The Gasworks began life in 1968 as a small rock venue with a bowling alley upstairs. It ruled as a go-to destination for both up-and-coming local acts and bigger names on tour, establishing its rep as one of the most fun and frantic places to enjoy a show. In keeping […]

In keeping with its proud role as the Motor City, Detroit in large part manufactured American heavy metal’s earliest models in the form of Alice Cooper, the Stooges, the MC5, and Grand Funk Railroad. From the hardcore-heavy and thrashtastic mid-80s until the alt-metal and grungfied sounds of 1994, Blondies supplied […]

Gorilla Gardens proved crucial to Seattle’s alchemy of punk and metal into grunge, as the venue offered two separate shows on two distinct stages each night. Oftentimes, one area showcased punk, while the other featured heavy metal. Those twains ended up meeting quite a bit smack in the middle. So […]

Heavy metal itself comes from Birmingham, England. Actual metal-making plants and foundries dominated the city for decades, and they seemed to exert a (super)natural influence on the Birmingham residents that invented heavy metal music. These pioneers include Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and both Robert Plant and John Bonham of Led […]

The Channel was a music venue located in Boston, Massachusetts that was part of the underground arts community of South Boston.