Urbanpioneer Member Username: Urbanpioneer
Post Number: 61 Registered: 10-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - 4:46 pm: | |
Does anyone have any info on this? Drove by today and it looked like the one building in the area that was being rehabbed now sports a Bookie's sign. |
Chiclette Member Username: Chiclette
Post Number: 28 Registered: 02-2009
| Posted on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - 4:51 pm: | |
In the late 70's bookies was a punk bar on 6 mile. |
Lowereast Member Username: Lowereast
Post Number: 36 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - 5:13 pm: | |
The new Bookies should be opening soon. I am not sure of the exact date, but the new place will have three levels (including a roof top deck) and full menu. I cant wait to have it back...but I'll miss the old Book Tower location. |
Harmonie Member Username: Harmonie
Post Number: 213 Registered: 08-2004
| Posted on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - 6:32 pm: | |
They're looking at being open next weekend. It's absolutely amazing inside, stone bars, 3 levels, a rooftop deck that is as large as their last location. Plus a full menu of all sorts of yummy things. Also, while it is surrounded by parking lots, it is not in a wasteland. There are 4 awesome bars within a fe blocks (Cliff Bell's, Park Bar, Centaur and Town Pump). It's last location only had Big City and Nick's Gaslight nearby. It'll be the same Bookies but just bigger and better. |
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen
Post Number: 2191 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - 9:32 pm: | |
So which building is Bookies going into? |
Leland_palmer Member Username: Leland_palmer
Post Number: 532 Registered: 08-2004
| Posted on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - 9:43 pm: | |
This one... http://fadeddetroit.blogspot.c om/2009/01/thorn-in-ilitchs-si de.html |
Lowereast Member Username: Lowereast
Post Number: 37 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - 11:02 pm: | |
Harmonie, thanks for the opening information! I cant wait!! That end of downtown is sure turning into a great cluster of bars |
Dannyv Member Username: Dannyv
Post Number: 570 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - 11:18 pm: | |
Chiclette, there's no connection between the two Bookies. The original burned down years ago and is a vacant lot. Did you go there? |
Chiclette Member Username: Chiclette
Post Number: 30 Registered: 02-2009
| Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 10:16 am: | |
Yes I did Dannyv. Then we would go to the "old" Clutch cargos in downtown Detroit near the old Hudson building. You? |
Dannyv Member Username: Dannyv
Post Number: 572 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 12:15 pm: | |
I went to see the Romantics, John Cale, XTC, Lene Lovich, the Contortions, maybe others at Bookie's. I don't think I ever went to Clutch Cargo's until it moved to Pontiac. I was an eastsider at the time and spent more time with friends at Lili's. Sludgedaddy was a fixture there. |
Emuaaron Member Username: Emuaaron
Post Number: 44 Registered: 07-2005
| Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 12:20 pm: | |
XTC?!?!?!?!?!? i can't even begin to imagine the glory of seeing XTC live, especially since Partridge supposedly stopped touring because of stage fright. Sounds awesome. i'm jealous. |
Big_baby_jebus Member Username: Big_baby_jebus
Post Number: 92 Registered: 09-2008
| Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 12:22 pm: | |
Wow, Cocaine must be selling well for a renovation such as that. |
Chiclette Member Username: Chiclette
Post Number: 34 Registered: 02-2009
| Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 12:57 pm: | |
I don't remember anyone I saw there. I just remember there was this bondage place next to it & this guy kept trying to get me to come in & being 21 or 22 I was scared. Wasn't bookies near Menjos? I remember the old Clutch Cargos (It was a dive but very big) & this new unknown guy by the name of Billy Idol appeared & they booed him. He was too Hollywood for a raunchy punk bar. Some girl from an England Newspaper was there & snapped a photo of me sitting in the bathroom sink putting on my lipstick. I wish I had that photo. Oh the fun of our youth. |
Waymooreland Member Username: Waymooreland
Post Number: 124 Registered: 11-2007
| Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 1:49 pm: | |
Amen, Emuaaron! XTC is one of my all-time favorite bands. Of course I was in diapers when they quit touring, so I have no regrets, but much respect to Dannyv! |
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen
Post Number: 2192 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 1:55 pm: | |
Thanks, Leland_Palmer, for the info and photos. It's been a while since I've been over there (it's near where I usually park for Tigers games). Will check it out soon. |
Artistic Member Username: Artistic
Post Number: 92 Registered: 09-2006
| Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 2:24 pm: | |
Bookies and Menjos on 6 mile were seperated by a parking lot....Menjos is still there and I think it was the early 80's that Bookies turned into a drag bar named the Pink Flamingo...I went there for a few shows, great interior space in that building |
Dannyv Member Username: Dannyv
Post Number: 573 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 2:55 pm: | |
EMUaaron and Waymooreland, The XTC Bookie's show was in support of the Drums And Wires album. The performance was excellent and they had some sort of lightshow of parallel black and white horizontal bars going on. For the Black Sea album, they toured in support of the Police at the Masonic Auditorium. I've often wondered about Andy Partridge's stage fright because when the Police did an encore, Andy Partridge came out on stage, applied shaving cream to Sting's face and shaved it, all done while they were performing. I understand the Dukes of Stratosphear recordings are being re-released soon. |
Dannyv Member Username: Dannyv
Post Number: 574 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 3:03 pm: | |
I imagine the punksters saw Billy Idol as a pop star opportunist who dumped his former band, Generation X, to go out on his own. A pretty girl trussed up is still a pretty girl. |
Chiclette Member Username: Chiclette
Post Number: 35 Registered: 02-2009
| Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 3:12 pm: | |
The Pink Flamingo thats a drag bar that I went to was in Pontiac. |
Chiclette Member Username: Chiclette
Post Number: 36 Registered: 02-2009
| Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 3:15 pm: | |
Dannyv, if I had a little winking dudette I would send one your way. |
Artistic Member Username: Artistic
Post Number: 93 Registered: 09-2006
| Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 3:44 pm: | |
The Pink Flamingo is still in Pontiac. However Bookies in Detroit on 6 mile was indeed purchased back in the 80's and turned into a drag bar called tThe Pink Flamigo |
Rsa Member Username: Rsa
Post Number: 950 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 3:59 pm: | |
the building that housed bookies was originally frank gagen's supper club. in the early seventies in was gagen's which was a drag club. 1978 is when it became bookies. it burned down in the late 80's. http://www.bookiesclub870.com/ history.html |
Dannyv Member Username: Dannyv
Post Number: 576 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 4:19 pm: | |
Sometimes the imagination is better than the reality, in fact, most of the time, Chiclette. |
Chiclette Member Username: Chiclette
Post Number: 39 Registered: 02-2009
| Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 4:47 pm: | |
That was a Great flash back Rsa, thank you! mmmmm Iggy, love him. |
Chiclette Member Username: Chiclette
Post Number: 40 Registered: 02-2009
| Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 4:49 pm: | |
<wink> |
Paczki Member Username: Paczki
Post Number: 96 Registered: 02-2007
| Posted on Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 5:51 pm: | |
When my older brother found out I went to Bookies with my girlfriends I thought he was going to kill me! We followed some guys there we met at Lili's. We thought we were pretty cool hanging out at Lili's and all but when we saw the crowd at Bookies it was a real eye opening! |