The Haunt
The date on the title of this post is just one of the many reggae shows that took place at The Haunt in downtown Ithaca.
In the late 1970s and early 80s The Haunt was one of the best clubs in Ithaca. It was located in the back of a paved lot (not really an alley, per se) on Green Street.
There was a bunch of great music in town in the late 70s, and I became aware of Bahama Mama’s regular gigs at the Haunt during that time. They played there regularly; it became one of the best known music events around town. After a couple of years, Bahama Mama broke up, James Kraut going on his own and the Majestics becoming more visible throughout the area.
The owner of The Haunt, Jon Peterson, was instrumental in bringing a lot of the great music to Ithaca in multiple ways. (I did some searching but it seems you have to dig pretty deep to find information on the scene at the Haunt and his role in bringing great bands there.) It was also Jon Peterson, known on Ithaca College’s radio station as “Jah-Lounge” who spread to eager audiences the sounds of the latest, greatest reggae records, directly from Jamaica, throughout that time.
Several more posts follow on The Haunt, including one with photos showing the inside of The Haunt during a reggae show…
