The History of Local Venue The Casbah
The Casbah has been a staple in the San Diego music scene for decades now, to different acts like Foals, The Adolescents, Joan Jett, MGMT, and even Blink-182. But before the Goliath it has become today, helping to breed old and new talent from around the world to San Diego, it started with multiple different venues and names behind it like Laura Fraser.
Laura Fraser, a local student at SDSU in 1977 was seeing a need for a much-needed all-ages venue in the San Diego region, and more ways to be able to support local bands and touring bands, especially from Los Angeles. Subsequently, in 1978 Fraser opened up the new ‘Skeleton Club’ at 202 Market St in Downtown San Diego. They held bands like local ‘Penetrators’ and LA’s ‘The Gears’. Even after keeping the venue open and changing locations, there was a lot of police presence from the SDPD with many calls and concerns for drinking and drug problems at the club.
Around early 1980, Laura Fraser called a young Tim Mays to help manage and run the Skeleton Club with her. “I gave her a check for $1,000 and became her partner,” Mays notes in an interview with local music blog ‘Che Underground’. After more consistent hassling and a raid from the SDPD over the next few years, Fraser and 10 others were arrested.
Fraser mentions “We had a 10-day jury trial, and all the Skeleton Club defendants were found guilty. The jury was dismissed. Then the judge told us she was declaring a mistrial, as she found that the police had perjured themselves. And, oh yes, they had lied through the whole trial”. After the trial, the Skeleton Club ended in May 1980 over some more permit issues with Fraser and Mays parting ways as Fraser headed to Hawaii.
Mays, now free of his obligations at the club starts managing bands in the area like ‘The Unknowns’ or other LA punk bands who wanted to tour in the city. For 7 years until 1987, he had been running venues and managing bands with many problems arising from the dust.
“Got tired of the skinhead problems back then and just quit. I think the last show I did back then was Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Dickies and Thelonious Monster at the North Park Theatre — the theater got trashed, and I threw in the towel”.
At the same time in 1982, Peter ‘English’ Verbrugge, a to-be future owner of the Casbah opened and managed his own ‘Kings Road Cafe’. The cafe was run as a small venue for “both San Diego regulars and up-and-coming out-of-towners” on 4034 30th St. in North Park.
Come 1986 Megadeth releases their album ‘Peace Sells... But Who’s Buying?’ and The Smiths drop their anticipated album ‘The Queen Is Dead’. But, it also was the year that Tim Mays, Peter English, and Bob Bennett opened the Pink Panther on Morena Blvd. in Bay Park. A small bar and rock-n-roll venue the venture turns into a good name for bands to look to for touring, having acts like the Dead Kennedys and Black Flag. “We scraped nickels and dimes together, and it was the first club in San Diego for young people, owned by young people.” Mays mentions.
Doing well in the late 80s now with the Pink Panther, the owners were approached to buy a separate venue called the Harp & Shamrock on Kettner Blvd in Middletown as a small cafe and bar with the “occasional entertainment — mostly rootsy stuff, acoustic, or jazzy” Mays mentions in an interview.
After purchasing, they had to decide on a name and Bennett had the perfect idea- The Casbah. Named after his favorite nightclub in Pittsburgh, they had now gotten their new location and expected to open in spring 1989. Now managing two locations, one as a venue and one as a cafe, The Casbah started to boost in popularity with a changing focus on entertainment rather than food and drink.
Concurrently, the Pink Panther had seen a sharper decline in its revenue and popularity, “a lot of alternative things have developed that San Diegans can do, which have contributed to our declining uniqueness," Mays says to the LA Times regarding the Pink Panther.
Then, shortly after Christmas on December 29th, 1990, the Pink Panther closed its doors for good, with local band “The Hooligans” as the final act.
The Casbah had acts such as Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Lemonheads, The Jesus Lizard, and Rocket From The Crypt. With increasing popularity for an alternative and punk venue in San Diego, and a legal capacity of only 75 people the three owners started looking to expand their reach and space. First, they looked towards buying out the buildings next door, but couldn't come to fruition. However, they had received a call from a real estate broker that had sold them the current building. He called and mentioned how there was a separate bar called Club (ironic!) that was going out of business just down the road.
“I had driven past the place hundreds of times on my way home from the Casbah but had never been inside”. Mays mentions. After some talk and a tour of the place, they decided to sign the lease and open the new Casbah in January 1994. With a whole new patio space, bigger bar, and venue with a capacity for 200+ people, it was certain to become an even better experience for bands and fans alike.
This new location- which is now their current location at 2501 Kettner Blvd, had sprung up as a place for new and beginner bands, as well as a place for the local bands to play often. It became the new hot spot for people wanting live music all across San Diego.
The Casbah has been and still is a place for mutual growth and community in the area as well, always collaborating and promoting other venues and bands like SOMA and the House of Blues, fostering a love for live and local music alike. On their events page, you can often see a plethora of artists and bands being promoted by The Casbah but other venues with available to purchase tickets and general information.
Yet sadly, on January 21st, 2015 owner and loved community member Bob Bennett passed away at the age of 66. Known to be friendly and loving to everyone who walked through the doors he left a lasting impression and memory on all of San Diego with his presence.
In 2018, still doing well and successfully Mays buys out the Soda Bar in City Heights, and runs it with Cory Stier, Andrew Montoya, and Angie Ollman. Often cited as another modern staple in the San Diego region, Soda Bar runs closer to a bar and club than a venue but has the excitement and love that Mays keeps for all the places he takes care of.
Below is a brief timeline of The Casbah's History:
Timeline
1978: Laura Fraser opens the Skeleton Club.
Early 1980: Tim Mays was approached by Fraser to run Skeleton Club with her.
1980: SDPD raids Skeleton Club and subsequent trial ensues.
May 1980: Skeleton Club closed due to permit issues and the SDPD trial, Tim Mays starts managing bands.
1982: Peter ‘English’ Verbrugge starts managing “Kings Road Cafe”
1986: Bennett, Mays, and English open Pink Panther on Morena Blvd. in Bay Park
Spring 1989: Pink Panther owners buy the “Harp & Shamrock” on Kettner Blvd. for a new building and open The Casbah
Dec 29, 1990: Pink Panther closes as owners focus on The Casbah, local band “The Hooligans” plays the last show at the Pink Panther.
Jan 1994: The Casbah buys a bigger venue down the road, a former lesbian bar called Club, and open a new venue with 200 person capacity
Jan 21, 2015: Bob Bennet passes away.
2018: Tim Mays, along with Cory Stier, Andrew Montoya, and Angie Ollman buy out Soda Bar in City Heights
