Thu 5/7 @ 7PM
From the mid-70s through the mid-80s, the fortunes of Cleveland’s top-rated radio station WMMS-FM and its premiere showcase club, the Agora, then on East 24th Street between Chester and Payne avenues, were closely entwined. They were partnering in bringing in and promoting countless artists on their way up who later because major stars, including U2, Talking Heads, Devo, The Police, Peter Frampton, Kiss, Bryan Adams. Cyndi Lauper, Meat Loaf, Aerosmith, Boston, Pat Benatar, the Michael Stanley Band — the list goes on and on. And on and on.
Among their promotions were “WMMS Live from the Agora,” which lends its name to a sure-to-fascinating evening at the Music Box Supper Club featuring three of the key players in the story: WMMS air personality/live concert director Denny Sanders, WMMS program director and station visionary John Gormanand Agora booker Buddy Maver. Air personality Matt the Cat Lapczynski will contribute via pre-recorded video.
WMMS broadcast the Agora’s legendary Monday night concerts, which featured the bands listed above and a year of “Live at the Agora” TV shows with artists such as Southside Johnny, Todd Rundgren and Eddie Money, broadcast on Cleveland’s TV8. They also hosted the weekly midday Coffeebreak Concerts hosted by Lapczynski and produced by Sanders, free Wednesday shows that many fans played hooky from their jobs and school to catch, which might feature a national artist one week and an outstanding local act such as American Noise, Alex Bevan or I-Tal the next.
The program is free; the club opens for dinner at 5pm. Make a reservation here.