberty Hall was owned and operated by Mike Condray, Lynda Herrera, and Ryan Trimble. It hosted a wide variety of performers, including Bruce Springsteen, ZZ Top, and Journey.[1] It is remembered for its low admittance prices of sometimes only two dollars for nationally known entertainers.[2]
History
[edit]Before Liberty Hall, Condray and George Banks, the future graphic illustrator of Liberty Hall posters, opened Jubilee Hall which became the Family Hand, a restaurant and entertainment venue. The restaurant was known for its red beans and rice, prepared by Thera, the African-American female chef. When Condray began looking for a new location to open with Herrera and Trimble, Thera found the building that would become Liberty Hall. The building was originally a church built in the 1940s and later became the American Legion Post 391. On March 4, 1971, it opened as Liberty Hall. Co-founder Herrera came up with the name. Thera moved with the owners to Liberty Hall and continued to cook for the performances.Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page). The nightclub hosted musicians from the country, rock, zydeco, and blues genre.[3] On Liberty Hall's opening night, the venue hosted the country rock musical Earl of Ruston. Soon after Earl of Ruston, Liberty Hall had a six week long blues show with musicians like Big Mama Thornton, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Freddie King.[2][4] Hopkins became close friends with Trimble and performed multiple times at Liberty Hall by himself and with Mance Lipscomb.[5]
The venue began to gain prominence in Houston. Springsteen mentions Liberty Hall in his song This Hard Land. KPFT and Liberty Hall worked together to produce live broadcasts of performers like Springsteen, Ramones, and Gram Parsons.[2]
Besides the many musicians that performed at Liberty Hall, the venue hosted plays and comedy performances. Cheech and Chong performed for a completely sold out four-night stand for two dollars a ticket. Cheech and Chong credit Liberty Hall for their success.[4] Liiberty Hall also hosted rock opera director C. C. Courtney's play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest from March 23 to April 22, 1972. At the time, it was the longest running play in the history of Houston. [2] Courtney made a deal with Liberty Hall to continue directing his rock operas at the venue. His other works performed at Liberty Hall in 1972 included Ripped and Wrinkled and Babytails.[6]
In 1975, Condray left Liberty Hall. Trimble believes Liberty Hall put on 300 to 400 shows a year until it closed in 1978 with a performance by Muddy Waters. The building that was once Liberty Hall was soon demolished after its closing.[2] Today, the Toyota Center sits where Liberty Hall once was.
Design
[edit]The venue was relatively small, holding about 450 people. The stage and floors were wooden. The intimate setting allowed for good acoustics, different from popular arena-style venues at the time. Banks constructed the stage and balcony.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ "Liberty Hall by Performers". Retrieved 21 July 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f Ayo, Vicki Welch; DeLaVergne, William C. (2015). Boys from Houston II: Deep in the Heart. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1515051633.
- ^ Tannahill. "Liberty Hall". Retrieved 21 July 2016.
- ^ a b Smith, William Michael (29 April 2009). "Live at Liberty Hall". Houston Post. Houston, Texas. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
- ^ Wood, Roger (2012). Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues. University of Texas Press. p. 48. ISBN 0292744196.
- ^ Holmes, Ann (30 April 1972). "Strong Medicine for 'Dead Rock and Dying Theatre'". Houston Chronicle. Houston, Texas.
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