The Bayou
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The Bayou nightclub of Georgetown, D.C. was a non-stop rock, blues, pop, and reggae club reflecting the cutting edge of prevalent tastes on the contemporary popular music scene.
From 1965 until it closed in 1998, the Bayou may have been the single most important musical showcase in the Washington, D.C. area. It crackled with sizzling neon lights and music played at a volume loud enough to preclude its clients from engaging in conversation. In the late 90's the Bayou was owned by Dave Williams (Cellar Door Productions) that was also the man responsible for putting on the concerts at DAR Constitution hall and the Capital Centre. Dave also was the GM at the Nisson Pavillion. In those days.. even if you were a big named band.. if you wanted to play DAR or the Capital Centre, Dave made you play his Bayou too. Band's like Blue Oyster Cult played the Bayou under the name "Soft White Underbellies".
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[edit] Location
The Bayou occupied an ancient and foreboding building at 3135 K Street NW in Georgetown under the Whitehurst Freeway for fifty-nine years. The club opened in Georgetown, DC in September 1965 on the site of a former Dixieland nightclub called The Pirates Den.
The club included a balcony level with tables and chairs, and two standing room only bars. Sitting in the balcony and focusing on the bands and the dancers on the floor several stories below was as significant an attraction as the music and the dancing.
[edit] Clientele
Though the Bayou generally attracted an older crowd and was frequented by Washington’s A-list community and politicians such as The Kennedys, the club also featured a diverse following including college students from Georgetown University, men and women from the many military installations in the DC area and The Pentagon, and the late-night hold-outs from The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Wisconsin Avenue.
The Bayou was a necessary stop on the national tours of burgeoning new and middle-range musical groups and solo artists. The club played mid-wife to the births of late 20th century bands such as: U2, Bruce Springsteen (and the E-Street Band), the Dave Matthews Band, Hootie & the Blowfish, Kiss, and a playbill of other ensembles that influenced the evolution of rock as well as rhythm and blues from the 60’s through the 90’s.
[edit] Timeline
- Opened 1939.
- Converted to Rock ‘n’ Roll September 1965.
- Closed 1998.
- Razed 2000.
