By Sharon Oliver, Contributing Writer
BOSTON – Thinking back to nights at the legendary 1980s Boston nightclub The Channel will likely unleash a flood of nostalgic memories and, for some, reveal facts unknown or forgotten. Perched on the waterfront at the edge of the Fort Point Channel that separates the Financial District from South Boston, the club’s location on Necco Street was in a desolate semi-industrial area when it opened in 1980.
Wide variety of musical acts
The hot spot consistently brought artists and audiences together for a musical gumbo mix that included head-banging metal, punk and new wave, vintage blues, reggae, Afro-pop, hip-hop, soul, jazz, and everything in between. And oh, the legends—James Brown, Ornette Coleman, Alice in Chains, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, the Ramones, the B-52s, Metallica (whose gear was stolen from parking lot behind the club in 1985) and rappers 2 Live Crew, who almost sparked a riot in 1990. Early rap group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five performed there in 1984 and Iggy Pop did a live album there in 1988.
The club’s wall of sound was provided by British soundman Dinky Dawson, who had done some road work with bands like The Byrds, The Kinks, New Kids on the Block and Fleetwood Mac. In fact, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie were known to visit Dawson at The Channel whenever they were in town. Dawson’s suspended acoustic sound system was rumored to contain the same sound cabinets used in a London recording studio for Manfred Mann’s hit song “Doo Wah Diddy Diddy” in 1964.
In addition to twelve bar stations, the 1,700-person capacity club had a concession stand/store which sold hot dogs, popcorn and soda to help keep stomachs full of something besides booze as well as official club apparel for fans to rock. The semi-private game room held a half dozen video games. In the rear of the back bar area was a small lounge known as the VIP room, which regularly catered to the desire for privacy for visiting artists like Aerosmith, Jimmy Page and U2.
When The Channel closed in 1991, it was a sad day for Boston-area clubgoers. Furthermore, its overall history involved a story just as hair-raising as the days during the eighties when shows had to be stopped due to patrons getting too violent and bouncers with notorious reputations for being brutal.
Alleged mobster connections
Reportedly, the son of mob boss Francis “Cadillac Frank” Salemme took an early interest in the club. According to the club’s last manager, Harry Booras, things started to unravel one day when the FBI came knocking on his door wanting to discuss previous manager, Steven DiSarro, whose 1993 disappearance they were investigating. DiSarro’s body was eventually found in 2016 when a Rhode Island man directed law enforcement to a corpse buried near an old mill in Providence.
Whitey Bulger pal and Mafia killer “Cadillac Frank,” along with another man named Paul Weadick were convicted of the strangling death of DiSarro and hiding his body with the help of Salemme’s late son, Francis Salemme, Jr. Allegedly, the Salemmes feared DiSarro was a federal informant and wanted to keep him from testifying.
Oddly, and even though there has never been connection established between Booras and the mob or the murder, two cars mysteriously caught fire outside the Booras family pizza shop during the same week Salemme went on trial in 2018.
Memories of wild nights
Mob rumors aside, many wild tales have come out of people’s memories of The Channel.
Perry Paolucci wrote on The Channel Rock Club FaceBook page: “Was anyone at the 1981 New Year’s Eve show at The Channel, with Wendy O and the Plasmatics? It was crazy!”
Said Jim LeBarron of a 1990 show by the industrial/metal band Ministry, “Amazingly chaotic show. Onstage chain link fence was torn down during the show,” and it was crowdsurfed away from the stage by the fans down front.
“I remember going to this show, because of the rumored riots,” said Doug Melcher, of a 1985 gig by the Scottish band The Jesus and Mary Chain. “Instead of riots I got hooked on a great band.”
The Channel will always be remembered as both an iconic club which played host to music legends and the home of many intriguing stories.
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