Welcome to TIME LINE: A record of all Bottom Line shows.

In this section of the website we plan to publish a complete listing of every performance at the club beginning with the opening day party all the way through the new millenium. The list will be broken down year by year and appear in installments as we collate the information, confirm its accuracy, and elicit remembrances and commentary from those who were there.

Our primary sources are Allan Pepper and Stanley Snadowsky, the owners of the club, inseparable partners for twenty-six years in one of the longest running enterprises in the American music business. As you look down the schedule of our first year in operation, you start to feel like you're peering into a quarter century-old photo album....but the photos are all in your own imagination. Maybe you were at some of these shows. Maybe you still have some old vinyl in your collection by these artists, or maybe you were too young to be there, (Allan and Stanley's secretary wasn't born yet!) and you can only imagine what it was like.

One of the striking things about the list is the number of artists who have made appearances in 1974 that have also appeared twenty-six years later at the club in the1999-2000 season. They include: Eric Andersen (the first month the club was open), Larry Coryell, Billy Cobham, David Johansen (with the New York Dolls), Tower of Power, Doc Watson and of course, David Bromberg. There are several more, but you get the idea. A twenty-six year career playing music is an amazing accomplishment in a business that eats its young. If browsing over these shows brings up any memories or thoughts you might like to share with our Bottom Line community, please feel free to email us, and with your permission we'll print some of your comments. The e-mail is BLTmailbox@aol.com. So without further ado....1974.

PERFORMANCE HISTORY OF THE BOTTOM LINE
* with occasional side comments by Allan and Stanley

FEB 11 1974
Pre-opening night party - La BELLE

FEB 12-17 1974
DR. JOHN
GARY FARR

FEB 12, 1974 OPENING NIGHT
* Highlight of the evening: Jam Session with Dr. John, Stevie Wonder, Johnny Winter in front of an audience that included Mick Jagger, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, Charles Mingus, Janis Ian, Billy Cobham, Don Kirshner, James Darren, Rip Torn, Geraldine Page and Bobby Charles.

FEB 20 -22, 1974
ERIC ANDERSEN
STEVE GOODMAN
* The original show booked for Feb 20 -24 was Eric Andersen and Fairport Convention with Sandy Denny. Fairport canceled a couple of weeks before the club opened. They appeared some years later, but without Sandy Denny. Fairport was replaced for three days with Steve Goodman and for the remaining two days with The Johnstons.

FEB 23-24,1974
ERIC ANDERSEN
THE JOHNSTONS

FEB 25-26,1974
THE DILLARDS
JOHN HAMMOND


FEB 27 - MAR 3, 1974
La BELLE
CHICO HAMILTON
* The original show that was booked was LaBelle and Ahmad Jamal, but Jamal had a fit the afternoon of the sound check because our piano was a 5’2’’ baby grand instead of 7’ that he demanded. When it was pointed out that La Belle’s equipment could not comfortably fit on the stage with the 7’ piano and therefore would impact on her performance, he threw up his hands and split, leaving us with three hours to fill the support act slot for the week. (Who said this was going to be fun!)

MAR 6 -11, 1974
ERIC WEISBURG
BREAKFAST SPECIAL

MAR 10, 1974 only
CHARLIE DANIELS BAND
BREAKFAST SPECIAL

Mar 12 -17, 1974
YUSEF LATEEF
SONNY STITT

MAR 19 -24, 1974
THE COMMITTEE
* which included HOWARD HESSEMAN, who went on to star in the TV series, WKRP in Cincinatti.

MAR 26 -28, 1974
THE STRAWBS
THE JOHNSTONS

MAR 29 -30,1974
RICK NELSON
THE JOHNSTONS

MAR 31 - APRIL 1, 1974
MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD and Friends
* AL KOOPER and JOHN HAMMOND were some of the friends that jammed with Bloomfield on the first night of the gig.

APR 2, 1974
Press party for TANYA TUCKER, who at the time was a teenager. The only time a record release party was held at the Bottom Line when the bars were kept closed.

APR 3 - 4, 1974
ALAN PRICE

APR 5 - 6, 1974
LARRY CORYELL
AL STEWART

APR 8 - 9, 1974
LEO SAYER

APR 10 - 14, 1974
BILLY COBHAM
THE CREDIBILITY GAP
* This engagement was one of the first times Billy Cobham functioned as the leader of his own band. It was also very special because this club date was being used to promote his first album as a leader. So Cobham wanted everything to be perfect. The stage was completely covered with equipment and there was little room for movement. And in the spotlight, center stage, was Billy's enormous drum set. The Credibility Gap, the comedy group that was opening the show, asked Billy's road crew if they could move the drums just a few inches so they would have a little bit more room to work. Neither Billy nor his drums were moved by their request. So the Credibility Gap had to perform down stage in one small area. Harry Shearer, one of the members of this comedy trio, got off an ad lib that still makes us laugh. Harry, apparently distracted by all the equipment on stage behind him, looked at the audience in exasperation and quipped, "I feel like I 'm performing in the window of a music store!"

APRIL 16 - 18, 1974
NRBQ

APR 19 - 20, 1974
DON McLEAN
COUNTRY GAZETTE
* Highlight of this engagement for the employees of the Bottom Line: Don was so taken with the professionalism of the club, that he wanted his entire salary to be divided among the staff. His instructions were that the tech crew was to get the largest piece of the pie, and that no one be left out except Allan and Stanley. Don takes the addage, “Don’t forget to tip your waitress” to new heights.

APR 21, 1974
SUZIE QUATRO
NEW YORK DOLLS
* The New York Dolls trash their dressing room. Allan and Stanley, outraged, vow that the Dolls or any member of that band will never play the club again. Twenty-six years later, David Johansen has paraded every one of his artistic personalities across that stage including:
The David Johansen Band, Buster Poindexter and the Banshees of Blue, Buster Poindexter and the Spanish Rocket Ship Band, David Johansen and the Harry Smiths as well as participating as a soloist in the Downtown Messiah.
* Syl Sylvain played with his own band June 9, 1981.

APR 22, 1974
Press Party - BUFFY SAINT MARIE

APR 22 - 28, 1974
BUFFY SAINT MARIE

APR 29 - MAY 4, 1974
GROVER WASHINGTON, Jr.

MAY 5 - 6, 1974
ARTIE KAPLAN
ISIS

MAY 7 - 12, 1974
BARRY MANILOW
BARNABY BYE

MAY 13, 1974
“SING OUT FOLK FESTIVAL”
Benefit for SING OUT Magazine with PETE SEEGER
Happy and ARTIE TRAUM, MIKE COONEY and others

MAY 15 - 16, 1974
RY COODER
LEON REDBONE
* Late Show May 16 - audience gets a special treat when NEIL YOUNG, who is at the show to see COODER, becomes so inspired that he does a special one hour acousitic guest set after COODER. (LEON REDBONE, RY COODER, and NEIL YOUNG, not bad for $3.50.) When the club first opened, ticket prices were $3.00 during the week and $4.00 Friday and Saturday. Allan and Stanley agonized for weeks whether $4.00 on the weekend was too much to charge.

MAY 17 - 19, 1974
TOWER of POWER
JAE MASON
* On the last night of the engagement, BERNARD PURDIE, RANDY BRECKER and PAPA JOHN CREACH jammed with Tower.

MAY 20 - 23, 1974
GATO BARBIERI
GEORGE MELLY

MAY 24 - 26, 1974
LIVINGSTON TAYLOR
ORPHAN

MAY 28 - 29, 1974
LES VARIATIONS
THE PERSUASIONS

MAY 30 - JUNE 2, 1974
ASHFORD AND SIMPSON
ROBIN KENYATTA

JUNE 4 - 8, 1974
LES McCANN
BETTY DAVIS

JUNE 10, 1974
Press Party for HARRIET SCHOCK

JUNE 11 - 13, 1974
ISIS
LAURIE BOGIN

JUNE 14 -16, 1974
ISIS
RALPH GRAHAM

JUNE 18 - 23, 1974
MELVIN VAN PEEBLES
GEORGE BENSON

JUNE 24 - 26, 1974
CANNED HEAT
KANSAS
* KANSAS was so loud that by the end of the engagement we had blown out two speakers. Thank God the next engagement was...

JUNE 27 - 30, 1974
DOC WATSON
BRYAN BOWERS

JULY 1, 1974
Press Party for WILD MAGNOLIAS

JULY 2-3-4, 1974
Early Shows: STEELEYE SPAN
POUSETTE DART BAND
Late Shows: MERLE SAUNDERS and friends with JERRY GARCIA
* MARIA MULDAUR and ELEN CARNEY sit in with Garcia and Saunders on the July 2 shows.

JULY 5 -6, 1974
JOE FARRELL QUARTET
CHRIS CONNER

JULY 7, 1974
Press Party for MINNIE RIPPERTON

JULY 7 - 8, 1974
WEATHER REPORT
SLEEPY JOHN ESTES with Hammie Nixon

JULY 9 - 11, 1974
CHRIS JAGGER
IF

JULY 12 - 14, 1974
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
JEFFREY COMANOR
* At this point in his career Bruce was a local phenomena - not the superstar he was destined to become. If you and one hundred of your friends were to come to the Friday or Sunday show, Allan or Stanley could have gotten you the best seats in the house.

JULY 16 -17, 1974
COLD BLOOD
BALL IN’ JACK

JULY 18 - 19, 1974
NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND
* sitting in JULY 18 WENDY WALDMAN and LINDA RONDSTAT
opening act July 18 - KEYES AND LIPPA
opening act July 19 - RICHARD TORRANCE

JULY 20 -21, 1974
DAVE VAN RONK
RICHARD TORRANCE

JULY 24, 1974
JOBRIATH

JULY 25 -28, 1974
IAN MATTHEWS
MARTHA VELEZ
* LESLIE WEST sits in with Ian Matthews on the July 28 show

JULY 29 - AUG 1, 1974
VOICES Of EAST HARLEM
RAY BRYANT TRIO

AUG 2 - 4, 1974
WAYLON JENNINGS
LINDA HARGROVE

AUG 4, 1974
Live recording of Broadway Show Album
“Good Evening” starring PETER COOK and DUDLEY MOORE
in front of an invited audience during the afternoon
* Album went on to win a grammy

AUG 5, 1974
Showcase for Coffee House Circuit

AUG 6 - 11, 1974
JAMES COTTON BAND
opening acts 6-8-CHERLY DILCHER
9-10 -LARRY RASPBERRY
11- DIVIDED WE STAND
* LENNY BAKER of the group SHA NA NA and ELVIN BISHOP jam with James Cotton on the evening of Aug 8.

AUG 12, 1974
Press Party for the BARKAYS

AUG 13 - 14, 1974
BONNIE RAITT
ROOM FULL of BLUES
* highlight - STEVEN STILLS jams with BONNIE RAITT and HELEN HUMES sits in with Room Full of Blues.

AUG 15 - 18, 1974
OSCAR BROWN, Jr.
JESSICA HARPER

AUG 19, 1974
Press Party for THE GOOD RATS

AUG 20-24, 1974
TRACEY NELSON
LARRY JOHNSON AND THE SCATS
AUG 23 only MARK ROSS instead of Larry Johnson and the Scats

AUG 26 - 29, 1974
THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND
HUDSON FORD

AUG 30 - SEPT 1, 1974
LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III
BRYAN BOWERS
* Columbia Records captures Loudon's live show for the album, "Unrequited".

SEPT 2-3, 1974
ERIC ANDERSEN
MARTIN MULL

SEPT 4 - 7, 1974
ELECTRIC FLAG
KING BISCUIT BOY

SEPT 8 - 10, 1974
ELVIN BISHOP
AVERAGE WHITE BAND
* PAUL BUTTERFIELD jams with Elvin Bishop on the evening of Sept 9

SEPT 11 - 12, 1974
MAYNARD FERGUSON
DIVIDED WE STAND

SEPT 13 - 16, 1974
MARTHA REEVES
FRANKLYN AJAYE

SEPT 17 - 18, 1974
LITTLE FEAT
THE DEADLY NIGHTSHADE
* DAVID BROMBERG sits in with Deadly Nightshade

SEPT 19 - 22, 1974
MOSE ALLISON
SYREETA

SEPT 23 - 24, 1974
ROGER McGUINN
HAPPY and ARTIE TRAUM

SEPT 27 - 29, 1974
TOM RUSH
DIANA MARCOVITZ

SEPT 30 - OCT 2, 1974
ESTHER PHILIPS
NEW YORK CITY

OCT 3 - 6, 1974
PAT MARTINO
JOE FARRELL QUARTET

OCT 7 - 10, 1974
GEORGE BENSON
NORMAN CONNORS

OCT 12 - 13, 1974
BUDDY GUY AND JUNIOR WELLS
JAMES MONTGOMERY BAND

OCT 16 - 19, 1974
TAJ MAHAL
RON DOUGLAS
* STEVIE WONDER jams with TAJ (10-16)
* BOB MARLEY jams with TAJ (10 -17)

OCT 21 - 22, 1974
McKENDREE SPRING
CLAIRE HAMILL

OCT 23 - 24, 1974
KENNY RANKIN
CAROLYN HESTER

OCT 25 - 27, 1974
NEW LOST CITY RAMBLERS
MARTIN, BOGIN AND ARMSTRONG

OCT 29 - 31, 1974
THE COMMITTEE
* AVERY SCHREIBER improvises with The Committee on the evening of Oct 30.

NOV 1 - 2, 1974
JERRY REED
LINDA HARGROVE

NOV 3 - 4, 1974
MILES DAVIS

NOV 5 -7, 1974
JERRY GARCIA, MERLE SAUNDERS and friends

NOV 8 - 9, 1974
JOHN HAMMOND
ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL

NOV 12 -16, 1974
FREDDIE HUBBARD
JOHN KLEMMER
* ART BLAKEY sits in with Freddie Hubbard Nov 16

NOV 18, 1974
MILES DAVIS

NOV 19 - 21, 1974
ORLEANS
TOM WAITS

NOV 22 - 24, 1974
CASHMAN and WEST
AL KOOPER
* JAMES COTTON and FRED LIPSUS sit in with Al Kooper on Nov 23

NOV 25, 1974
FREDDIE KING
CANDI STATON

NOV 26 - 28, 1974
JOHNNY NASH
CORNELL DUPREE and friends featuring: RICHARD TEE, GORDON EDWARDS
CHARLIE BROWN and BERNARD PURDIE

NOV 29 - DEC 1, 1974
An evening with LEONARD COHEN

DEC 2 - 4, 1974
JOHNATHAN EDWARDS
THE DILLARDS

DEC 5 - 8, 1974
SONNY TERRY AND BROWNIE McGHEE
MIGHTY CLOUDS OF JOY

DEC 9 -11, 1974
BRIAN AUGER
STARDRIVE

DEC 12 - 15, 1974
THE RASPBERRIES
ED BEGLEY, JR.

DEC 16 - 17, 1974
ELEPHANT’S MEMORY
TRUTH

DEC 18, 1974
ANOTHER PRETTY FACE

DEC 20 - 23, 1974
BILLY COBHAM
RON DOUGLAS

DEC 27 - 31, 1974
BARRY MANILOW
RON DOUGLAS