Man - I am so disappointed.

My parents had friends that owned a cottage about 1/4-Mile up the road from the main area of Salisbury Beach when I was growing up.

I remember looking down the beach to see the huge Ferris Wheel... walking down and hanging out on the massive boardwalk, all the different arcades, all the rides, the roller coaster, the food... just all the sights and sounds of it.

Well - obviously, time moves on and things change.

ACME had a gig up at "Surf Side 5" this past Saturday and it was a little depressing to be honest. That whole area isn't even a shadow of its former self. I guess when you have a mental image and memories from being a child - and "reality" is not even close to that mental image, it's a bummer.

The gig was "okay"... we played well and those that WERE in the club were really diggin' it... the room itself isn't bad. A cute little 1/4-circle stage...

Listen... I am not really a judgmental guy (or AM I?) but when you are constantly presented with; the 400lb lady eating fried dough the size of a pizza, the "falling-down-drunk" guy that wants to discuss his foot fungus, the old-timer with the huge gin-blossom and a voice that sounds like Tom Waits with a chest cold, the family with the pre-teen daughters that look like they are ready to "make money" in NYC, the guy zipping-up his pants after getting a "favor" from a hooker behind a dumpster, the guy walking around with an acoustic guitar (not playing it) who is yelling to nobody how hard his life has been and swearing, all of this to the sound-track of '50s music being blared from the center...

It was surreal and somewhat of a let-down.

Anyhow. I am not sure it could ever have lived-up to my idealistic memories of what it was, but this wasn't even close. It's such a shame. I miss the "memory" of Salisbury Beach.

...and listening to Morrissey albums so I can "FEEEEL", man...!

My brother calls it ..."The Riviera of Lawrence"...

I never ventured-down to the water - by the time I got the gear loaded-in and setup, it was dark - couldn't see anything off the back deck.

I can totally relate to how you feel....I used to go to Salisbury all of the time as a child and memories were wonderful and it is just a shame that it ended up the way it is now....someone who has a lot of loot should revamp that place and make it better than it was in the past but that doesn't seem likely...BOO

Damn....I should have known condos were going to be built there....the view will be outstanding though and waking up to the sound of the ocean is priceless....I love the view also...nothing is more beautiful than watching the sunset/sunrise on the ocean....or the moon shine on the water at night....love it

Salisbury was defintely craptacular during high school....it went down hill by then...

YES the 80s were the best years for that beach..I was a kid and I loved it.....of course I did not get drunk under the pav...but at least I got to enjoy it as a child.....

Hampton now looks how Salisbury used to look. I like the "land that time forgot" vibe that it has now.

Melvern Taylor sums it up in one of his tunes.

"And if it's raining, we'll just go drinkin' until we're stinkin' like a brewery".

Great place to drink on a rainy day.

I hear ya...time changes everything...sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse....memories keep the good old days alive.....damn time....

perhaps it will bring positive things back to Salisbury...I love the ocean no matter where I am so it would be great if the Condos brought good businesses back to the people...I'm hoping it works out for the best

damn it you're right.....

Yeah, its Atlantic City of the early 80s all over again.

Revere Beach was pretty destitute at one time especially after Hurricane Gloria destroyed what was left of the amusement area. They recovered with condos, restaurants, etc. and Salisbury can do the same.

Its really too bad that there are no real surviving sea side amusement parks anymore around here.

I like Salisbury because it has a lot of one way streets

great for drinking and driving

retroplanet.com/merchant2/grap...

To me, Salisbury Beach has such a fantastic vibe. It's very melancholy. the fall is my favorite time to go there. It always makes me think of "Quadrophenia". A rainy October afternoon at the Carousel Lounge can't be beat!

I have one fond memory of Salisbury because it was where I first got a gig on my own, meaning it was the first place I hit the pavement, went club to club and tried to get a jazz gig.......yup, in Salisbury.

I think I was 19. I went to every club on the strip. I knew they were rock clubs, but I thought a Sunday brunch thing would be cool, or an off night. I was clueless, nervous, and no street savvy. Anyway, I sucked it up, did my thing, and noticed that there was a little street that runs parallel to the Ocean. When I was a kid my parents used to tell me never to walk down there, that's where all the "drunks" are.

So of course I walk down the street and about half a mile down (past Chapter 11, and where Uncle Eddies' is now) there's this place called Angelo's by The Sea. I thought PERFECT, an Italian joint, jazz would be great in here. I go in, look around, in comes a cat that resembled Jim Croce, but with huge dark sunglasses (it was about 2 in the afternoon). He says can I help you, I give him the pitch, he says....."Yeah, that would be great. I just opened and I'm looking for enterainment". I told him it's a trio, we'll play laid back stuff, nothing that would get people to leave, etc..etc.. I was glowing!! I was also stupid and naive because I agreed on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday for $300.00......for the weekend........for the TRIO. But hey, we were young, we were music school students, and it was a summer gig at the Beach AND we got to play out of the Real Book for 3 hours a night. He even put a big sign on the marquee. He told me "I like that you're Greek. Jimmy Z Greek, like Jimmy the Greek, but with the Z right? Jimmy Z Greek Jazz Trio, you like that?' Who wouldn't, I thought I was just discovered.

First night of the gig, I get there and I see the big sign out front all lit up .........but it wasn't exactly how I envisioned it.
It read like this:

Jimmy Z
Greek Jazz Trio

Now the guys are saying....."Uh, what the f*** is Greek Jazz? We don't play Greek Jazz?"

But who cares! It was my name up there.

Long story short, we never saw dollar one. I never saw Angelo again after that first meeting, but I did meet his brothers......his very big (in size, not age) brothers. One had a tattoo on his neck that read "CYCO" Took me a few seconds to realize it wasn't an error because he liked electric slot car racing tracks...CYCO was PSYCHO, and he was. Looked like Josef Stalin but meaner looking. Same broom mustache. The guitar player (I was kicking bass even back then!!) against my advisement went up there on a Tuesday, ordered a beer, smashed the beer bottle on the bar and demanded that the bar tender pay what "Angelo" owes the band. 3 weeks worth, $900.00. I got a call to "meet" with "Angelo" that Sunday, but I didn't know why. CYCO and the other big brother told me why. "Angelo likes you Jimmy, we like you too, but that guy......not good, and something is gonna happen next time".

Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway. We never played there again, and Angelo's never survived the summer.

And I still love Salisbury Beach!
Angelo's by the Sea is a 3 floor apartment building now. I wonder what happens when tenants don't pay their rent??

THAT was a great story, JZ

It was kinda long, but come on, it was kind of entertaining.

6 sentences! Peg, whats new on that horizon?

1968--the turf and surf---right down from angelo's--a character named "sweet pie"! he used to play the piano in loincloths,,practically nude. long haired hippie! was a major sensation. and also had an article in playboy about him! priceless!
1968---i'm standing at the side door of the kon-tiki watching this pop band from lawrence playing on a sunday afternoon(happy hour). this was before the heavy rollers became vogue! little did i realize i would be playing there in 73 on a different sunday afternoon! this period was when the beach was best. was glad to be a part of it.

Hi all,
Sorry, I had to jump in here.....
I agree with pretty much everything that's been said above.
I remember the Salisbury Beach of the "day"....and I too just played there a week or so ago.... :(
Very sad state of affairs to say the least.
I looked around and flashed back to the old days at the center and remember that the mere mention of "going to the beach" from my parents or Aunts/Uncles would get all of us kids in a tizzy....
I also remember being under age watching the "big" coverbands of the day (Joplin Heart, First Strike, Tizzy....etc....:) playing the Frolics and especially the Kon Tiki (doors open and us underage wannabe "rock stars" would watch the sets from either the side door or the open corner doors in front)......ah memories....
lol....also all the brawls that took place weekly in there...ah man...the paddywagon was there every week...haha

I also recall later on down the line when I played there with a few bands and by then the luster was kinda already wearing off.
Just really drove it home last week, just how bad the place has slipped further downhill, even more than the last times I was up there......
BUT with all that said....Christy's didn't let me down. :)

the escape club used to have this really great 'pay to play' scheme.

it was the bomb.

Ski--We played up at Salisbury earlier this year--I was telling the guys about this loin cloth wearing pianist up we saw there back in 1969-- I just couldn't think of his name although the memory of seeing him is burned forever into my memory. It was the strangest thing I had ever seen! We were playing at one of the beach bars and on a beak my girl friend and I walked down the strip to check out the other rooms--"Hey, Check this dude out--he's like nude!!"
He's still around I guess --You can even get his cd!
cdbaby.com/cd/sweetpie

I used to see Sweet Pie all the time at the Willowdale Spa. It had the added convenience that I could walk home in 2 minutes.

Salisbury center will turn into something, but probably condos. Ocean front property is too valuable. The bars will be gone, replaced by luxury living of some sort.

rod,,i played there on the small stage out front in 73. never made the big one. i saw jeff beck and ten years after there in 69. awesome place!

rod,,it was the BRIXTON blues band. we did early zz topp,,son seals...bobby blue bland,,,early fleetwood mac,,,etc. we rocked it out with originals too. was a good band. based out of lawrence. 72 to 75.

Clam Heap.