Webster Hall

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Located in the heart of the East Village this 40,000 square foor nightclub/entertainment venue was built in 1886 and designed by renowned architect Charles Rentz. It was considered the country’s first modern nightclub hosting everything from society events to anarchist meetings. During Prohibition, Webster Hall became the unofficial speakeasy of New York City, with police turning a blind eye to the happenings inside. By the time the 1950s rolled around it had become one of the premiere music venues in the city, as well as an uber-trendy night club with six separate rooms for dancing and various other activities. To this day Webster Hall remains one of the most popular dance clubs in the city.

Many historic recordings have been made inside Webster Hall. Carol Channing recorded "Hello, Dolly!" in the all as well as Harold Prince's "Fiddler on the Roof." Julie Andrews, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Perry Como, Elvis Presley,and Frank Sinatra have all made records there, and on February 2, 1962 Bob Dylan played harmonica on the title track of Harry Belafonte's "Midnight Special" album, the first time that Bob Dylan was ever recorded.

Despite the many new music venues that have popped up in the city over the years, Webster Hall continues to attract some of the biggest acts in the world. U2 played their first ever US date here, and performers as diverse as Elvis, Madonna, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, James Brown, Jefferson Airplane, Run DMC and Prince have taken the stage.

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New York music venues, Rock music venues