Memorable Nights At The Shaboo -- Courant.com

Not one person commented on how bad the acoustics were at the inn. Saw many shows inc. Aerosmith, but missed Dire Straits due to it being postponed.
Other great rooms include, Fentera's, The Living Room, El n Gee, Rosalinni's.

Hall & Oates ... one of the best concerts ever. Many concerts, many fab times with hubby there. Actually he first mentioned marriage to me there ... that was nearly 29 years ago! It was a simpler time, no dramatic light shows, etc... Just simple, amazing, talent from some of the most talented bands ever.

Aztec Two Step... Max Creek...

I used to get into Shaboo when I was 15 yrs old. I had long hair down to the middle of my back, and had sideburns, and always wore a bandana. We used to go for $1 buds, and I remember the Blushing Brides, and awesome Stones cover band used to play there alot. I was lucky enough to see Muddy Waters there right before he died, and the place burned down. I am even luckier, that I have a witness to prove it, my friend Faith was with me that night. I also saw Joe Perry project there twice. I'll never forget him playing 'Toys In The Attic' and thinking that this guy is too cool, and wanting to be just like him.

How can anyone forget Tower of Power at the Shaboo, they ruled! We do not have a forum like the Shaboo, which is too bad. Jim Koplink, start one up, forget the corporate venues!

Toads is not the same, however; we are going to see Cts own B Willy Smith on May 30 - they are still together of sorts, one of the homegrown bands-still rockin 40 years later - checkemout!

Hey
Does anyone remember THE HEDGES, the club in New Britain Ct (somewhere around West Farm Mall) back in the 70's? There were many great bands that played there too.

have been to the shaboo many times to see nrbq,arlo guthrie,earl scruggs and many more.i really am not shure how we made it back to hartford some of those nights.

I was one of the guys who ran Music World in the East Brook Mall (thanks, Tom Waits) and we were in thick with the fabulous gang at the Shaboo, especially since they were right out our back door. Not only did we get to lobby heavily for groups that we'd like to see, but the bands would often spend the days of the gig hanging out in the store,'cause we had lots of weird stuff to browse through. Sometimes we'd even bring the bands back to the store after the show -- highly verboten by mall management, but hey -- and we'd hang out afterwards as well. The Police, Cheap Trick, Lou Reed, Horslips (great Irish band, liked playing with the tarantulas from the pet store), all spent time there. And the shows! Elvis Costello and Rockpile on the same bill! The Cars, when they didn't even have enough songs to fill two sets and had to repeat! AC/DC!
Too many to list, and we got comped pretty much all the time to boot. Believe me, life has been all downhill since THOSE days, boys and girls. RIP, beautiful old factory building with the water tower.

forgetabottit wrote:

Wow, great memories...Saw so many shows and many that I don't even remember :))) Those were the days. Elvin Bishop was awesome....loved being on stage with him and dancing my booty off to "Going Fishin hook sinker and line....." Anyone remember where the exact location was of the building???? Would love to just stand in the zone again. I think we need a historical marker to mark the spot!!!!!!

I couldn't tell you exactly how to get there but I went by a couple years ago while on a nostalgia trip through Eastern and Willi. I was an ECSC student 77-81 and spent a lot of fun nights at the Shaboo. There's a house on or near the spot where it was, wonder if they hear echoes...

saw joe perry project at the shaboo,what a show.when he went solo for a little while.he said during show "i'm not supposed to sing dream on without permisson but f?@k him"(meaning steven tyler)

steve wrote:

have been to the shaboo many times to see nrbq,arlo guthrie,earl scruggs and many more.i really am not shure how we made it back to hartford some of those nights.

i had lots of good times at the shaboo, those were good times.

I feel fortunate to have the privledge to partake many years of great musice at Shaboo. You can't beat those times. I continue my tradition of soaking up the music and dancing here in Nevada.
The Foster brothers were and are great guys. Thanks for all the great memories!

RICK DERRINGER (all 3 nights 'Derringer' band came out) was the best ever. Todd Rundgren (looking through the little fan window outside until we snuck in), Freddie King (till 4am, crowd of about 10 people), J.B. Hutto, B.B. King, James Montgomery, James Cotton, Junior Walker & The All-Stars, Jimmy Mack, PAT TRAVERS, Johnny Winter (w/Pine Top Perkins), countless Monday night quarter beer nights, watched the Ali/Spinks championship fight where Ali won the title back for the 3rd time, Quicksilver Messenger Service, a bunch of bands I can't recall now...just really good times

Hey, Candy, I just read your post and I remember your sister Jackie! Yeah, she danced all the time, she was there every show I was there, I can see her now lol

THE SHABOO INN Mansfield, Connecticut 1971-1982 not a complete list, by any means...
RELIABLE REGULARS
JAMES MONTGOMERY BAND…JAMES COTTON BAND…N.R.B.Q…
FABULOUS RHINESTONES…JONATHAN EDWARDS…ROOMFUL OF BLUES…
ORLEANS…SHABOO ALL-STARS…AZTEC TWO-STEP
BLUES ROOTS
B.B KING…MUDDY WATERS…FREDDY KING…BUDDY GUY & JUNIOR WELLS…
JOHN MAYALL…TAJ MAHAL…SONNY TERRY & BROWNIE McGEE…LONNIE MACK…
PAPA JOHN CREACH…J.B. HUTTO…HOUND DOG TAYLOR
STAR ATTRACTIONS
JOE COCKER…ERIC BURDON…DR.JOHN…DAVID CROSBY…ELVIN BISHOP…
TODD RUNDGREN…QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE…BOB WEIR & KINGFISH…
LOU REED…TOM PETTY…CHEAP TRICK…WISHBONE ASH…JACK BRUCE…AEROSMITH
NILS LOFGREN…BONNIE RAITT
ON THE RISE
AC/DC…THE POLICE…ELVIS COSTELLO…JOURNEY…HALL & OATES…
DIRE STRAITS…ROBERT PALMER…JOE PERRY PROJECT…LITTLE FEAT…
ROCK AND ROLL
JOHNNY WINTER…ROGER MCGUINN…HUMBLE PIE…NICK LOWE…RICK DERRINGER…
RORY GALLAGHER…ANDY PRATT…THE JAGS…CANNED HEAT…PAT TRAVERS
SOUTHERN ROCK
NEW RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE…CHARLIE DANIELS…PURE PRARIE LEAGUE…
LES DUDEK…COMMANDER CODY…GRINDERSWITCH…CLIMAX BLUES BAND…DIXIE DREGS
JAZZ/FUNK/FUSION
COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA...BUDDY RICH BIG BAND...MILES DAVIS...
MANHATTAN TRANSFER...BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS...TOWER OF POWER...
WEATHER REPORT...SPYRO GYRA...JEAN LUC PONTY...JOHN MCLAUGHLIN...
BRIAN AUGER’S OBLIVION EXPRESS...JUNIOR WALKER AND THE ALL-STARS...
FOLK LEANINGS
ARLO GUTHRIE…DAVID BROMBERG…TOM WAITS…RICHIE HAVENS…JESSE COLIN YOUNG…
LAURA NYRO…LIVINGSTON TAYLOR…LEONARD COHEN…IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY…
EARL SCRUGGS…KENNY RANKIN…JANIS IAN…
NEW WAVE
IGGY POP…TALKING HEADS…TELEVISION…THE CARS
LOCAL/REGIONAL FAVORITES
AVALANCHE…EIGHT TO THE BAR…OASIS…PILGRIM…SOUTHPAW…ARI ZONA MAID…
ZYCHECK BROTHERS…FOUNTAINHEAD…B.WILLIE SMITH…TIREBITER…GREY CONTROVERSY
LITTLE VILLAGE…MAX CREEK…BLUE ROOSTER…POUSETTE-DART BAND…DUKE AND THE DRIVERS…ELLEN McELWANE
MISCELLANEOUS
NATIONAL LAMPOON COMEDY…MARTIN MULL…FLO & EDDIE…BEACH BOY DENNIS WILSON…PETER TORK…SUZI QUATRO…ROBERT HUNTER…MO UDALL…BLUSHING BRIDES…
ROOT BOY SLIM & THE SEX CHANGE BAND…

Nils Lofgren had to be my second favorite show, that guy was unbelievable. Avalanche, RIP Charles Calmese. George T. Gregory Blues Band doing "She Caught The Katy", playing the sax lying while lying down on the stage.
ROOT BOY

Saw many great shows there. The best for me were Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen and Quicksilver Messenger Service. Finally had a chance to play several gigs there myself in 81 maybe 82.

Hey Lance, did you go to high school in Storrs?

Elm Court Fugitive wrote:

I was one of the guys who ran Music World in the East Brook Mall (thanks, Tom Waits) and we were in thick with the fabulous gang at the Shaboo, especially since they were right out our back door. Not only did we get to lobby heavily for groups that we'd like to see, but the bands would often spend the days of the gig hanging out in the store,'cause we had lots of weird stuff to browse through. Sometimes we'd even bring the bands back to the store after the show -- highly verboten by mall management, but hey -- and we'd hang out afterwards as well. The Police, Cheap Trick, Lou Reed, Horslips (great Irish band, liked playing with the tarantulas from the pet store), all spent time there. And the shows! Elvis Costello and Rockpile on the same bill! The Cars, when they didn't even have enough songs to fill two sets and had to repeat! AC/DC!
Too many to list, and we got comped pretty much all the time to boot. Believe me, life has been all downhill since THOSE days, boys and girls. RIP, beautiful old factory building with the water tower.

One of my favorite ways to spend an evening back then was to drive route 6 from Manchester to Willmantic, hit Music World to check out the record selections, purchase a few albums, have a few beers and smoke a phatty in the Shaboo parking lot, then catch a show. Man those were great times!