A half century ago... Patti Smith, with Nils Lofgren and Les Dudek on a Sunday night.
This is the fiftieth anniversary of the first of two CULC benefits at the former Metropolitan Theatre at 5000 Euclid Avenue. I got dragged into this at the last minute, Thursday April 8th, if I remember correctly. The Cleveland Urban Learning Community was an experimental high school run by the good Jesuits of St. Ignatius. In typical fashion, I got no help from anyone at CULC, instead, I roped in a friend and co-worker, Jed Ellis to help. I borrowed a bunch of lighting equipment from the theatres, (under penalty of death if anything happened to it) and we dragged it all up Euclid Avenue on the number 6 bus. The show itself went off without a hitch, about 600 attended. The Met was an old theatre, about 1,400 seats, then known as the WHK Auditorium, and could be rented for $150 a night back then. Today it's known as the Agora. A second benefit a year later was somewhat similar.
A half century ago, Bruce Springsteen played to back to back SROs at the Allen. This was the third, and thankfully last, time he appeared here. Unlike the review below, I thought this show was dreadful, The only reason I was there was because the girl I was dating at the time wanted to go, she really enjoyed it, however I found him to be insufferable. Like the review, we were at the April 7th show, I'm sure the following night was again filled with his worshiping fans.
An Eastbound Norfolk Southern stacker lead by NS 8030 and NS 3639 passing Hird Avenue on Saturday morning.
