The Agora Theatre and Ballroom (commonly known as the Cleveland Agora, or simply, the Agora) is a music venue located in Cleveland, Ohio. Hank LoConti opened the first Agora on February 27, 1966, near the campus of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
- Venue
- Agora Theatre and Ballroom
- Town
- Cleveland, US
The Agora Theatre and Ballroom (commonly known as the Cleveland Agora, or simply, the Agora) is a music venue located in Cleveland, Ohio. Hank LoConti opened the first Agora on February 27, 1966, near the campus of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. His concept of promoting live entertainment for young adults was an instant success and audiences outgrew both the building and the neighborhood almost immediately. Henry (Hank) LoConti opened the first Agora in 1966 near the campus of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1968, a new Cleveland Agora Beta opened its doors in another building near the Cleveland State University campus where it grew into the most influential concert club in the nation. Initially Hank never imagined the Agora would evolve into a major force in the international concert scene and grow to become a premier concert club facility in the US. In the years that followed, the Agora clubs played a major role in developing the music and entertainment industry in Cleveland and the nation by booking and producing thousands of local, national, and international groups to perform on Agora stages in 13 cities. In 1968 the Agora booked its first international act, the Buckinghams. For many years, “Monday Night Out at the Agora” was nicknamed “Golden” because of the concept of showcasing original music groups who kept the club filled. Terry Knight & The Pack, better known as Grand Funk Railroad, The Outlaws, ZZ Top, Glass Harp, Foghat, Peter Frampton, Bob Seger, Kiss, Boston, Meat Loaf, Todd Rundgren and Talking Heads (to name a few) all achieved national and international prominence after playing the Cleveland Agora stage. In addition, the club served as a showcase for local bands and Sunday nights were reserved for original local bands such as Rainbow Canyon, The Raspberries, and the James Gang. The Agora also had a downstairs club called The Mistake and later named Pop Shop, where many bands from folk to metal performed. The cl