Famous Dance bars in the '70's and 80's.

**JulianaMoon** · May-28-14, 10:45 AM

Hey Fellow Detroiters!!

I actually found this site doing a search for the name of a bar I used to go to in he 70's. [[I found out it was The Token Lounge). It pulled up a thread from an old site that turned into this one in 2009. It was about Dance Clubs/Bars in the '70s, and it brought back so many memories of my late teenage years partying at the Silverbird at 6/Telegraph. The drinking age was 18, but I found an ID at Hines Drive and the picture looked EXACTLY like me. I swear. What a find! We were at the clubs every weekend. I always wonder whatever happened to the bands that played the clubs back then. I recently saw an old video of Bittersweet Alley. It's on YouTube. I thought others might want to rekindle those days on a thread. Who was at The Silverbird Saloon the night Ted Nugent showed up, and played with the band "The D.C. Hawks" for an hour? I was.

**Smirnoff** · May-28-14, 03:00 PM

Wasn't the Silverbird Saloon a biker bar & not a dance club?

**Downriviera** · May-29-14, 06:17 AM

The Silverbird was more of a rock bar with bands. People danced but I wouldn't consider it a dance club. Before Silverbird it was West Side Six, I saw the Rockets there. Uncle Sams just down the street on Telegraph was a dance club in those days. The Look played there too, and Dave Edwards is still around.

**Hastings** · May-29-14, 07:17 AM

I remember the West side six. There was a club farther south down telegraph in behind where the giant whipped cream can was. Saw Strut there on my 18th birthday. Any one remember that one or kopolskis on Conant?

**DetroitPlanner** · May-29-14, 07:40 AM

Originally Posted by Smirnoff

Wasn't the Silverbird Saloon a biker bar & not a dance club?

I remember it as JL Seagulls.

**Smirnoff** · May-29-14, 07:51 AM

The very best dance club in the 70's was Tuesday nite @ Coral Gables!!!!!

**rb336** · May-29-14, 08:08 AM

JL Seagulls I remember, I think it later became a church, now it is empty but still has the lighthouse. Uncle Sams turned into Nitro. There was a dance club called Taboo, I think, where Aretha used to hang out. A lot of girls I knew used to go to a gay club next to Bookies so they wouldn't get hit on

**mikefmich** · May-29-14, 01:37 PM

Red Carpet & Painted Pony were the first two that came to mind. I was at many others but....the ol' hard drive doesn't work as well as it used to.

Oh yeah...Uncle Sams too.

**Lowell** · May-29-14, 06:19 PM

Alvin's on the north end of the WSU campus was having its day during that timespan. I closed out that place more than once.

**Downriviera** · May-30-14, 06:31 AM

Originally Posted by Smirnoff

The very best dance club in the 70's was Tuesday nite @ Coral Gables!!!!!

Yes it was. People lined up to get in on a Tuesday nite. I made good money hustling on the pool tables there. Several John Travolta aka Tony Manero wannabees there.

**pgn421** · May-30-14, 03:02 PM

You had The Grafitti, on the east side on Mack ave. the greatest dj, Dr. Johnny Fever, played all the hits from the 70's. It was like a small Studio 54, like in New York!

**factoryrat** · May-31-14, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by JulianaMoon

Hey Fellow Detroiters!!

I actually found this site doing a search for the name of a bar I used to go to in he 70's. [[I found out it was The Token Lounge). It pulled up a thread from an old site that turned into this one in 2009. It was about Dance Clubs/Bars in the '70s, and it brought back so many memories of my late teenage years partying at the Silverbird at 6/Telegraph. The drinking age was 18, but I found an ID at Hines Drive and the picture looked EXACTLY like me. I swear. What a find! We were at the clubs every weekend. I always wonder whatever happened to the bands that played the clubs back then. I recently saw an old video of Bittersweet Alley. It's on YouTube. I thought others might want to rekindle those days on a thread. Who was at The Silverbird Saloon the night Ted Nugent showed up, and played with the band "The D.C. Hawks" for an hour? I was.

I saw the Rockets there as well, also Mitch Ryder, the Romantics, and others. It was a tiny place, and they would pack them in. I was never asked for my ID, maybe I just looked older.

24 karat was kitty corner on the east side of Telegraph just south of 6 mile. That was more of a disco. Only went there once. I was afraid of getting busted by D.R.E.A.D.

**DetroitPlanner** · May-31-14, 11:26 PM

What about the Student Body on W Warren or the Liedernacht?

**JulianaMoon** · June-02-14, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

What about the Student Body on W Warren or the Liedernacht?

What year was that? My brother went to Marygrove and hung at at the clubs downtown. I hung out at September's on the east side, or hit the Telegraph strip. Never went to Uncle Sams though. Did get a job there, but was too irresponsible to show up my first day.

**JulianaMoon** · June-02-14, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by factoryrat

I saw the Rockets there as well, also Mitch Ryder, the Romantics, and others. It was a tiny place, and they would pack them in. I was never asked for my ID, maybe I just looked older.

24 karat was kitty corner on the east side of Telegraph just south of 6 mile. That was more of a disco. Only went there once. I was afraid of getting busted by D.R.E.A.D.

Yeah!!!! The 24 Karat!! Gosh,I haven't heard that name in ages!!!! Mitch Ryder played in a field at 12 Mile and Drake in 1980. We all went with kegs and put blankets down and it was unreal. We lived right in the area, and saw this band setting up, so we drove over to check it out, and man were we surprised when it turned out to be Mitch Ryder. Anyone else happen to be there?

**JulianaMoon** · June-02-14, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by Downriviera

Yes it was. People lined up to get in on a Tuesday nite. I made good money hustling on the pool tables there. Several John Travolta aka Tony Manero wannabees there.

Was that place over I Warren or Roseville? Like a tiny disco near an industrial area or something. I was on a first date and I think he took me there.

**JulianaMoon** · June-02-14, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by Hastings

I remember the West side six. There was a club farther south down telegraph in behind where the giant whipped cream can was. Saw Strut there on my 18th birthday. Any one remember that one or kopolskis on Conant?

Strut. Saw them sooo many times. Kopolskis!!! THAT'S the place my date took me that I spoke of earlier. I saw Michael Jackson on the big screen singing one of his hits from like 1981 and thought...is this a disco???

**JulianaMoon** · June-02-14, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by Smirnoff

Wasn't the Silverbird Saloon a biker bar & not a dance club?

I was a Silverbird regular. I was on that dancefloor every Friday and Saturday night with one of my girlfriends, trying to get the band to notice us, and fall in love with us. It was a little of both. Bikers hung out more around pool tables and the bar.

**JulianaMoon** · June-02-14, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by Downriviera

The Silverbird was more of a rock bar with bands. People danced but I wouldn't consider it a dance club. Before Silverbird it was West Side Six, I saw the Rockets there. Uncle Sams just down the street on Telegraph was a dance club in those days. The Look played there too, and Dave Edwards is still around.

If I had a dollar for everytime I saw a girl puking in the bathroom at the Silverbird.

**DetroitPlanner** · June-02-14, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by JulianaMoon

What year was that? My brother went to Marygrove and hung at at the clubs downtown. I hung out at September's on the east side, or hit the Telegraph strip. Never went to Uncle Sams though. Did get a job there, but was too irresponsible to show up my first day.

The Student Body was early 80s and became Walsh's by 1990 or so. It had lots of bands and was in Warrendale.

The other bar became the City Club.

Getting back to the Mitch Ryder talk. He used to being a Warrendaler he used to set up atop a bar during the Street Festival and Play. This too was back in the 1980s.

**jcole** · June-02-14, 11:50 AM

Wasn't that the SideDoor? It was a three level bar; rock at the middle level called the Side Door; country in the basement and groups that did 50's/60's stuff upstairs with an older crowd

Originally Posted by Hastings

I remember the West side six. There was a club farther south down telegraph in behind where the giant whipped cream can was. Saw Strut there on my 18th birthday. Any one remember that one or kopolskis on Conant?

**mikeinmotown** · June-02-14, 12:46 PM

I'm surprised no one mentioned The Arorta Bar "The Main Vain Of Detroit" at 6 mile west of Woodward. Best music in town. Does anyone remember Bimbos on Woodward near 7 mile. Bimbos was a great dance club.

**Honky Tonk** · June-02-14, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by mikeinmotown

I'm surprised no one mentioned The Arorta Bar "The Main Vain Of Detroit" at 6 mile west of Woodward. Best music in town. Does anyone remember Bimbos on Woodward near 7 mile. Bimbos was a great dance club.

Saw David Bowie there right after the "Young Americans" album release. I believe he played there 5 nights straight. I also saw Tim Buckley there, on one of the worst snow days Detroit ever had. I think a total of 5 people came out. Tim and his band showed up. He looked around and said, "well, if you guys showed up, we're gonna play". Put on one hell of a show. A friend spun @ the Aorta. Spent a lot of time there too. I'm surprised no one mentioned Lansdowne or Ginnapolis, 12 & Middlebelt.

**Downriviera** · June-02-14, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by JulianaMoon

Was that place over I Warren or Roseville? Like a tiny disco near an industrial area or something. I was on a first date and I think he took me there.

Coral Gables was in Taylor on Ecorse Rd near Telegraph. Its a gun store now. And thats ironic because one night an ex of mine wasn't happy that I was dancing with other girls so she told the bouncers that I was packing. They threw me out.

**Downriviera** · June-02-14, 05:42 PM

Originally Posted by JulianaMoon

I was a Silverbird regular. I was on that dancefloor every Friday and Saturday night with one of my girlfriends, trying to get the band to notice us, and fall in love with us. It was a little of both. Bikers hung out more around pool tables and the bar.

Anyone remember a band that used to play there called Salty Dog? I think they were from Boston.