The Fortresss Tavern

Venue: The Fortresss Tavern
Year: 2019

City: Chatham, Ontario, Canada. (429 Grand Ave E)

Grand opening : Sept. 8th 2018.

Notes: 

* Live music venue with Top 40, Country, & Rock/Classic Rock acts.

* The Fortresss Tavern is the best sounding room in all of Chatham. They have live bands
every Friday and Saturday night. They also have solo acts every Thursday night.

* Fortresss Tavern is Wayne Caron’s dream come true. For a long time, he was fed up of the inconsistent availability of good live music and Chatham-Kent and he always said that one day he would open a bar to do something about it. Well, that day has finally come!

Some of the bands playing in 2018/2019.

80’s Gone Wild, Loveless, Mrs. Fox, Lucas Chaisson, Mark Chichkan, Continuum, John Atlee, Dusty D’Annunzio, Mouth Trap, J#Major, The Chasers, Retrospect, Those Guys, United Snakes, Moondog Howlers, SnakeBite, The Whaling Band, Guy Shields Trio, Dirt Road Jammers, Hurt N Merv, Soul Signatures, Paying Cash: The Johnny Cash Show, Blutonium, The Mixx, British Beat 66, Twang Bastards, Rob Kirkham and Neon Rain, Bombsquad, The Soulshakers, Contact Zero, Rendition, Superfly, United Snakes, The DAM Band, Jessika Rabbit, Whistler Creek, Johnson’s Creek, Practically Hip, Jeff Back,

Links:

* Facebook here.

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The Kent 1874 Venue

Event Venue: The Kent 1874
City: Chatham Ontario.
Year: Opened in 2015.

Notes:
* Events include concerts, weddings and catering.
* The building was formerly a church.
* Located on the corner of Park and William street.

Address:
* 124 William St. South, Chatham, Ontario

Links:
* Website link here.
* Facebook link here.
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Eightball Chatham Venue closes

Tony

Bands @ Eightball

Venue: Eightball VIP Sports Cafe
Year: 2004
Location: 90 Richmond Street, Chatham Ontario
Main owner & manager: Tony Almeida
Opened: October, 1983 as Eightball Billiards & Games
Closed: 2004

About EightBall:
From the early 90’s to 2004, EightBall was the main consistent provider of live entertainment with variety.
Owner Tony Almeida was simply the nicest bar owner in Chatham and a true supporter of the community and its local bands. Tony decided to retire after 25 years in the business which began as EightBall simply being a Billiard hall. The venue has since changed its name to Twisters, and a few others before becoming Encore, which it is now known as in 2010.
Over the years, the bar hosted acts including Finger Eleven, Great White, Quiet Riot, I Mother Earth, Nazareth, Big Sugar, The Trews, 54-40, Econoline Crush, Default, Theory of a Deadman, Bif Naked, Rusty & many, many more.
EightBall began hosting local bands to play shows back in the mid 1990’s. They were often given Sundays to do their thing. Otherwise, the young kids would normally have to rent a hall (JC Hall, KBD Hall, CAW Hall, Polish Hall, & the Legions) which was a big burden and risk to take for these young kids. Tony did his best to share his good fortune and develop a good community spirit amongst all club goers, whether it be rap, dance, country, techno, metal, or foam parties.
 Like all bars, it had a few slow years caused by various reasons, but mainly, it held its ground as the top entertainment venue in Chatham for the majority of the time.

Personal Note: I have worked with Tony for many years performing in bands (Foster Child/ Janet Theory) & he sincerely was the best owner, taking care of the bands he had play at his club. He took care of his customers, staff, and hired entertainment with respect. He gave opportunities to young new acts, and in return, we did our best to try to make the shows extra special so that the venue would be packed and everybody wins.
Tony remarked “I certainly miss all the people that I used to work with and of course, The group Foster Child/Janet Theory was sincerely one of the best to work with. I really miss you guys and will never forget some of the good times that we all had!
I will always be gratefull for all the effort that you guys did to help Eightball become what it did back in the day”.

A few of the bands that performed here were:54-40, Ashes of Soma, Betrayer, Big Sugar, Cage 33, Carpedeim, Clark Nova, Closer To Closure, Crazy Babies, Crutch, Default, Driving Lester, Dropping Poppies, Ego Seed, Fat Doug & The Sinners, Filmores (the)Finding Core, Finger Eleven, First Line Third Planet, Flicker, FLOORrYDe, Foreign Film Stars, Foster ChildGilligans Eye Lid, Halfway There, Hatchet Man Phenomenon, Hollow (the)HorrowShow, Janet Theory, J Englishmen, Joy Drop, Limblifter, Mad Dash Tour, Modena 440, Nerve, Orinj, Power Trip, Quiet Riot, Random Time, Room Without A View, Rusty, Salads (the), Sedated, Scratching Post, Social Code, Source (the), Stutter, Tangled Puppet, This End Up, Toast & Jam, Tranzit, Trole, Typhoid Mary, Wide Mouth Mason, Whaling Band & Whatever.

If you have pics from Eightball,
Email us:
chatham_music_archive@hotmail.com

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Studio One in Chatham 2013

Venue: Studio One
Where: Inside the Chatham Cultural Centre.
What: available to rent for events.
Address: 75 William Street North, Chatham, Ontario.
Phone: 519-360-1998
Year: 2013

Description
The Cultural Centre houses the Chatham-Kent Museum, the Thames Art Gallery, the Kiwanis Theatre & Studio One. Studio One is a cozy room that can be rented out for a variety of events including live bands, art classes & camps, performances, poetry slams etc.

Studio One is a multi-use room in a very unique setting. With its brick walls and intimate atmosphere, Studio One is suitable for a wide range of activities including reception, meetings, performances, marketplaces, lectures, films and more. It is equipped with many amenities to make your visit with us as enjoyable as possible.

Website:  Studio One weblink.

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Central Tavern 2012

Click pic to enlarge

Venue: Central Tavern
Year: 2012
Where: Paint Court, Ontario, Canada.
Address: 24121 Winterline

Notes: One of the oldest bars in Ontario,Centrally located between Chatham, Wallaceburg & Tilbury.
The Central Tavern hosted decades of great live music & was a busy place for bands through the golden years of the 1970’s straight through the 1990’s. The venue is currently under new management today that works hard at creating all kinds of events to keep the venue vibrant & warm to those who stop in.  Now, if those walls could talk!
Paint Court is a small french speaking community just outside of Chatham.

Email your info & pics to: chatham_music_archive@hotmail.com

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William Street Cafe Chatham

Venue: William Street Cafe
Year: 2012
City: Chatham Ontario
Location: 28 William Street South (Down Town)
Phone: 519.360.1932

Notes: The William Street Cafe is a proudly independent, 100% homegrown coffee house/eatery – owned and managed by local entrepreneur, Susan Jeffrey.

The cafe sometimes hosts live bands, art shows, poetry slams, acoustic performers & other special events. It has been around for roughly 13 years.

Some of the events held over the years include: Dan Stronks Band, Sarah Hiltz, Linz Ross, Aaron Allen & the Small City Saints, Self Cynic, Leia Weaver, Bill Culp, & Sean Hogan.

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The Players Club 2011

Venue: The Players Club
Location: 125 Keil Drive, Chatham On. Canada.
Phone: (519) 397-0705
Opened: July 2010 (Formerly Jerseys)

The Players Club is a versatile venue that often hosts popular cover bands on the weekends. 
What they offer:

* Live bands, Dj, open mic nights
* Full Menu
* 3 Volleyball Courts
* Front Room can hold up to 70 people and is a fantastic place to hold work meetings.
* Sport fans a variety of televised entertainment including, NFL Sunday Ticket, NHL Center Ice, NBA League Pass, MLB Extra Innings, OHL Action Pack, US College Basketball and Football, and NASCAR HotPass.
* 3 Pool tables
* Texas Hold’Em Poker in our World Poker Tour Amateur Poker Leaguue

Update: The venue closed in the summer of 2011.
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Black Box Theatre in Chatham

Click pic to enlarge

Venue: PURE: Black Box Theatre
City: Chatham Ontario
Year: 2010
Address: 121 Heritage Road
Phone: 519-352-5000
Website: http://www.pureacademy.ca/

  The Black Box Theatre at the PURE Academy in Chatham, ON is a brand new concert venue, with a hip vibe and fantastic events.  The Black Box Theatre is a 90 seat venue with state of the art sound and lighting design, top amenities and a great location.

  Events at the Black Box Theatre range from cool jazz concerts, rock concerts, plays, comedy nights, multimedia presentations, choir concerts and so much more.  One of the best kept secrets in Southwestern Ontario, the Black Box Theatre is one of the best intimate theatres in the region. It is used during classes as a premium teaching space, but it is also a highly versatile meeting and event space, and an incredible, intimate performance venue. It has a large stage, 10 foot wide HD video screen, intelligent lighting system, and exceptional sound.

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Chatham Capitol Theatre 2010

out side

Inside

Performers

Venue: Chatham Capitol Theatre
City: Chatham Ontario Canada
Year: 2010
Address: 238 KING ST W
Visit their website here.

The Chatham Capitol Theatre is a 1214-seat entertainment venue in the heart of downtown Chatham, Ontario. The theatre first opened as a movie house in 1930 and has recently undergone a reconstruction to become a first-rate destination for live entertainment. The theatre will open its doors to the public in summer/fall of 2010.

The Capitol features a deluxe new balcony with 455 seats in addition to 759 seats on the orchestra level. The 65-foot fly tower and state-of-the-art rigging allows for larger scale and more technically advanced productions. The orchestra pit is designed for the optimal acoustic experience and can also be raised to floor or stage level as desired.

The theatre features art deco detailing throughout with gilded décor, opera boxes, an ornate ceiling, and much more. It is equipped with three lounges, an elevator, and is fully accessible.

2010 performers include: Bill Cosby, Howie Mandel, Great Big Sea, Chantal Kreviazuk, Michelle Wright,  Josh Turner (Country Star), Corb Lund, Colm Wilkinson, The Rankin Family & more.

History:
Late 1927 – The dream of a new modern theatre in the downtown core of Chatham was begun by Charles Hadley, a prominent businessman in the city.

April 11, 1930 – Mayor Burton L. Bedford formally opened the new Capitol Theatre and dedicated it as the Palace of Pastime to a sold out audience. With a seating capacity of 1500, it was one of the largest theatres in Western Ontario. The opening night feature was the musical comedy “Sally” staring Marilyn Miller.

The next 20 years – The Theatre seating capacity was reduced to 1,000 seats and many minor renovations were undertaken, such as the relocation of the ticket booth from inside to outside the theatre.

1975 – The largest renovation took place when the theatre was split down the centre into two cinemas of 472 seats each, thus bringing the total seats down to 944.

1992 – Famous Players Theatre abandoned the property as a viable movie theatre and the City of Chatham purchased the property.

November 1995 – The Chatham Capitol Theatre Coalition made a proposal to save the theatre and restore it as an entertainment venue. The Coalition was later incorporated as a not-for-profit organization and obtained Registered Charitable status in August 1996.

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The River Rock

Venue: The River Rock
City: Chatham Ontario
Address: 187 King St
Year: Circa 2008

The River Rock is located in down town Chatham along side many other night life establishments. The River Rock occasionally hosts live bands for special events but mainly serves as a dance club. It often holds teen dances to give the 19 and under crowd a place to go and enjoy themselves.

The Venue has been around for a few years and was originally a movie theatre.
It had closed for some years, then reopened in June 2019.

Anyone with pics or info, please email:
chatham_music_archive@hotmail.com

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The Pyranon Ballroom Chatham

Venue: The Pyranon Ballroom
What: Chatham’s premier dance hall
Location: Chatham Ontario
Year: 1945

Note:
   When record hops were the in thing, as many as 1,600 young people would come out on a Friday night to dance. The music they were excited about was Elvis Presley, Pat Boone and the likes of.
   Many big acts of the time played this venue on Colborne Street.  The Wilf Lancaster Orchestra was the local band that performed there regularly.

The Pyranon was constructed by Maurice Smyth. The first group to play the hall was Al Edwards and his band from Windsor.
Other events at the Pyranon: Bingo, wrestling, proms, fashion shows, banquets, social and political gatherings.

Big Bands that played: Sammy Kaye, Victor Lombardo, Vaughn Monroe, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, The Glen Miller orchestra, Les Brown, and Gene Krupa. The local ‘Big Band’ Wilf Lancaster Orchestra performed there regularly.
 
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Smoke House has bands

Downtown King Street

Venue: Smoke House
Type: Live music on weekends.
City: Chatham Ontario
Location: 216 King Street West. (Downtown)
Phone: 519-352-8882

Musical acts that you will find at the Smoke House are:
Superfly, Tim Tyler Duo, Bluetonium, Bill Durst , Ray Whaling Duo, Chris Murphy, Sam Hurrie Duo, That Whaling Band, Tom Lockwood Band, Da Blooze Bros, Carole Allison Trio, Electric Soul, Chuck Fitzgerald, etc.

This venue closed in early 2011.

Visit the Smoke House website here.

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Encore Bar & Night Spot

Click photo to enlarge

Night Club: Encore Bar & Night Spot
City: Chatham Ontario
Where: 90 Richmond St.
What: Live concerts, comedy, dancing, top 40, indie shows, pool

The place to be.  Where you can dance the night away to the top 40 hits, rock out to your favorite live local bands, see great concerts and unique appearances by comedians, recording artists, and famous celebrities, play pool, watch sporting events on Chatham’s biggest screen and 10 tvs, and most of all, enjoy an evening with good friends, food, drinks and great entertainment.

With over 6000 sq. feet, ENCORE is Chatham’s largest bar and boasts an upscale atmosphere with a fresh attitude and feel.  It’s the place where friends congregate and celebrate.  From our innovative cocktails to our impressive lineup of live DJ’s, great bands, international performing artists, and hilarious comic relief, we serve fun every night of the week.

We are the only place in town bringing big name acts to Chatham’s most equipped sound stage.  Having featured live shows from notable performers such as Crash Karma, Bif Naked, Thornley, Helix, Karl Wolf, Faberdrive, Default, D12, Jason Mewes, YUK YUKS Comedy, and the Trailer Park Boys, to name a few, ENCORE creates nights you won’t forget.

Visit Encore online here.

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