The Jabberwocky Nightclub in Syracuse, NY

One of the great things about the net is you never know who you are going to run into.... shortly after I mentioned the Jabberwocky Nightclub in Syracuse, NY, I got this in the mail:
Date: Fri, 02 May 1997 18:59:27 -0400
From: "Joseph F. Bronowich" 
Organization: QuinTech, Inc
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: dshaw@jabberwocky.com
Subject: Jabberwocky Nightclub in Syracuse
X-Priority: 3 (Normal)
Status: RO

Hi.

Saw your page regarding all the Jabberwocky related stuff.  I was the
program manager of the club when it closed in 1985 (last show was
Funkadelic and John Cale;  we had James Brown the night before).  The
McGuinn show was that week also (a double-bill with Jorma). 

It closed because a new, horrible club opened in its place in the new
Schine Student Center the next year.  The old space is now a computer
center. 

The most distinguishing features of the place were the Alice in
Wonderland murals that adorned the walls.  They were supposed to go into
the university archives after the club closed, but they were "lost".
(Stolen or destroyed more likely).  There are many photos floating
around of all these famous artists playing in front of the tweedledee
and tweedledum mural which was directly behind the stage

You can also add Cyndi Lauper, Southside Johnny, Jackson Browne, and
Talking Heads (twice!) to your list.  Springsteen was booked, but never
played.  However, it is listed in his biography that he has.

A big thrill for me was to be sitting in a full stadium in Syracuse
during a Springsteen concert when he said "I used to hang out in a place
up here called the Jabberwocky -- izzit still open?".  Many people
cheered.  I called the bar during the break to put on more bartenders to
deal with the crush of people that were sure to show up.

About 11 people were there that night.

Hope this is of interest to you!

=Joe=

dshaw@jabberwocky.com

Return to Glorious Nonsense
Return to Lewis Carroll
Return to Jabberwocky