Comments on: The Raleigh Underground: A Lost Phenomenon

By: The East Coast Drifter

The East Coast Drifter — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:15:45 +0000

I saw Lightin Hopkins at the Frog just him playing on a stool and Tower of Power at another place maybe the Pier both in 1974. I remember it had a upstairs to watch bands. Does anyone has any pics or song list for these shows.Thanks

By: john kirtz

john kirtz — Sun, 06 May 2012 16:32:41 +0000

What a trip down memory lane! I remember the Subway well. Saw Roger McGuinn (I was and still am the world’s biggest original Byrds fan)and Martin Mull among others at the Pier. I recall McGuinn broke out his near-one-of-a-kind Rickenbacker 360-12 with the sound-activated lights in it for one number. First date with the girl I eventually married was at the Frog for a Glass Moon show. Admired Chris Jones (drummer),John Wheless and Dave Whatsisname—envied their musicianship. Like them I was (still am) a huge Yes fan.

Played drums in a couple of local bands, but we never managed to play down there. One of those bands, a loose confederation of country-rock-blues hippies named Buckwheat, did play a semi-regular gig on Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street at a beer joint of the era called Town Hall. Lotta fun. Later played in a little-known precursor to what became Sidewinder, with Rodger and Eric Bennett, Jim Bowers and Tony Ray. Rodger, the guitarist, had the best ear of any musician I ever personally knew. Still in the area I think.

Saw a couple of mentions of Th’Cigaretz above. In 1971-72, Jerry Williams, Byron’s bandmate, lived across the hall from me and a couple of my School of Design roomates in a beat-up rental house on Park Avenue, a block or two from the old IHOP on Hillsborough.

Too bad the music scene back in old Raleighwood fell into such disrepair so prematurely. Thanks for the almost-forgotten memories!

By: Kenny Brewer

Kenny Brewer — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:27:41 +0000

One more thing I forgot to mention in my previous post. Although not a fan of the genre,I was coaxed to the Skyline disco in the Underground a few times by girls i was dating in the mid-to-late seventies. Once a beautiful barely dressed girl,who had been having wardrobe malfunctions on the dance floor near our table all night,came over with fire in her eyes,I assumed for me,but then she asked my date to dance. Like real close personal dancing. A small town NC boy like me had never seen that type of thing in public before and was enjoying it immensely. The rest of the night, the whole night, was one of those memories that’s just sorta burned in lol

By: Kenny Brewer

Kenny Brewer — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:00:40 +0000

Wow, lots of responses, too many to read right now so i may post some repeated info. I’ll finish reading them later though, very interesting. Coming to Raleigh in 1976 to attend NCSU and then joining a very minor local band who played Deja Vu a few times (what name? we changed it for almost every show it seems, both here and at the Big Bad Wolf (?) Brewery precursor and a few parties, and fought more than we practiced lol). I loved that place, called the Cameron Village Underground or just The Underground by most everyone at that time whom i associated with (we were still thinking it was the sister music mecca of Underground Atlanta back then. I just mentioned it last week in relation to Earl Scrugg’s passing because I definitely saw him and son Randy at the Pier. Arrogance killed a few times. Mike Cross wqas good. One I did not see mentioned was The Amazing Rythym Aces. Fantastic show, I broke up with my girl right after because she kept wanting to talk while Russell Smith was doing some killer singing lol. My brother saw Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen there (Hot Rod Lincoln). I was invited with him and his UNC buddies but stupidly declined. That was the thing with that place, the Chapel Hill music scene peeps were coming to Raleigh to hear some of the best bands back then, more so than the other way around, although the Cat’s Cradle and others had some fine music, Raleigh was NOTED for it. Yea, I miss it and those days. Thanks for this site

By: Ron Stop

Ron Stop — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:36:04 +0000

Wow, glad I stumbled across this page! The Underground was the place to be in the late 70′s and early 80′s. Great memories.

By: Douglas

Douglas — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:42:26 +0000

I am working on something (as I should) due to the fact that This place was part of my life when it opened , and well, we were the one’s to last play and shut down the lights. It is taking work to mediate such a pleasure that will bring more insight to the underground, but with all good things , they take time. I will be home in the fall and hopefully what is to be done will be finished by summer of 2013. It is all good, I am am not at liberty to share anymore than it will be from a observational viewpoint. I enjoyed the depths as much as you.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:08:59 +0000

FYI, I just stumbled upon this flickr album someone posted a while back that contains numerous photos of the Subway ruins as well as page scans of the Cameron Village history book that this article refers to.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12533190@N00/sets/72157600258083003/with/512203883/

By: alison

alison — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 18:36:48 +0000

wow! bringing back some old memories. thanks for the great article. i believe it was referred to as the Cameron Village Subway, though, back in the day…or at least, that is how i remember it.

i was at NCSU design school- 78-82 and saw many punk/new wave bands at the Pier. best shows: X, Ramones (3 times) Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Heartbreakers(with Walter Lure, Jerry Nolan and Billy Rath – without Johnny Thunders, who Walter said had been left in a ditch somewhere between Maryland and Raleigh!)…and many more i have forgotten.

btw- to the guy who asked about the Sex Pistols playing the Pier- that was a post-Pistols band with Steve Jones and Paul Cook called The Professionals – who were not very interesting!

By: Floyd Sense

Floyd Sense — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20:50:59 +0000

We visited the Village Subway often in the early 1970s. I recall seeing the Dukes of Dixieland at the Frog & Nightgown, and Bette Midler appeared there as well. We also saw Charlie Byrd at the Cafe Deja Vu.

By: Jan Chapman

Jan Chapman — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:16:48 +0000

Does anyone remember if the artist Peter Max ever came to Elliot’s Nest? I used to go there all the time and have a signed Max poster the club owner gave me that he said Peter Max signed. Think it’s for real or was club owner/manager trying to impress? Wish I remembered his name (club manager/owner).
Thanks, fond memories, I think!