Trocadero Theatre | |
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Exterior photo by Chelsea Leese. | |
Background information | |
Founded | 1870 (Closed 2019) |
Capacity | 1200 |
Location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Website | Official Page |
The Trocadero Theatre (opened as the Arch Street Opera House and often nicknamed The Troc) was a historic theater located in Chinatown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Over the years since it's opening in 1870, it has offered musical comedies, vaudeville, opera, and burlesque. The Trocadero Theatre was refurbished for use as an art house cinema and fine arts theatre in 1970s, and by the 1990s had become an iconic venue for rock and punk concerts until it's closing in 2019, after nearly 150 years since it's opening. It had been in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places since 13 June 1978.
History[]
The theater, designed by architect Edwin Forrest Durang, then modified several times, was added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places in 1973, and to the National Register of Historic Places five years later.
The building was known at various time as the Arch Street Opera House (1870–1879); Park Theatre (1879); New Arch Street Opera House (1884); Continental Theatre (1889); Gaiety Theatre (1890); Casino/Palace Theatre (1892), Troc Theatre (1940); Slocum's and Sweatman's Theatre; Sweatman's Arch Street Opera House; Simmon's & Slocum's Theatre; and Simmon's Theatre. It was already referred to as the Trocadero Theater in 1908.[1]
The Trocadero was a burlesque theater from the early 1900s until the 1970s. Burlesque performer Mara Gaye performed there in the 1950s. Eventually rebranding as The Pennsylvania Opera Theater, in 1982, was presenting three productions a year at the Trocadero.
In 1986, the Trocadero was again remodeled for its current use as a concert hall and dance club. The Trocadero retains a promoting team and books bands directly. It has a capacity of 1,200 patrons (standing room) or 600 patrons (fully seated). The theater would host a wide range of events including movie screenings, comedy shows, burlesque and concerts from alternative, indie rock, heavy metal, punk rock, jam, and industrial/gothic bands as well as hip hop and electronica artists.[2] The venue also hosted notable festivals such as Power Strip Festival, Projektfest and The Relapse Contamination Festival.
In the Spring of 2019 after several days of rumors and a last-minute attempt by local promoters to save it, Philadelphia's Trocadero Theatre — part of the city's entertainment skyline since 1870 — closed at the end of May 2019, as owner Joanna Pang would confirm to Variety.[3] The final show would be hosted on 19 May 2019 featuring Stinking Lizaveta, Pissed Jeans, The Workhorse III, The Three 4 Tens, Dandelion, Alright Junior, Pagan Babies and Stepping Razor.[4]
Recordings and Live Broadcasts[]
A concert at the Trocadero was released by Combat Records as Ultimate Revenge 2 in 1989, featuring performances by bands Raven, Death, Forbidden, Dark Angel and Faith or Fear.
A number of DVD and television specials have been filmed at the Trocadero, including the MTV program 2 Dollar Bill for My Chemical Romance in September 2006, comedian and actor Christian Finnegan's DVD/Comedy Central special Au Contraire in October 2008, comedian and actor Michael Ian Black's DVD/Comedy Central special Very Famous in March 2011, and comedian Dan Soder's Comedy Central special in December 2015.
The Dead Milkmen recorded their live album Chaos Rules at the Troc. In 1991, Tesla had a hit single with the live cover version of the Five Man Electrical Band song "Signs", which was recorded at the Troc.
The Trocadero was the location for Lamb of God's live DVD Killadelphia and for Job for a Cowboy's Altered From Catechization music video.
The 2003 edition of the Relapse Contamination Festival was hosted at the Trocadero, featuring ten bands over two days. Five of the performances would be released as standalone live albums, namely the performances by High on Fire, Bongzilla, Burnt By The Sun, Dysrhythmia and Daylight Dies. A two-DVD set featuring all ten bands and numerous extras would be released by the label.[5]
On 2 June 2012, professional wrestling promotion Chikara held the Chikarasaurus Rex: How to Hatch a Dinosaur internet pay-per-view at the Trocadero.[6] Chikara held their next two pay-per-views, Under the Hood on 2 December 2012,[7] and Aniversario: Never Compromise on 2 June 2013, at the venue.[8]
Selected Performers at the Venue[]
- Neurosis
- Bongzilla
- Mastodon
- High on Fire
- Alabama Thunderpussy
- Trouble
- Motörhead
- Voivod
- Spirit Caravan
- Corrosion of Conformity
- Crowbar
- Cathedral
- Clutch
- Melvins
- Monster Magnet
- Kyuss
- Kyuss Lives!
- Solitude Aeturnus
- Stinking Lizaveta
- Down
- The Sword
- Wolfmother
- King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
- Godspeed You! Black Emperor
- Mogwai
- Karma To Burn
- In Solitude
- Seventh Void
- Red Fang
- Ruby The Hatchet
- Baroness
- Paradise Lost
- Russian Circles
- Unearthly Trance
- Fireball Ministry
- Dio
- Weedeater
- ISIS
- Khanate
- Electric Wizard
- Big Business
- Ramones
- Misfits
- Shonen Knife
- Circle Jerks
- X
- UFO
- MC5
- Blue Öyster Cult
- Todd Rundgren
- John Carpenter
- Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin
- Goblin
- Zombi
- Neil Young
- Bob Dylan
- Iggy Pop
- Mike Watt
- Jello Biafra
- Henry Rollins
- Rollins Band
- CKY
- Andrew W.K.
- Foo Fighters
- The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
- Beck
- Björk
- PJ Harvey
- Failure
- Fishbone
- Bad Brains
- Living Colour
- George Clinton
- Body Count
- Beastie Boys
- Wu-Tang Clan
- Ghostface Killah
- The Sun Ra Arkestra
- Ween
- Dinosaur Jr.
- Redd Kross
- Gibby Haynes
- Butthole Surfers
- Boredoms
- Pearl Jam
- Fugazi
- The Flaming Lips
- The Jesus Lizard
- Alice in Chains
- Type O Negative
- Melt-Banana
- Helmet
- Ministry
- Mudhoney
- Flipper
- Burnt By The Sun
- Pig Destroyer
- The Dillinger Escape Plan
- Today Is The Day
- Cephalic Carnage
- Carcass
- Enslaved
- Venom
- Mayhem
- Opeth
- Godflesh
- Converge
- Cynic
- Einstürzende Neubauten
- Explosions in The Sky
- The Sisters of Mercy
- The Fall
- Guns 'n' Roses
- Paul Stanley
- Ace Frehley
- Gene Simmons
- KISS
- Megadeth
- Anthrax
- Overkill
- King Diamond
- Mercyful Fate
- Raven
- Death
- Pantera
- Slayer
- White Zombie
- Danzig
- Tool
- Swans
- Soundgarden
- Faith No More
- Mr. Bungle
- Mike Patton
- Sonic Youth
- Nine Inch Nails
- Meat Puppets
- Entombed
- Napalm Death
- Sepultura
- GWAR
- X-Cops
- KMFDM
- Killing Joke
- Radiohead
- Deftones
- Rage Against The Machine
- Bad Religion
- Green Day
- Pissed Jeans
- Ty Segall
- Eagles of Death Metal
- Torche
- Ghost
- Royal Thunder
- The White Stripes
External Links[]
- The Trocadero on Setlist.fm
- The Trocadero on Facebook
- 100 Years of the Trocadero on The Philly Voice
- The Trocadero on Cinema Treasures
- The Trocadero on The Philadelphia Encyclopedia