Tim Grobaty: The Palace the Lantern

I recall going to the Marina Palace but don't recall the drug scene, stupid me? I do remember some drinking of alcohol going on however, and since I wasn't 21 when it closed I suspect moslty by underage persons.

My first job was for an Oral Surgeon at 6226 E. Spring St and we walked to the Golden Lantern for lunch every couple of weeks. They used to serve the very best freshly carved roast beef sandwiches with dynamite horseradish. It's really the place that made me fall in love with horseradish since my friends all used it.

Couldn't resist necroposting when I saw this being as I was reminiscing how much fun we had at Marina Palace back in it's heyday. It was located near what is now the Long Beach Marketplace parking lot. I recall it being by oil derricks and the estuary back in that area, the parking lot for it a swamp practically with a rough and edgy personality.
Had great bands playing on a circular turntable stage, three per night, was the place to play and get recognition for garage bands and well knowns alike. One band would finish a set and another rotate into place and start theirs, never a dull moment. Dance floor was HUGE, packed, and usually trash lined. Set of staircases on each side ran up to a loft and if I recall, maybe bathrooms. There was a giant fire pit inside, lousy drinks which even the under aged managed to obtain as they allowed all ages there. For awhile they tried segregating by age, quickly a failure, stamps to identify the difference which also failed, and police loved to spend all their time fighting major crime there... yea. More like enjoyed using this as excuse for hanging around the young skirts as they still do today. haha Seriously... can't recall much controversy or fighting there unless created by the police department.
That quonset hut had every imaginable color of patch paint on it and a very cool sign, looked like a Grateful Dead Electric Kool-Aid bus, couldn't be missed, but in the best possible location for rocking the place off it's foundations because nobody and nothing lived around that area. This is what they need today for kids to have fun and listen to their generation's music in. We weren't hurting anyone, neither are they, but they should watch for drunk driving is all.
If anyone has a photo of Marina Palace, wish they'd post and share it with everyone, it was a huge part of 60's/70's youth and party history! We had ourselves a serious hoot.

Anyone out there who worked at the Golden Lantern Cafeteria?

Lynn Ava wrote:

If anyone has a photo of Marina Palace, wish they'd post and share it with everyone, it was a huge part of 60's/70's youth and party history! We had ourselves a serious hoot.

Played there in the mid-'70s with a band called Becket, from nearby Los Alamitos. Other bands playing there at the time included Small Affair, Hot Sauce, and Sway, just to name a few. Here's a pic from the website of Mary Butterworth, a band who apparently played there in '69:

http://home.ca.rr.com/honkytone/marinapalace....

Lynn Ava wrote:

Couldn't resist necroposting when I saw this being as I was reminiscing how much fun we had at Marina Palace back in it's heyday. It was located near what is now the Long Beach Marketplace parking lot. I recall it being by oil derricks and the estuary back in that area, the parking lot for it a swamp practically with a rough and edgy personality.
Had great bands playing on a circular turntable stage, three per night, was the place to play and get recognition for garage bands and well knowns alike. One band would finish a set and another rotate into place and start theirs, never a dull moment. Dance floor was HUGE, packed, and usually trash lined. Set of staircases on each side ran up to a loft and if I recall, maybe bathrooms. There was a giant fire pit inside, lousy drinks which even the under aged managed to obtain as they allowed all ages there. For awhile they tried segregating by age, quickly a failure, stamps to identify the difference which also failed, and police loved to spend all their time fighting major crime there... yea. More like enjoyed using this as excuse for hanging around the young skirts as they still do today. haha Seriously... can't recall much controversy or fighting there unless created by the police department.
That quonset hut had every imaginable color of patch paint on it and a very cool sign, looked like a Grateful Dead Electric Kool-Aid bus, couldn't be missed, but in the best possible location for rocking the place off it's foundations because nobody and nothing lived around that area. This is what they need today for kids to have fun and listen to their generation's music in. We weren't hurting anyone, neither are they, but they should watch for drunk driving is all.
If anyone has a photo of Marina Palace, wish they'd post and share it with everyone, it was a huge part of 60's/70's youth and party history! We had ourselves a serious hoot.

I started hanging out at Marina Palace (Airport Club) when I was about 15 (1965). I guess I am "necroposting" also. I don't have a picture of it, but I do have my 25 cent token. I was one of the lucky people on "the committee" who got to go to the Saturday auditions and vote on the bands. The tokens were our pay, as it were. Great times! Great days! Anyone remember Strawberry Fields, the head shop on Main St in Seal Beach? Right around the same time.

I started hanging out at Marina Palace (Airport Club) when I was about 15 (1965). I guess I am "necroposting" also. I don't have a picture of it, but I do have my 25 cent token. I was one of the lucky people on "the committee" who got to go to the Saturday auditions and vote on the bands. The tokens were our pay, as it were. Great times! Great days! Anyone remember Strawberry Fields, the head shop on Main St in Seal Beach? Right around the same time.

Aloha from the Marina Palace
My parents owned the Marina Palace and I did the light shows and cleaned up. Have some few pictures of the building and will post. 60's in Seal Beach was a time of new worlds. Any folks from that time please get back. was in SB when the hill was open field. The tokens were a good advertising and the Sunday auditions. I did all the signs and painted the building. Anyone remember the "freedom sign" That someone would write bomb "nam"?
AH the old dayz

Mahalo
Bob

Dear Bob,
It would be wonderful if you could post your photos of Marina Palace in Seal Beach, CA.
Thank you!
PS - A few stories to be posted soon.

MrRay wrote:

Dear Bob,
It would be wonderful if you could post your photos of Marina Palace in Seal Beach, CA.
Thank you!
PS - A few stories to be posted soon.

Aloha Mr Ray
had not checked this posting in a while and was glad to see your note. I don't see how to post pictures on this site? Any ideas? Look forward to your stories. My parents started with Dick Dale in 60's and then the Palace in SB. Was a wonderful time.
Mahalo
Bob

I too was aproached by Mr. Robinson to audition bands. He gave me entrance free and flyers to adverstise and free hot dog and drink. My brother was in the band Together and friends with Mary Butterworth

sheri27 wrote:

<quoted text>
I started hanging out at Marina Palace (Airport Club) when I was about 15 (1965). I guess I am "necroposting" also. I don't have a picture of it, but I do have my 25 cent token. I was one of the lucky people on "the committee" who got to go to the Saturday auditions and vote on the bands. The tokens were our pay, as it were. Great times! Great days! Anyone remember Strawberry Fields, the head shop on Main St in Seal Beach? Right around the same time.

I had wonderful memories from those days. It was good clean fun and your dad was so nice to me. Every Saturday my friend and I were there auditioning and then came to dance. You can be proud!

cLoSeD wrote:

Aloha from the Marina Palace
My parents owned the Marina Palace and I did the light shows and cleaned up. Have some few pictures of the building and will post. 60's in Seal Beach was a time of new worlds. Any folks from that time please get back. was in SB when the hill was open field. The tokens were a good advertising and the Sunday auditions. I did all the signs and painted the building. Anyone remember the "freedom sign" That someone would write bomb "nam"?
AH the old dayz
Mahalo
Bob

sheri27 wrote:

I started hanging out at Marina Palace (Airport Club) when I was about 15 (1965). I guess I am "necroposting" also. I don't have a picture of it, but I do have my 25 cent token. I was one of the lucky people on "the committee" who got to go to the Saturday auditions and vote on the bands. The tokens were our pay, as it were. Great times! Great days! Anyone remember Strawberry Fields, the head shop on Main St in Seal Beach? Right around the same time.

I remember auditioning Strawberry Alarm Clock and Alice Cooper in 69 I was 16. I think auditions were on Sundays then. I am 55 now:-)

Seen Tina Turner there in 1965. Owner helped me in 1972 when I ran Fox theater rock shows in Long Beach across from Memorial auditorium. Airport club wall it in early 60's.

What great times we had at the Palace. I remember The Boston Tea Party, The Knights of Day, Super Chicken, I remember seeing Sky Saxon and The Seeds!!What a trip to think about those times. We lived to go to the Palace every Sat. nite. I remember Mr. Robertson, what a nice man he was. Very good memories from my teens. The Yellow Balloon played there too. If anyone remembers The Knights of Day, Chuck the drummer passed away about 5 years ago. He owned The Humble House head shop for many years in Lakewood. Very good friend. Love reading all these memories.Please send pictures.

I remember all that's been said and more...Yes I had a lot of good memories of the place, but please...it was a hole! It was filthy, and you ALWAYS had to watch where you stepped because you never knew what you might step in! Yep, there was a lot of drinking, but also people getting high inside the building. I saw many folks OD there. I saw a million local bands, but the biggest shows I saw there was "Humble Pie" and "Mountian." I loved the place! Between the Marina Palace and the "Fox West Coast Theater" in Long Beach we had it made...

cLoSeD wrote:

Aloha from the Marina Palace
My parents owned the Marina Palace and I did the light shows and cleaned up. Have some few pictures of the building and will post. 60's in Seal Beach was a time of new worlds. Any folks from that time please get back. was in SB when the hill was open field. The tokens were a good advertising and the Sunday auditions. I did all the signs and painted the building. Anyone remember the "freedom sign" That someone would write bomb "nam"?
AH the old dayz
Mahalo
Bob

Bob .. there is a Marina Palace group on FACEBOOK ... check it out. Bill Shepard is leading it ....

Met my first wife there in like March 68.

Alloha Mike
Will check out face book that Bill Shepard has set up. Met Bill some years ago as his sister lives down the road from from our old place in Oregon. Shared all of my dads stuff of dick Dale with Bill. Good thing to have revisited this site.
Mahalo from kauai
Bob

I remember the great stage there plenty of room for our band Dave Myers and the Surftones and a house full of people that loved to dance. Then taking a cold drink over to the the firepit.I think it was called the Airport Club at the time, 1963.

Hey Bob,
I was the lead singer for a group called "The Up and Coming Band" which included drummer Mike Hunt, Sax and guitar player John Pasterello, basist Steve Mahoehter, lead guitarist Ric Simmons,and B-3 Hammond player Mike Eaches. We played a few times at the Marina and opened for Alice Cooper there before they hit it big. Mike Hunt and Mike Eaches went on to play with Marry Butterworth and they also cut an album together.
The Marina Palace was great! The Up and Coming Band also opened up for The Merry Go Rounds (Your're a Very Lovely Woman) and The Seeds (Pushin to Hard) at different venues. Best years of my life!
Take Care,
Louie Louie

cLoSeD wrote:

Aloha from the Marina Palace
My parents owned the Marina Palace and I did the light shows and cleaned up. Have some few pictures of the building and will post. 60's in Seal Beach was a time of new worlds. Any folks from that time please get back. was in SB when the hill was open field. The tokens were a good advertising and the Sunday auditions. I did all the signs and painted the building. Anyone remember the "freedom sign" That someone would write bomb "nam"?
AH the old dayz
Mahalo
Bob