Create New Account. Mirrors make the club look bigger, red plush carpeting on some of the walls probably improve the acoustics. was at Joe's for sure. Press ... Sign Up. “Nirvana's tour stop at the Pig went so well (singer) Kurt Cobain declared us his favorite venue on the planet. Not bad. aww, i'll always have fond memories of this place. And whatever happened to those guys? If you haven’t been to the Pig in a while, don’t worry — it probably hasn’t changed much, except for one thing. Jump to. Blind Pig was formed in 1977 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, by Jerry Del Giudice, owner of the Blind Pig Cafe, and his friend Edward Chmelewski. He also remembers punk band Circle Jerks’ near-destruction of the Pig in the early ‘80s. Blind Pig (venue), a music venue in Ann Arbor, Michigan, US Blind Pig Records, San Francisco, US blues record label; Blind Pig, whiskey- and rum-flavoured ciders by HP Bulmer Saint Andrew's Hall. Sections of this page. I moved back for grad school in 2009. Cooney agreed, adding that the Pig is “a good place to dance without the stereotypical Necto bump-and-grind thing. Jason Berry, who handles booking for the club, remembers the 1989 Nirvana show, as well as another act that just about destroyed the place. Copyright 2010–2019 Damn Arbor. (This post was revised to correct a typo and to remove a reference that included masked profanity.) We can adjust to ups and downs mainly because of our size.”. See more of The Blind Pig A2 on Facebook. It was a blow to see the building was up for sale back in February. Log In. Being just around the corner from the Blind Pig, we went to almost every … Nice to hear the Pig's history summarized.-Tom IsaiaInventor. Related Pages. To enter, customers must first pass muster at the door ("Fake I.D.s and underage drinking don't happen here like they do elsewhere. 22K likes. I don't recall REM ever playing at the Blind Pig, although I DO recall them playing at Joe's Star Lounge on Main Street. The Blind Pig, Ann Arbor's historic music club located downtown! This is one of the few places that can accommodate a crowd of 100-200 people that actually want to dance,” he said. Roger LeLievre is a free-lance writer who covers music for AnnArbor.com. “For Ann Arbor, it’s a good venue to have. So while the raid of a blind pig did have something to do with sparking the Detroit riots, it would be a stretch to say that the Ann Arbor nightclub was named after that raid. Setlist: School • School • Scoff • Love Buzz • Floyd The Barber • Dive • Polly • Big Cheese • About A Girl • Spank Thru • Token Eastern Song • Negative Creep • Blew Ann Arbor Institutions: We Brought Back All the Shirts Seth November 27th, 2020 at 12:50 PM A lot of our favorite places in Ann Arbor were hurting with the pandemic and no football traffic, so we partnered this fall with Underground Printing to do a t-shirt a week for the places we love. With news that the Blind Pig/8-Ball and their liquor license are up for sale, I can think of no better time than to dive into the history of the establishment. The Pig gives the impression of being solid and familiar, like it’s been around for a while and has no plans to go anyplace else soon. In 1981, a local couple, Roy and Betty Goffett, bought and then expanded the business by purchasing an adjacent building and bringing the stage from the basement to the upper level. Most people don't know this, but we started this website back in 2010 when all of the original contributors were living together in a rental on 3rd at Liberty. Saw Dave Mathews Band play there back in like 92 or 93, if i remember correct, before that became the huge success that they are now. R.E.M. always liked the Blind Pig. The Blind Pig opened in 1971. We drop the hammer," Berry said). “People come here because of who's on the stage more than because it's the world- famous Blind Pig,” he explained. In 2017, Malcoun joined a group of investors to purchase the Blind Pig … As far as the decor goes, it's pretty typical, and definitely old-school. They also built an additional bar, the cozy 8 Ball Saloon, downstairs. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy, © 2013 MLive Media Group All rights reserved (About Us). Naturally, we spent a great deal of time at the 8 Ball and Pig and have a lot of fond memories there. Ann Arbor’s venerable Blind Pig is a place with plenty of history, probably because it’s been around long enough to see it happen, and maybe even stir up a little notoriety itself. Okay, who else besides me remembers seeing the Chickasaw Mudd Puppies at the Pig in around 1991? 1 year ago at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor. 208 South First Street Ann Arbor, MI 48104 ANN ARBOR, MI -- The music venue in Ann Arbor that’s played host to acts ranging from Otis Rush and Nirvana to KRS-One is set to reopen this week. Martin Bandyke is the 6-10am morning drive host at Ann Arbor’s 107one, WQKL-FM. We're just a vessel. Fortunately, Rich Retyi's got a great Ann Arbor Stories for us. A2 history! Safe too. It’s got a lot of personality,” observed Ann Arborite Bill Melville, who was in the club recently to catch the monthly DJ gig from Ann Arbor Soul Club. A blog about life, Ann Arbor, and life in Ann Arbor. The legendary status of the room is a byproduct of that. : ). As great an improvement as it is, a Blind Pig without cigarette smoke just doesn’t seem the same, somehow. Rich Retyi, DelGiudice is spelled with the i before the u, so you've pronounced it incorrectly. “It’s an outlet for all kinds of music,” she said. That’s would be good news for Ann Arborite Melissa Landry, a frequent Pig-goer. sad to see it go. Edit. But Ann Arbor just keeps on trucking. Many locals who have moved on such as Brophy Dale, Al Hill, as well as Drivin' Sideways, The Jim Tate Band, and all my favorite locals. Can't wait to see you live again, hopefully soon! The club was opened by two University of Michigan seniors, Tom Isaia and Jerry Delgiudice, in 1971, according to a chronology posted on its Web page. The Blind Pig, 208 South 1st Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States 7349968555 The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of MLive Media Group, You are viewing this article in the AnnArbor.com archives. The Ark - Ann Arbor. Local: Blind Pig, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Data: 03/10/1989 Formação: Kurt Cobain (Vocal e Guitarra) Krist Novoselic (Baixo) Chad Channing (Bateria) … Neon signs advertise various brands of beer, and framed drawings of musicians line the space above the bar. 22K likes. The partners renovated an old downtown Ann Arbor building and named the combined cafe/club after illegal after-hours gathering places, referred to by the slang term blind pig, another name for a speakeasy. Create New Account. The Blind Pig A2, Ann Arbor, Michigan. or. or. We facilitate and strengthen the ongoing relationship between the artist and their fans. As far as the U-M goes, “we only need 400 (students) to wander down here for a show to sell out.” In the battle between Ann Arbor and Detroit for student business, Ann Arbor tends to win most of the time, Berry added. The pair purchased an abandoned furniture store and named it Blind Pig after a slang term for police officers that had been bribed by speakeasy proprietors during ‘20s prohibition. I saw Boogie Woogie Red, Koko Taylor,Luther Allison, Keb Mo, Flock of Seagulls, and many more. I’m very proud to be a part of that. Aw man, bummed I missed DMB! Chakro: It's not closing... this is just a story about the club itself. **NOTE: The Deluxe Cuff Knit Caps are custom made and any orders containing this item will not ship until late February or early March 2021. The Blind Pig A2, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan, as of Saturday, had 144,897 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, 7,010 of which have resulted in death. “I like it that it’s kind of grungy. The label is now based in San Francisco. On a personal note, the Bang! Rick's got Phish, too. But I like the blind logo inside the bar. Size is key to the Pig's success and longevity, said Berry, as is the club's proximity to the U-M. “A 400 (person) capacity allows us to survive on local music when the pickings are slim on the national touring circuit. The money allowed Malcoun to become an angel investor, as well as co-found Cahoots, a co-working tech hub in Ann Arbor. The larger room soon became a destination for local acts and touring bands such as Joan Baez, Bo Diddley, George Thorogood, REM, 10,000 Maniacs, Sonic Youth, Soul Asylum, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam and even Nirvana. The Blind Pig represents the old form with new content - wine and grogs, no super-firewater. 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