In the first-ever edition of ‘Past Destinations,’ Sonic Opinion looks at the Pinecrest Country Club. The small outdoor venue in Connecticut held its last concert 39 years ago, but its memory shines brighter than ever.
Cover photo: 'Remembering the Pinecrest Shelton CT' (Facebook group - Dan Santoro)
A lot of people may not think it right away, but Connecticut has a pretty rich live music history.
The former New Haven Coliseum was a regular stop for major acts in the Northeast from the 1970’s to late 90’s. The Hartford Civic Center, now XL Center, has a history of its own, as it’s still a frequent stop for artists. In the (very distant) shadow of both venues existed what many locals dubbed, “their own Woodstock.”
This was the Pinecrest Country Club in the ordinary town of Shelton.
On the former site lay (sadly) 135 condominiums, after the town permanently closed the establishment in 2005, citing noise complaints. Underneath the condos framework, though, exists a wealth of rich and important music history.
Many of the promotional concert posters plastered in the nearby towns promoted the slogan ‘In the backyard.’ That’s because it really was some people's backyards, as it was in the middle of a fairly ordinary suburban area.
It’s extremely rare to find such a venue nowadays. The Pinecrest wasn’t flashy and it certainly wasn’t entirely commercial. It provided locals access to all kinds of music and the prices were low. Those must have been the days.
From 1972 to 1980, the site of rolling hills and trees hosted some of the eras greatest stars. Here are a five notable shows (in chronological order):
Honorable mention:
Kingfish (July 28, 1976)
Ramones (February 14, 1979)
Peter Tosh (August 18, 1979)
Bruce Springsteen (December 14, 1973)
To put how cool this must have been into perspective for you: Springsteen’s first album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., came out just 11 months earlier. Dubbed the “Party at the Pinecrest” on the promo, he was the only headliner that night. Girls admission was free, and tickets were only $2.50. Let me say that again. $2.50. I think concert fee’s alone are now at least $20. Sigh.
Bob Marley & The Wailers (June 14, 1978)
Now this must have been a cool show to be at. By 1978, Bob Marley was an international star. He was in the midst of his tour in support of his then-new album, Kaya. It’s incredible to think that Shelton was one of the pit stops he made in his efforts to bring reggae to new audiences. Sure enough, he delivered. He and the Wailers performed impassioned versions of classics such as, “Jamming,” “I Shot the Sheriff” and “Exodus.” You can listen to the entire concert here.
Meatloaf (September 4, 1978)
Imagine Meatloaf having a concert in your backyard? Yea, insane. That was a reality on this fall day in 1978. The Pinecrest had already built a reputation for catching artists in interesting points of their careers, Springsteens youth and Marley’s prime. Meatloaf’s show was no different.
His soon-to-be legendary debut album, Bat Out of Hell, was released three days before this show. I.N.S.A.N.E.
The Allman Brothers Band (July 13, 1980)
This one is a no-brainer. It’s the Allman Brothers and a summer day, what could be better? The southern rock legends made a stop in Shelton between trips to the Cape Cod Coliseum andthe iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, and Morrison, Colorado, respectively.
Santana and Al Di Meola (August 3, 1980)
Okay, maybe I was wrong about saying what could be better. This show must have been wild. You want some guitar virtuoso’s? Look no further. What a duo, again - literally in backyards! The crowd was huge for this show, and rightfully so. Carlos Santana played a whopping 20 songs, too.
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If you’d like to learn more about the Pinecrest Country Club and its history, take a look the a Facebook group created in its memory.