"Located on Broadway between Montgomery and Kearny, the club nicknamed the Fab Mab originally opened as an Italian Men's Club in 1919, hosting boxing matches and community events, then became an Italian restaurant. In 1945, ownership transferred to a Filipino fraternal organization, and beat poets like Allen Ginsberg used the space for poetry readings. The upper area began operating as a theater called On Broadway in 1964 and became the home of the scandalous musical revue "Oh Calcutta!" while the downstairs operated as a Filipino restaurant."
"Then in 1976, the punk rockers came along. Promoter Dirk Dirksen, essentially the punk rock community's version of Bill Graham, started booking rowdy shows in the downstairs space. The roster of bands is essentially a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame lineup: the Dead Kennedys, the Ramones, Devo and Patti Smith all played the venue, which became a national landmark for touring punk acts."
Mabuhay Gardens began as an Italian Men's Club in 1919, later becoming an Italian restaurant and, after 1945, part of a Filipino fraternal organization where beat poets like Allen Ginsberg read poetry. The upper floor became the On Broadway theater in 1964 and hosted the musical revue "Oh Calcutta!" while the downstairs remained a Filipino restaurant. Punk shows began in 1976 under promoter Dirk Dirksen, drawing seminal acts including the Dead Kennedys, the Ramones, Devo and Patti Smith and turning the club into a national punk landmark. The venue closed in 1987, later operated as Fame, and has been rebranded back to Mabuhay Gardens to honor its punk legacy while trying to remain financially viable. Dave Chappelle even filmed his first comedy special there.
Read at SFGATE
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]