La Cave
Cleveland, Ohio
Memories of music inevitably bring me back to Cleveland.
Just as an aside, and for my parents now in the eternal regions who may hear this sentiment, I'm glad that I spent my formative years in that city of paradox and extremes set on the Great Lakes. When I was growing up, it was a time of political innovation [Carl Stokes was, in 1968, the first African-American elected mayor of a major American city], an active and inquiring media, compelling, and often tragic, sports seasons, and the greatest collection of characters ever to grace the urban landscape.
But it is for Cleveland's role in music that I'm particularly grateful. Many know that it is marked as the host city for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame [even though the induction ceremonies are always held in New York], but what may be missed by those not native is the role of the small clubs and gathering places in supporting the nascent artistic community that became the massive rock music industry.
Now, Euclid Avenue is one of the least prepossessing streets anywhere in the United States. In the downtown of Cleveland, the avenue has some older, urban charm, but after ten blocks or so it surrenders to collections of auto shops, liquor stores, cinder block apartment buildings, the Episcopal cathedral, and, in the early 1960's, at least one, struggling pool hall that eventually surrendered to its fate.
It was then purchased by a couple of enterprising fellows who wanted to start a coffeehouse like those developing in New York City. That went as well as the pool hall, apparently. By 1962, the next buyer shortened the name of La Cave de Cafe to simply La Cave [pronounced in the American, rather than French, manner], mainly because the locale was in a basement of its building at the end of the long, steep, narrow, and dark stairway, and began to offer not just coffee. The new owners also invited local and transient musicians to perform in the corner of the club, and that's when history was made.
During its seven year lifespan, La Cave, that dingy basement club on that dull avenue, hosted performances by Simon & Garfunkel, Buffy Sainte Marie, Jose Feliciano, Ian and Sylvia, Phil Ochs, Janis Ian, Richie Havens, Arlo Guthrie, and Judy Collins.
As folk music surrendered to rock music, La Cave changed its program and introduced Cleveland to performances by Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, the Youngbloods, the Butterfield Blues Band, the Jeff Beck Group [with Rod Stewart], Canned Heat, Iron Butterfly, and The Stone Poneys [with their teenage vocalist, Linda Ronstradt].
However, what became the biggest act in Cleveland, and the most familiar returning act at La Cave, was Greenwich Village's own The Velvet Underground, featuring Lou Reed, and widely known as Andy Warhol's favorite band.
Not bad for an underground room that could, at best, hold 200 people in an uncomfortable closeness, filled as it was with motley tables and chairs purchased from the cathedral's rummage sale.
All good things.., however. As rock music became a massive, multi-million dollar industry whose musicians could fill stadiums, the role of little clubs such as La Cave would subside and, as early as 1969, it would close for good. I hope that the owners took heart, especially in reflection, at how they changed the world's music simply by indulging in an idea for off-center entertainment and opening those doors.
As folk music surrendered to rock music, La Cave changed its program and introduced Cleveland to performances by Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, the Youngbloods, the Butterfield Blues Band, the Jeff Beck Group [with Rod Stewart], Canned Heat, Iron Butterfly, and The Stone Poneys [with their teenage vocalist, Linda Ronstradt].
However, what became the biggest act in Cleveland, and the most familiar returning act at La Cave, was Greenwich Village's own The Velvet Underground, featuring Lou Reed, and widely known as Andy Warhol's favorite band.
Not bad for an underground room that could, at best, hold 200 people in an uncomfortable closeness, filled as it was with motley tables and chairs purchased from the cathedral's rummage sale.
All good things.., however. As rock music became a massive, multi-million dollar industry whose musicians could fill stadiums, the role of little clubs such as La Cave would subside and, as early as 1969, it would close for good. I hope that the owners took heart, especially in reflection, at how they changed the world's music simply by indulging in an idea for off-center entertainment and opening those doors.