Sunday, February 25, 2018

The Golden Crown - 1979-82


The Golden Crown opened in June of 1972. The Seattle Times noted that the new restaurant “will have entertainment eventually…for the time being, the Chinese food gets top billing. The restaurant is operated by the same triad - George Woo, his wife, Martha, John Loui - responsible for the cuisine at the Gold Coin Restaurant.” The restaurant’s address was 1600 Times Court, the alley off the old Westlake Court. 

In February of 1973, the owners of the Crown added a dinner theater called the Cabaret Theater, and performances were held in the “Upstairs Club” on the second floor. Patrons were offered a sit-down Chinese dinner in the ground floor restaurant prior to the show and a Cantonese smorgasbord was offered after the performance. The theatre had a different address than the restaurant - 1616 Fourth Ave, and it was located across the street from the east entrance of the Bon Marche. Several performers have noted the treacherously steep stairs leading up to the new space. 

The first mention of music being performed at the Crown was in May 1973 when it was advertised that Danny Ward & His New Reality would perform after the dinner-theatre package, from 11pm to 4am(!) Thursdays through Saturday. The August 5, 1973 edition of the Seattle P.I. noted that the One Reel Vaudeville Show planned to open a nightclub in the restaurant, with a stage and dance floor, and a swing band would play between acts of the show. 

It appears that the ownership ceased operating the dinner theatre in the spring of 1974, and hired a pianist, Bob Dudley, to perform on a regular basis until January of 1975. In March of that year, CTI recording artist Seawind performed at the Crown, and that was the only music show listed in the papers until May 25, 1978, when Les McCann performed. In 1980, the cabaret shows resumed, this time featuring drag shows instead of plays. These stage shows took place in the “Golden Crown Cabaret Lounge,” while upstairs became the “Golden Crown Upper Level.” 

 Clark Humphrey's book, "Loser," notes that former manager of pioneering Seattle punk clubs The Bird & Gorilla Room, Roger Husbands, took over booking around this time, but he must've lasted only a short time, as the P.I. mentioned that Terry Morgan and Steve Pritchard took over booking the Crown in November of 1981, but apparently this was a very short-lived partnership as Pritchard was soon out of the picture. This was a turning point…shows were being booked—and advertised—every week. At first, the featured bands were mainly the old standbys of the Seattle bar scene - Annie Rose & The Thrillers, the Cowboys, Jr. Cadillac, etc - but by 1982 there was a marked increase in local new wave bands booked at the club, as well as some eclectic and exciting national acts (Snakefinger, Richard Hell & The Voidoids, Chris Spedding, to name a few). 

On February 19th, 1983, Golden Crown co-owner John Loui was killed along with 12 others in the infamous Wah Mee Massacre. Loui had sold his interest in the club before his death, but it is unclear if his partners, The Woos, were still part of the ownership at this time. Loui’s death marked yet another turning point for the Crown. After existing March and April bookings were honored in the Upstairs space, the owners shuttered the club except for the occasional odd booking in the cabaret. While the Upstairs club resumed hosting shows on October 7, booking largely little-known bands (to me, at least), they quickly readjusted their focus, with the OFFICIAL re-opening taking place on November 18th. For the rest of 1983, they went back to booking popular new wave/punk bands. Then, in January 1984, the club announced a name change to “The Crown,” but by the next month it reverted back to the Golden Crown. In October 1984, the club was again renamed…this time it was called the Disillusion Lounge. By December it was again the Golden Crown. 

In 1986 the Golden Crown fell victim to the construction of the new Westlake Mall and the building was demolished. The club moved two blocks west to 1516 Second Ave and continued booking cabaret shows until December 1988. 

1978 

May 1978

25-27 - Les McCann 

1979 

February 1979

16 - The Lewd, Wipers, Subhumans 

May 1979

27 - The Lewd, Wraith 

1981 

March 1981

6-7 - “Grand opening weekend w/Epicentre” 
13-14 - The Machine, Reputations 
20-21 - Freddie & The Screamers, Slamhound Hunters 
27-28 - The Cowboys 

April 1981

3-4 - New Vitations 
10-11 - Jr. Cadillac 
16 - Steel Pulse, Sundance 
17-18 - Annie Rose & The Thrillers 
24-25 - Penrose 

May 1981

1-2 - The Impacts 
8-9 - Annie Rose & The Thrillers 
15-16 - Carlsen-Macek Band 
19-20 - Dynamic Logs 
22-23 - The Cowboys 
27 - The Grandmothers 
28-30 - Merilee Rush 

June 1981

5-6 - Mason Dixon Line 
12-13 - Annie Rose & The Thrillers 
19-20 - Dynamic Logs 
23 - Dennis Brown 
25-27 - Wheatfield 

July 1981

3-4 - Dynamic Logs
10-11 - Chinese International Concert
17-18 - (illegible)
31 - Annie Rose & The Thrillers 

August 1981

1 - Annie Rose & The Thrillers
7-8 - Kidskin
14-15 - Dynamic Logs
21-22 - The Enemy
28-29 - Annie Rose & The Thrillers 

September 1981

4-5 - No shows listed
11-12 - Kidd Afrika
18-19 - The Enemy, The Chairs
25-26 - Not listed 

October 1981

2-4 - Freddie McGregor
10-11 - Jim Dandy & Pandemonium, The Reputations
15-16 - The Frazz, The Chairs
23-24 - Maraire Marimba Ensemble
30-31 - Annie Rose & The Thrillers 

November 1981 - Terry Morgan takes over booking 

6-7 - Sundance
13-14 - Tropical Rainstorm
20-21 - Earl Zero
27-28 - Dumi & the Maraire Marimba Ensemble 

December 1981

2 - Garland Jeffreys
11 - Sundance
12 - The Caribbean Superstars
18 - John Hammond, Danny O’Keefe
19 - Dumi & the Maraire Marimba Ensemble
26 - Tropical Rainstorm
31 - Dumi & the Maraire Marimba Ensemble

1982

January 1982

2 - Sundance
8-9 Jr. Walker & The All-Stars, The Caribbean Superstars
23 - Sundance
26 - "Cabaret Apocalypse" w/Audio Leter, Fred & Louise, Udder
29 - Blackouts, Red Dress
30 - The Pudz, Fastbacks

February 1982

5-6 - Annie Rose & the Thrillers
12 - The Frazz, Dynette Set
13 - Three Swimmers, 54/40
14 - Sundance
19-20 - Robert Cray Band
27 - Dumi & the Maraire Marimba Ensemble

March 1982

3-4 - Rastafarians
5 - Robyrt DeLong & The Pushbuttons, Visible Targets
6 - Chris & The Crocodiles, Visible Targets
9-10 - Annie Rose & The Thrillers
12-13 - Dumi & the Maraire Marimba Ensemble
16 - Visible Targets
17 - Dynette Set
18 - Nash The Slash
19 - The Contractions, Moving Parts
20 - The Contractions, New Flamingos
26 - The Pudz, The Frazz

April 1982

3 - Dan Siegel, Daddy 0-1-2
7 - Snakefinger
9-10 - Minkler Brothers, Moving Parts
16-17 - The Frazz, Dynette Set
23 - New Flamingos, Moving Parts, The Shun
24 - Dumi & the Maraire Marimba Ensemble
27 - Chris Spedding Band, The Heats
30 - The National Band

May 1982

1 - Visible Targets, Moving Parts
7-8 - Beat Pagodas, Memory
14-15 - Robert Cray Band
21 - Life In General, Room Nine, Stedi-5
28 - Sundance, Beat Pagodas
29 - Dumi & the Maraire Marimba Ensemble

June 1982

4 - Eddie & The Atlantics, New Flamingos
5 - The Frazz, The Hurricanes
11 - Visible Targets
12 - Visible Targets, Napalm Beach
17 - MX-80 Sound, The Blackouts
18 - The Frazz, The Hurricanes
19 - Beat Pagoda, Moving Parts
25 - Bush Tetras, Three Swimmers
26 - Dumi & the Maraire Marimba Ensemble (farewell concert)

July 1982

3 - Dynette Set
9-10 - Sundance
15 - Pravda Records Showcase w/ Beat Pagodas, Student Nurse, Mr. Epp, Steddi 5, The Hurricanes, Spectators
16 - Beat Pagodas, Napalm Beach
17 - Richard Hell & The Voidoids
22 - Shelly & the Shanettes
23-24 - The Frazz
30-31 - 54/40, Napalm Beach

August 1982

5-7 - Zion Initiation, Sundance
12 - Steddi-5, The Kinetics
13 - Visible Targets, Hurricanes
14 - Visible Targets, New Flamingos
19 - Three Swimmers, Life In General, Next Exit
20-21 - Toiling Midgets, Napalm Beach
26 - Hurricanes, Kitty Kats
27-28 - The Frazz

September 1982

9 - Tropical Rainstorm
10-11 - 3 Swimmers, Spectators, Steddi-5
16 - Eddie & the Atlantics, Young Executives
17-18 - Napalm Beach, Life In General, Rally Go
23 - The Hurricanes, Kitty Kats, The Kinetics
24-25 - The Frazz, The Pamona Boners
30 - Oingo Boingo (canceled?)

October  1982

1 - Moev (Vancouver BC), Indoor Life (NYC), Cinema 90
7 - Student Nurse, Face Ditch, Lost Architects
8 - Beat Pagodas, Moving Parts, Rally Go
9 - Visible Targets, Life In General, Just A Visitor
13 - Bad Brains, U-Men
14 - Moving Parts, Next Exit, Le Max
15 - Sundance
16 - Citizen Sane, New Flamingos
21 - Cinema 90, K7SS, Ray Sage
22 - Napalm Beach, Steddi-5
23 - Angelic Upstarts, Napalm Beach
27 - Divine, Upchuck
28 - The Spectators, Red Masque, Rally Go
29 - The Hurricanes, Kitty Kats
31 - The Frazz

November 1982

5- Life In General, Moving Parts, Fastbacks
6 - 3 Swimmers, New Flamingos, Next Exit
11 - Robyrt DeLong, Linear Descent
12 -13 - Sundance, Oscillator
18 - 54/40 (BC), B-Team (SF)
19 - Teleclere
20 - Visible Targets, Red Masque, Rally Go
26 - Napalm Beach, Student Nurse, LeMax
27 - The Hurricanes, Alley Gators

December 1982

3-4  - Beat Pagodas, Moving Parts
10 - Memory, Red Masque
11 - Memory, Face Ditch
14 - KCMU Benefit w/Lonesome City Kings, Hi-Fi, Three Swimmers
17 - Napalm Beach, Next Exit
18 - The Frazz, Flaming Pies
31 - Visible Targets

No comments:

Post a Comment

CENTRAL TAVERN 1989

  January 1989 4 - Thin Men, Turncoats 5 - Alien Psychoblast, Ministry Of Love, Empathy 6-7 - Razorbacks 11 - Boomslang, Nation Of Milk 12 -...