Rock Clubs and New Jersey! It was a way of life in the 1980s and 1990s.

About two years ago, I posted a story highlighting some of the area’s most popular vintage rock clubs.

Let me tell you- It got a massive response from my fellow Jersey rock clubbers!

So- I decided to update the story… with a twist of including YOUR feedback and rank the top 5 clubs based on your responses.

I always say- “New Jersey Folks Know Best”! I have been to every club on this list, (sometimes sneaking in…..yeah, that was Jersey in the 80s!) feeling lucky to see bands like Twisted Sister, Zebra, White Lion, The Smithereens, System of a Down, Type O Negative, and of course local heroes – Prophet, TT Quick, White Tiger, Holme, Bystander, and More …. every night of the week, you could head out and catch live talent. It was amazing.

What Makes A Great Rock Club?

Easy. The Vibe. The excitement. The sound. The bands. The excitement of pulling into the parking lot and heading in for a night with your buds was priceless. New Jersey had SO many fantastic rock clubs up and down the Garden State that made my original list.

The Final Exam, Mingles, the Lighthouse, Creations, Club Bene, JJ Rockers, Mother’s, Aldo’s, The Soap Factory, The Meadowbrook, Jimmy’s Haunt, Obsessions, The Final Exam, The Arrow Lounge, Motionz, Close Encounters,- The list is long. How lucky were we?!

Check out my list of YOUR top 5 rock clubs below. And feel free to email me at TC@WDHAFM.COM and follow me on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/tcrockdog/

• Vintage DHA Photos Part 1 , 
• Who Remembers These NJ Bar Bands?
• Underrated NJ Rock Singers

Thanks For The Memories New Jersey! 

The Top 5 Rock Clubs…

• 5. Studio One- Newark

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrEzttAIfvw Located on Verona Avenue in Newark, Studio One was a rock club with a DJ and tons of cool bands, mostly metal and hardcore and it was the place to be for North Jersey Metal fans. Type O Negative, Life Of Agony and Trixter were just a few of the bands that rocked “The Studio” – Check out the Trixter video performance from 1989!

• 4. L'Amour- The Rock Capitol Of Brooklyn

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbr-X1bueCk L’Amour was the coolest of the cool. What a vibe. Waaaaaay cooler than any California club, L’Amour opened as a disco in the 1970’s and closed with a rock and roll legacy that was unprecedented in 2004. Maiden, Megadeth, Kiss, White Lion, Metallica- all rocked L’Amour. It was a world of its own. BIG hair, spandex, and metal. L’Amour is legendary, loud and had the coolest TV commercial too!

• 3. The Dirt Club- Bloomfield

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zfy4uRHAhQ Johnny Dirt brought the punk flavor to New Jersey like no one else. Located in Bloomfield, The Dirt Club was a destination and home for New Jersey punk rockers which went unnoticed by day and edgy and vibrant at night. The Smithereens were the house band, you could purchase a “Dirt Bag” of Dirt Club “actual” dirt at the club and there was truly no place like it anywhere. Our NJ version of CBGB’s (only cooler- because it was in Jersey) RIP Johnny Dirt

• 2. The Birch Hill- Old Bridge

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLrlrb2TJ3M I practically lived at The Birch Hill in Old Bridge. I saw and hosted so many WDHA shows at this wild place (remember parking in the lot below the venue?) Marilyn Manson, Kings X, System of a Down, Foreigner, Gov’t Mule, Joan Jett, Overkill, Vince Neil, the list goes on and on. What memories. The Birch Hill was the place to ROCK!

• 1. Fountain Casino- Aberdeen

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDPEohoXNmE&t=350s Located on rt.35 in Aberdeen New Jersey, The Fountain Casino was the first music venue I ever snuck into! (maybe the second) “The Fountain” was epic. There was no place like it. The brown and yellow sign out front was just the beginning. The hot dogs in the lobby were….well…you know! Let me explain. The Fountain Casino was two places. Dancing to disco or new wave on one side and behind the partition, an epic rock band would be playing! If the partition was removed, you could see a full on rock show with thousands of rockers, complete with a stage show. Twisted Sister, Cheap Trick, Joe Perry, Aerosmith, B52’s, Men At Work, the Stray Cats, Utopia, Alice Cooper, Rossington Collins and more rocked this incredible space. Local cover and original bands would pack the house too. Why? Because FC was the place to be. So many Jerseyans hit me up that this was their favorite place. I agree. It made the #1 slot.

Get The WDHA Setlist Newsletter Delivered To Your Inbox

The latest Rock news, intel on local events and concerts, plus exclusive contests, games, and more delivered right to your inbox.

Email *

Subscribe

By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.