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Fall 2001

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60 YEARS OF NIGHTSPOTS
Your memories of nightlife in Amherst

WHERE DID YOU GO WHEN you needed to howl at the moon? we asked in our last issue, which featured a story on nightlife in Amherst. Here are some of your answers.

Carrie Lapaire ’99 and Josh Souweine ’99, Lebanon, Indiana :
"We went to Charlie’s, ABC, Rao’s and cook-outs on Mount Sugarloaf, overlooking the beautiful Valley!"

Julie Landry ’97, Roslindale : "My friends and I always went to Charlie’s. You can’t get any better than a Prince Charles and 10-cent skins!"

Errol Joseph ’93, Hull : "I was to be seen at Rafters a night or two!"

Matt Buckley ’91, Las Vegas: "Mike’s Westview, North Amherst – best bar in town. Crazy bartenders and fantastic family-owned watering hole. Many a midnight mass held Sunday night with Father Mark behind the bar."

Pam (Teplitz) Pozzi ’89, Camillus, New York : "The Pub, Barcy’s, Delano’s, Time Out, Mike’s Westview."

Tricia Foley ’89, Jackson, Wyoming : "Mike’s Westview with Pee Wee Herman’s pictures smirking down at you from behind the bar because you’re underage! UGLY! Also, that dance bar that was south of town for a while?"

Paul Cobb ’89, South Bend, Indiana : "As a UMie, I often found solace at the Groliard Bookshop (best hooch in town). As an Amherst native, I know many, many more hangouts, but I’ll be damned if I reveal them!"

Kevin Burns ’89, Westfield : "When I was finally legal I would go to Delano’s with Scott, Billy, and Gene – then to Joe’s Paradise for some ‘Death Wish’ buffalo wings after 2 a.m."

James Gorman ’88, Pownal, Vermont : "On week nights the cellar of The Drake flowed. The Rusty Nail or Blue Wall was the hot spot on Saturday nights. Mike’s for lunch and a cold beer; always free beer at Smith College weekend functions. Still entertaining the college crowd at Canterbury’s, Spring Street, Williamstown."

Mary Cresse ’86, Winchester : "The Drake, where the Collegian night crew went to join the Collegian day crew, who were often one and the same group of people. To recover, brunch at Jake’s in Northampton with my friends from Smith."

Mike Robb ’81, Seattle : "From fooz ball to Pac-man, I did my share of howling at the Blue Wall, Mike’s Westview, the Rusty Nail – but my favorite haunt by far to work and play was the Village Inn Drake. Long live Willie and the Rathskellar. I worked the door and bartended."

Guy Holzinger ’83, Fairfield, Connecticut : "My first two years it was the Drake – basement of some hotel downtown. Later it was Mike’s on Thursday nights for buckets of Rolling Rock. The Time Out was always packed – the beer was bad but cheap."

Lisa Klaire ’80, Huntington, New York : "Blue Wall, Pub, Poor Richards, Fitzwilly’s. We had our own Pub mugs and had them filled for 25 cents. All the lacrosse players were Blue Wall bartenders and I ended up dating/marrying/divorcing one."

Anne Woodcock Horrigan ’79, Springfield : "Four of us from ‘Knowlton the Nunnery’ freshman year ’75-’76, known as three Annes and a Nancy, went to the Pub all the time, especially Wednesday nights to see the Great Pretenders. (We were groupies!) Also, every Friday afternoon and into the evening for happy hour! Fun!"

Mark Wurzbacher ’75G, Takoma Park, Maryland : "The Bluewall, Pub, Drake, and that big hill at Amherst College."

William Yacovitch ’74, Danvers : "The Hatch was the place between classes. Best juke box around. Blue Wall drink-outs on Fridays. Saturdays at the Drake or the Rusty Nail. Always took time to attend Yellow Submarine screenings at Mahar Auditorium, propelled by some Electric Wine."

Jim Leger ’73S, Newington, New Hampshire : "Definitely Mike’s."

Brenda (Ray) Erickson ’73, Bloomington, Minnesota : "We used to go to the ‘Super Constants,’ the warm air blowers on the long sides of Whitmore Administration Building. We could be outside on the most frigid winter night. These were the ’70s, you know!"

Edith Kort ’72, Penfield, New York : "Favorite place – where else but the Pub/Tower Pizza to hear Natalie Cole sing."

Barbara Pierce ’72, San Pedro, California : "The Hatch, of course. And the Cage. Saw Jethro Tull, Gary Burton, Jonathan Edwards, Three Dog Night, B.B. King (met him, too)! Little Feat in ’Hamp, and more, I’m sure. Hung out at WMUA, Emily Dickinson on Orchard Hill."

Al Halpern ’71, Goffstown, New Hampshire : "Thursday night at the Pub with Charlie Bradshaw at the piano was really big for us at UMass."

Bill Welsh ’57, Wheaton, Maryland : "Actually, I went to work! Along with John Bitetti ’58, John Kominski ’59, and others, toiled in Greenough Cafeteria, singing our way through the slop in the dishwashing room and later adjourning to somebody’s room for a few hands of whist. Every now and then someone would yell out the window, ‘Panty Raid,’ and the answer would come back, ‘Go to bed.’"

Ed Russell ’55, Arcadia, Florida : "I used to go to Smith College in Northampton or the girls school down the road, Mount Holyoke College. Also used to go to Maine or New Hampshire to toboggan or ski. There was not much to do in Amherst in the 50s."

Norm Barbeau ’52, Palm City, Florida : "Favorite night spot was the Quonset Club on the Hadley Road not far from the campus. Best drinks in town. Good Friday night spot. Only problem was early Saturday class (required) with department head Bill Weaver. A double Alka-Seltzer always worked!"

Jerry Herlihy ’51, Sandusky, Ohio : "Hangouts – Barselotti’s; Amherst Billiard Academy; Quonset Club; Sportsman’s Club; Johnny Greens. !"

William Clark ’43, Ludlow : "Grandonico’s was the place to howl just off Main Street. My bachelor party was there, one of my frat played the piano. How I got back to the frat I’ll never know."

Richard ’38 and Louise (Rutter) Towle ’38, Vero Beach, Florida : "Sarris’s; Johnny Green’s; Mt. View Park; informals; Deedees Diner; Mountain Day; Northampton Inn; class reunions! Lord Jeff Inn; fraternity hops; LCA."

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60 YEARS OF NIGHTSPOTS: your memories of nightlife in Amherst

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