| Max's Kansas City |
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Information AboutMax's Kansas City |
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HISTORY Opened by Mickey Ruskin (1933-1983) in December 1965 , it was a hangout for artists and sculptors of the New York School , sculptor John Chamberlain , Robert Rauschenberg and Larry Rivers , whose presence attracted hip celebrities and the Jet Set , and also a favorite spot of Andy Warhol 's entourage. The Velvet Underground played their last shows with Lou Reed at Max's in the summer of 1970. It was homebase for the shortlived Glitter Rock scene that included David Bowie , Iggy Pop , and, of course, Lou Reed. This was the first place many bands began their careers. Bruce Springsteen played a solo acoustic set there in the summer of 1972. Both Aerosmith and Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band played their first New York City gigs there. Bob Marley & The Wailers opened for Springsteen there at the beginning of Marley's career, in 1973 . Max's Kansas City's popularity declined after Pop Art had transformed into punk rock, and the legendary establishment closed in December, 1974 . Ed Koch was to have a campaign office in the building.Neighborhood Report: Union Square; Archetypal Host – New York Times – May 11, 2003 The club reopened in 1975 under new ownership and - under the direction of Peter Crowley - Max's Kansas City became one of the birthplaces of Punk Rock , featuring bands like Cherry Vanilla , The New York Dolls , Blondie , The Ramones , The Misfits , The Dictators (who were falsely rumored to have been banned from playing there), Wayne County , Cheap Perfume, The Fleshtones , and Patti Smith , as well as out-of-town bands in the same vein such as The Runaways and The Damned . After the breakup of the Sex Pistols , Sid Vicious played many of his solo gigs there. Max's Kansas City closed its doors for good in November 1981 . The building survives and now houses a deli. In 2000 , Acidwork Productions, Inc., a production company founded by Neil Holstein (second cousin of Mickey Ruskin) began working in conjunction with Victoria Ruskin (Mickey Ruskin's daughter) on a feature length documentary about Mickey and his many establishments, including Max's Kansas City. {Link without Title} In 2001 , Yvonne Sewall-Ruskin established the Max's Kansas City Project in memory of the late Mickey Ruskin who fathered two of her children. To honor the spirit inherent in Ruskin's philosophy of helping artists in need, the project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit provides emergency funding and resources for individuals in the arts in crisis and empowers teens through the arts. {Link without Title} ORIGIN OF NAME The name does not come from any club owner direct connections to Kansas City, Missouri . Ruskin grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey and was educated at Cornell University . The name was inspired at the suggestion by the poet . Oppenheimer was to also suggest the menu items on the marquee of “ “Steak, Lobster, Chick Peas.” Ruskin was to open another similar restaurant “Max's Terre Haute” on the Upper East Side but it did not do as well.Neighborhood Report: Union Square; Archetypal Host – New York Times – May 11, 2003 FURTHER READING
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