This ad ran in the Windsor Star in February, 1973. It advertises upcoming bands playing at the Embassy Hotel, one of the bands scheduled in the ad was a little Canadian band by the name of Rush.
Today the Embassy Hotel, is best known as the Little Memphis Cabaret. If you’re a music fan at all, think about the fact that Rush once played in this buildingnext time you cruise by the corner of Tecumseh and Alexis.
That’s right… and many more played this city in many other “establishments”, as we called them…
I saw Rush in ’74 at Belle River High School, you gotta start small and work your way up…
I recall seeing “Catfish” Hodge in the Windsor area. Amazingly the guy is still around:
http://www.crosstownarts.com/catfish/.
As far as Rush at Belle River, I think it was Mahogany Rush. By the summer of ’74 Rush were playing BIG shows all around the US.
Speaking of great artists’ humble beginnings, does anyone out there remember when Bob Seger played Riverside Secondary School during the 1967/68 year?
Also, how about Jim Carrey was the University of Windsor pub in 1984.
Elton John came in 2012. Neil Young too. Among others.
We still have tons of huge names come through our city.
Is this Embassy Hotel related in any way to the Embassy Hotel that stood on Dundas St. in London? The Embassy Hotel was a great place to party back about 10 years ago but was destroyed in a fire a few years back.
>>Wayne L. No it was Rush, I DID see Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush at Herman High School…
From the History of Rush–“In 1974, when the band members were 20, they started making their first album anyway. It was simply titled “Rush.” The first album was soon released and the band went on tour in Canada. The album did not travel much outside of Toronto and the band was still not well known.”
I saw lesser light Rob Tyner–ex MC5 lead vocalist @ the Embassy about 1974 .
Yes, Rush did play at Belle River District High School, but I think it was in early 1975. I was there, and it was one of the very first bands I ever saw live. I had never heard of them before but was STUNNED by their incredible musicianship. My friend and I said they were going to be world famous and everybody said we were crazy. A band named Rose opened for them. There is a photo of Rush playing on stage in the 1975 BRDHS yearbook. Neil Peart had recently joined the band on drums. Fly By Night (their second album) was about to be released and they did several songs from it, and many from their eponymous debut album. Early that summer they played the Cleary in Windsor, and we were there. The next year (1976) 2112 came out and they played Cobo Arena and Joe Louis Arena thereafter. An incredible band!
Bob Seger played Massey High School in 1969, if I recall correctly.
I’m pretty sure that Ted Nugent also either played at Massey or Centennial back in the 60s or 70s. This predates me, but my father told me about him playing at a Windsor high school at some point.
I saw The Amboy Dukes at Centennial High in about 1970 – louder than ever!
We were most fortunate being so close to Detroit. The Embassy had many early Detroit talent play there. When Detroit rocked we saw locally at the high schools and bars: Ted Nugent, Bob Seger, Alice Cooper, etc. Rush played at Belle River High and partied at the King George Hotel after the concert. The owners at the time almost threw their sorry asses out for insisting some sandwiches be made while saying ” we’ll be famous some day “, they got the sandwiches !
I agree with Bob C, Mike G’tz and Jerome B—-Rush at Belle River High. I was in Grade 9 so it was the fall of ’74 or early ’75. I know they are in the yearbook. I remember the band, Rose–the guys in the Rose band were cuter but Rush’s performance blew us all away!! Never heard the story about the King George Hotel….too funny especially since I worked across the street at the Belle River Mini-mart!
The Amboy Dukes played at Belle River High in the 70’s they kept blowing the breakers finally Nugent got pissed and said the next time i play here i’m bringing my own #*#@!power Kiss was going to play at the Embassy but i guess their platform boots were too high for the stage i saw the Dukes play at the Intersection(Hall&Tecumseh) in the late 60’s he swung his guitar around to get some feed back during a song his guitar strap let go and his guitar ended up going thru the wall
Uriah Heep played at the Capital on University back in about 93-94
Ah, yes, the King George… I drove by that corner last week while out Belle River way…. the first bar I ever played in Essex County.
Rose, Abraham, Rush… all played St Clair College Pub in the early/mid-70’s as well – it was fantastic to have high grade Toronto bands down this way. And yes, Gary, I have heard the story of Nugent throwing his guitar through the wall at The Intersection, and SO MANY high school gymnasiums were under powered back then…. we all just waited for the breakers to blow. Whoa, it was screaming loud.
Can you confirm a date for the Uriah Heep gig at the Capitol? I can’t remember that one at all.
Scott i can’t give you the exact date that the HEEP played at the Capitol i think they were in Detroit for a show over there and just decides to do something here in windsor ,i remember my wife came home from work and said the Heep are playing friday night at the Capital i don’t know how she found out i lost my mind when she told
I remember one of my older brothers telling me that Ted Nugent played W.F. Herman in the mid`70`s. I wish I had been a teenager in the early to mid `70`s. Awesome cars, great music, an unbeatable social scene ….
Several members of the band Rose went on to perform as Toronto. They had hits including ‘Your Daddy Don’t Know.’ Brian Allen, part of both Rose and Toronto, co-wrote ‘What About Love’ that was a monster hit for Heart.
I know that Rush played Cleary in 1974 or 75, as I was an usher at the gig. The student body president at Herman, Dennis Minello, organized the whole thing. The administration at Herman would let him bring the band to the school so he decided to do it on his own. A bunch of his freinds worked the door and did the ushering for it. We got to eat some sandwiches with the band. Fly By Night had just come out and they were just starting to get airplay on the radio. Loudest concert I have ever been to. The reason the Herman administration refused to allow the concert there was because of a concert by Ted Nugent the previous year had caused so much damage to the gym. Also, when I was in grade 9 in 1970 the Stooges played at Herman. Wildest concert I have ever seen. Iggy was in rare form showing his “Raw Power”.
It was the fall of 1974 that RUSH & Rose played Belle River High School.I still have the blue credit card sized ticket from that night but there is no year printed on the ticket.I remember sitting cross legged on the gym floor watching the band and being blown away by the energy of their songs.I had been playing guitar for a couple of years by then and my eyes were fixed on Alex Lifeson.I managed to pick up some of ‘Working Man’ and I played the hell out that riff for weeks thereafter.The song ‘In The Mood’ also stands out in my memory from that night.
Good times indeed during that time period.Very lucky to have grown up during the 60′ and 70’s.Only wish my kids could have experienced such a quality explosion of musical groups during their teen years.
RobS January 30,2013
“Is this Embassy Hotel related in any way to the Embassy Hotel that stood on Dundas St. in London? The Embassy Hotel was a great place to party back about 10 years ago but was destroyed in a fire a few years back.”
Rob,no the Embassy Hotel( now the Little Memphis Cabaret) in Windsor was not associated with the one in London.In around 1981 our family purchased and operated the Embassy Hotel until about 1990.The name was then changed by the new and present owner.