My Father's Place

My Father's Place was a music venue in Roslyn, New York. It first opened in 1971, and according to The New York Times, "created a scene that would influence music for decades to come."[1]

Not to be confused with My Father's Place (Portland, Oregon).
My Father's Place
Address19 Bryant Avenue
Roslyn, New York 11576
United States
LocationLong Island
OwnerMichael "Eppy" Epstein
Capacity≈400
OpenedMay 30, 1971
ClosedMay 3, 1987
Website
www.myfathersplace.com

In the nearly sixteen years the club was open before it closed in 1987, My Father’s Place presented more than 6,000 shows from over 3,000 diverse artists. Its owner Michael "Eppy" Epstein refused to book cover bands, and so the club became known as a place aspiring artists could perform. Young unknown musicians such as Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Aerosmith, The Police, Tom Petty, as well as hopeful comics Billy Crystal, Eddie Murphy, and Andy Kaufman, and a host of others graced the stage. In the summer of 2018 Epstein opened a new version of the club in a location not far from the original venue, in the newly renovated Roslyn Hotel (formerly the Roslyn Claremont Hotel).[2]

History

The venue was located on 19 Bryant Avenue in Roslyn and was formerly a car dealership, funeral parlor, bakery and bowling alley named Roslyn Bowl. In the wake of the AMF Bowling boom of the early 1960s, Roslyn Bowl was nearly out of business. To compete, the Roslyn Bowl’s owner, Jay Linehan, began booking country music acts to turn the bowling alley into a music venue and promoted the new venture as the largest dance floor on Long Island. At the suggestion of Linehan’s son, the Roslyn Bowl changed its name to My Father’s Place.[3] That same year, Eppy Epstein (born November 11, 1947) and Richie Hersh (born August 19, 1948) had opened a head shop in Roslyn, Never When, but was not allowed by the village to convert it into a coffee shop. Epstein and Hersh turned to Linehan and offered to book My Father’s Place with rock acts. Richie Havens opened the first show at My Father’s Place on May 31, 1971 to a sold out audience.[4]

Epstein turned to radio to promote the club and by 1972 had forged a ground-breaking deal with local radio station WLIR to broadcast concerts from the club. Many of these broadcasts have subsequently become highly sought-after bootleg recordings. WLIR, in turn, would become one of the most influential radio stations in the country under its revolutionary program director, Denis McNamara, by creating the format "alternative radio".[5]

Unlike most other clubs that highlighted one genre or one particular era of music, the variety of My Father’s Place was possibly its most important trait. The club debuted in America most of reggae’s biggest stars, helping to make the genre mainstream. Along with CBGB and Max’s Kansas City, My Father's Place was a nurturing ground for young punk and new wave acts like The Runaways, The Ramones, Blondie, The Police, and Talking Heads. Country, bluegrass, and blues artists like Charlie Daniels, Linda Ronstadt, and Stevie Ray Vaughn performed early in their careers, while artists like James Brown, B.B. King, and Bo Diddley played in the twilight of theirs.

Development pressures led to the village of Roslyn closing down the club on May 3, 1987, with a final performance by the band Tower of Power. WLIR would close later the same year.[6] In 2010 a photo book documenting the history of the club, Fun and Dangerous, was published.[7] In November 2017, Epstein reached an agreement with the 935 Lakshmi Corporation, the new owners of the Roslyn Hotel (formerly the Roslyn Claremont Hotel), to open a new club in their ballroom.

Other locations

There were other venues with the same name:

  • 47-29 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, New York
  • 1221 Old Northern Boulevard, Roslyn, New York

Notable performances

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

See also

References
  1. "Working in the Spirit Of My Father's Place". The New York Times. August 27, 2000.
  2. ""Legendary music venue My Father's Place reopening on Long Island after 30 years" Newsday, November 13, 2017".
  3. "Rock & Roll Geography: My Father's Place (Roslyn, NY)". www.johnnypierre.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  4. "New York Times, ibid".
  5. ""WLIR, revolutionary radio: Tribute documentary 'Dare to be Different' is a Gen X time capsule" Salon, April 29, 2017".
  6. "Rock Radio Station Fades Out on L.I." The New York Times. December 18, 1987.
  7. "Rosenfield, Steve and Epstein, Michael Fun and Dangerous: Untold Tales, Unseen Photos, Unearthed Music from My Father's Place 1975-1980. MRG Ventures, Inc, New York; 2010".
  8. Werksman, Hans. "John Cale setlists – Tour 1977". Fear Is a Man's Best Friend. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  9. Werksman, Hans. "John Cale setlists – Roslyn 1981-08-07". Fear Is a Man's Best Friend. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
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