Quote:
Originally Posted by BobC
https://www.mmone.org/agora-ballroom/
The West Hartford location was just one of about a dozen locations across the US that Cleveland Agora founder, Hank LaConti, opened up in the late 70s/early 80s when he tried expanding the original location and idea he had started in Cleveland. For whatever reason, changing times, changing/different people, changing tastes, they didn't last like the original Cleveland location.
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The only time I went there was that Stryper show they mentioned.
Insane and weird show and place.
The lines were crazy, all the way around the building. But the person I went with said we can just go to the box office and the lines were for people who already had tickets. Box office had a line like 10 people long.
First time I saw a vending machine that took dollars.
They had beer girls! Carrying a case of beer in a somewhat suggestive location, must have been very profitable. "Would you like a beer?" "Oh yes!" "Ok, that will be $3".... later on thinking "I paid way over retail for a warm bud just because she held the case near her chest... I'm sooo stupid"
The warmup acts were forgettable metal bands. and it was really hot in there.
Stryper... People in the crowd passed out, and were taken out over the stage. One girl realized that got her close to the band, and faked it then got away and nearly tackled the guitar player mid -solo. To his credit he didn't miss any of it. And it wasn't like the staged stuff for videos, it took 3 security guys to peel her off ... twice!
I had heard about the bibles and figured it would be pocket ones, or maybe small paperback versions... nope, full size hardcovers. Ok, they just drop them into the front rows. Umm, ok, throwing them a bit farther back and a bit farther still... last couple were really thrown all the way back near the sound board. Last one nailed some kid right in the forehead.
Wild times. And maybe close to the end, I moved back up to mass maybe a year later in late 87