The Metro St. Louis Live Music

Historical Society

 

 

Red Garter

Formerly The Sandbar

3214 East Broadway, Alton IL

Owners: Denny and Rita Maggos

 

This club later became P R's first Nite's Out.

 

 

Red Garter owners Denny and Rita Maggos, 1975

 

I got the following Bio from Denny Maggos on 8/3/10:

IT WAS 1952 WHEN MY FATHER BUILT AND OPENED THE SANDBAR.  A NEW NIGHTCLUB LOCATED IN AN UN-INCORPORATED AREA BETWEEN ALTON AND EAST ALTON IL. THE BIG DRAW WAS POKER AND BLACK JACK IN THE BACK ROOM. THE BAR WAS OPEN 24/7,WITH WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT FEATURING JACK SILVIUS PLAYING HAMMOND B3. HIS BIG NUMBER WAS STORMY WEATHER WITH A FLORESCENT LIGHT FLASHING BEHIND THE DRAPES. THE AREA WAS ANNEXED TO THE CITY OF ALTON IN 1960 WHICH ENDED THE GAMBLING AND LONG OPERATING HOURS AND DRASTICALLY REDUCED INCOME. WE TRIED VARIOUS PROMOTIONS TO STIMULATE BUSINESS, FROM IMPORTING COORS BEER WHEN NO ONE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA WAS ABLE TO SELL IT, TO SHOWING THE ST. LOUIS CARDINAL HOME FOOTBALL GAMES ON TV WHEN THEY WERE BLACKED OUT IN ST. LOUIS.  WE TRIED VARIOUS TYPES OF ENTERTAINMENT FROM JAZZ TO BOUZOUKI BANDS WITH BELLY DANCERS.  AFTER MY FATHERS DEATH, MY WIFE RITA AND I BEGAN TO FOCUS MORE AND MORE ON ENTERTAINMENT.  WE CHANGED THE NAME TO THE RED GARTER, DID SOME MINOR REMODELING AND STARTED WEEKENDS FEATURING BOB DIVELY ON RAGTIME PIANO AND JIM BRYANT ON BANJO.  BUSINESS REALLY STARTED TO COOK, WITH AREA ENTERTAINERS SITTING IN WITH THEIR BANJOS. THERE WERE PEANUT SHELLS ON THE FLOOR.  SILENT MOVIES DURING THE BREAKS WITH AN ANTIQUE MANURE SPREADER FOR A STAGE. THE NOVELTY OF RAGTIME BEGAN TO WANE AND WE STARTED TO EXPERIMENT WITH VARIOUS LOCAL ROCK BANDS. A NEW COUNTRY ROCK GROUP NAMED THE VELVET HAMMER HAD FORMED, FEATURING KATY GARD ON VOCALS.

THEY STARTED PLAYING FOR US ON WEEKENDS AND THE DEMAND WAS SO GREAT THEY WERE SOON PLAYING TUESDAY THRU SATURDAY. WITH SEATING FOR 100.

THE CROWDS BECAME OVERWHELMING. WE BEGAN TO LOOK AT A MAJOR REMODEL THAT WAS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR ENTERTAINMENT.  WE LOCKED UP AFTER NEW YEARS EVE 1969 AND BEGAN THE TEAR OUT. 

THE WALL SEPARATING THE GAMBLING ROOM FROM THE MAIN BAR WAS REMOVED, A SHORTENED BAR WAS RELOCATED AND SOON WE HAD SEATING FOR 200. VARIOUS LEVELS OF BALCONIES WERE BUILT AROUND A RAISED STAGE AND A HEAVY WALL COVERING WITH ACOUSTICAL VALUE WAS INSTALLED TO DEADEN THE SOUND. THIRTY DAYS LATER WE RE-OPENED WITH RECORD CROWDS.

 

THE VELVET HAMMER AND BACKSIDE FEATURING VOCALS BY DAVE SCOTT BECAME OUR HOUSE BANDS. IN ORDER TO KEEP THE ENTERTAINMENT FRESH WE BEGAN WORKING WITH ARNIE BLOCK, MANAGER OF RODE HOUSE AT THE AIRPORT RODEWAY INN AND NICK MIRANDA PRODUCTIONS TO BRING IN TRAVELING GROUPS.  A GROUP COULD COME INTO ST. LOUIS AND BE GUARANTEED OF AT LEAST 2 WEEKS WORK BETWEEN THE TWO CLUBS.  OCCASIONALLY THE SENATE LOUNGE ON LINDBERGH BLVD WOULD PARTICIPATE WITH A WEEK BOOKING. THE COMBINATION OF HOUSE BANDS AND TRAVELING GROUPS WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL.  IN 1978 PETE ROLLA OFFERED TO PURCHASE THE CLUB, WHICH WE ACCEPTED. PETE BUILT AN ADDITION, RE-OPENED UNDER THE NAME OF PR'S NITES OUT FEATURING DISCO.  RITA AND I FEEL THAT THE BAR BUSINESS HELPED TO KEEP US YOUNG. THOSE WERE THE DAYS

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Velvet Hammer poses at The Red Garter Sign

 

 

The Velvet Hammer is:

Katy Garde /Vocals, Tamborine

Russ Howard /Guitar, Bass, Vocals

Art Thomason /Keys, Key Bass, Vocals

Chuck Adcock /Percussion

 

 

 

 

If you have any photos, facts or memories of this club, please email me at: greg@dejawho.com

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