GORILLA ROOM 1980-81

 

Gorilla Room 

610 2nd Ave  

Sources: The Rocket, Seattle Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Clark Humphrey's book, "Loser."

From Clark Humphrey's book Loser:

"Tony Chu, son of an affluent Taiwanese family, created a band space in the back room of his Chinese restaurant on Second Avenue near Pioneer Square, north of the Smith Tower. Chu's first booker took a haphazard approach, with original bands some night, biker-blues and cover bands other nights. Then Roger Husbands booked the place for a couple of shows with the Enemy and X-15.... The full houses led Chu to make it a full-time new wave outlet by March 15, 1980. Husbands christened it the Gorilla Room (after the Chinese monkey-face Christmas tree lights decorating the room). Like almost all the places where punk, post-punk and grunge bands would play, it was small (liquor laws and a lack of investment capital discouraged big showcase clubs). It was a homey, raunchy, delicious place, in various degrees of being trashed. It was adorned with plastic plants and mismatched office-furniture chairs."

1980 

 March 1980

14 - Grand opening w/Psycho Pop, Refuzors, The Missing Link 
15 - Psycho Pop, Refuzors

25-26 - Hostage, Skinny Ties, David Best 

28-29 - The Magnetics, Robert DeLong, Dr. Albert 

April  1980

11-12 - The Shivers, The Fret 

18-19 - Skinny Ties, Laura & The Lions, Dave Best 

25-26 - Skinny Ties, The Hostages, Dave Best 

May 1980

9-10 - Jitters, Larry & The Mondellos 

11-13 - New Flamingos 

16-17 - The Girls, The Bones 

30-31 - New Flamingos, The Fred 

June 1980

6-7 - Denny Regrade, The Connections 

8-10 - The Innocents 

13-14 - Happy Tones, Survivors (first 21+ show) 

20-21 - The Connections, The Debbies 

27-28 - Kiki Babo & Blacky Joe James, Ernie Callett 

30 - X-15, Student Nurse 

July 1980

1-2 - X-15, Student Nurse 

4 - X-15, Student Nurse 

5 - The Blame, Larry & The Mondellos, The Features 

6-8 - The Features 

11-12 - The Blame, Happy Tones 

18-19 - The Adults 

23-24 - Baby Knockors 

August 1980

1-2 - Imaginary Band 

3 - Skinny Ties 

6-8 - Casey Nova & The Horn 

15-16 - The Debbies 

22-23 - Urban Sprawl, Section Eight 

29-30 - Crisis 

September 1980

5-6 - Wise Guys

12 - Baby Knockors, Secret V’s 

13 - Baby Knockors 

15-17 - Vis-a-Vis 

19-20 - Baby Knockors 

22-23 - The Impacts 

24-27 - Baby Knockors 

October 1980

3-4 - The Larks 

10-11 - The Debbies, Empress 

17-18 - The Rats, The Spaztics 

23-25 - Sex Therapy 

31 - The Debbies 

November 1980

1 - The Debbies 

7-8 - The Features 

14-15 - The Jetsons 

21-22 - Visible Targets, X-15, West Side Lockers 

24-25 - The Vacations, The Protectors, Vizzion 

28-29 - The Enemy 

December  1980

5-6 - The Enemy, Fastbacks 

10 - Student Nurse, X-15 

11 - The Excuses 

12-13 - Untouchables, Casey Nova 

14-16 - Face To Face 

17 - Student Nurse, Spectators 

18 - The Excuses, Cool Lover 

19-20 - The Excuses, Moving Parts, The Accident 

26-27 - The Macs, Beakers, and Blackouts All-Stars 

31 - The Enemy, Spectators, L’Orange, special guests 

1981 

January 1981

1 - The Features 

2-3 - Skinny Ties 

9 - The Shivers, The Spectators 

10 - The Shivers, The Spectators, Joe Despair & The Futures 

11-12 - L’Orange, Smoldering Remains 

13 - Section 8, The Features 

14 - Fastbacks, Zipdads 

15 - Spectators, Shatterbox 

16- L’Orange, Red Dress 

17 - Red Dress, special guest 

18 - The Frazz 

19 - The Rockefellers, The Crisis 

20 - Section 8, The Features 

21 - Zipdads, Fastbacks, Joe Despair & The Future 

29 - Joe Despair & The Future 

February 1981

5-7 The Shivers, Student Nurse 

12 - The Shivers, Student Nurse 

13 - The Enemy, Smoldering Remains, Toxic Shock Syndrome, Richard Peterson 

14 - The Enemy, Spectators, X-15, Richard Peterson 

15 - Gad Zooks 

19 - Student Nurse, The Shivers 

20 - X-15, Joe Despair & The Future, Fastbacks 

21 - Los Microwaves, X-15 

22 - “Jam Session” 

23 - Zipdads, RPA, The Problem 

24 - Audio Leter, Fred 

25 - X-15, Visible Targets, Spectators 

26 - Student Nurse, The Shivers 

27 - Red Dress, The Untouchables 

28 - The Enemy, The Untouchables 

March 1981

6-7 - The Shivers 

17 - Joe Despair & The Future 

21 - Random Bacteria, 3 Swimmers, X-15 

24 - Joe Despair & The Future 

April 1981

10 - Joe Despair & The Future, X-15 

24 - Los Popularos, Connections 

25 - Los Popularos, Fastbacks 

26 - The 88’s, Stubborn Puppet 

27 - Stubborn Puppet, Brian Today 

28 - Cowboys, Untouchables 

29 - Untouchables 

30 - Untouchables, Skinny Ties 

May 1981

1-2 - The Rats, The Enemy 

8 - Pell Mell, X-15, Visible Targets

10 - The Lewd, The Fartz OR The Lewd, Joe Despair & The Future, RPA, Zipdads

16 - Student Nurse, Vertical Hold

22-23 - Three Swimmers 

26 - The Cowboys, Untouchables 

June 1981

19 - The Rats, Sado Nation, Neo Boys 

20 - The Rats, Sado Nation, Domino Theory 

21-22 - Roxsof & The Rubber Sheets 

24 - The Lifters Color Plates 

25 - The Knaves, Rapid-I 

26 - Blackouts, Rapid-I 

July 1981  

10 - Husker Du, Mike Refuzor Band, Zipdads 

18 - Untouchables 

23 - Fastbacks, Lifters

24 - Fastbacks, Sado Nation, Joe Despair & The Future

On July 23rd, 1981, the PI noted that the Washington State Liquor Board ordered a month-long closure of the Gorilla Room due to numerous minor violations. This was followed by a 14-day suspension handed down on August 29th. 

On August 30th, the Showbox hosted a “Save The Gorilla Room” benefit with The Enemy, Napalm Beach, Student Nurse, Spectators, Rapid-I, The Executives, DT’z, The Deans, Scissors, Shatterbox, Fastbacks, The Rats, and Joe Despair & The Future. 

On November 5, the Liquor Board ordered the cancellation of the club’s liquor license on December 1st unless the club met certain conditions (10- day suspension, employee training classes, and no violations for a year. 

The Gorilla Room closed in November 1981.

Sources: The Rocket, Seattle Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Clark Humphrey's Loser