  Taj920 Member Username: Taj920 Post Number: 129 Registered: 01-2004 Posted From: 68.42.252.205 |
Anyone remember it? Had a great view of the River. Used to be packed at lunch in the 80s. Wonder why they closed. | ||
Detroitej72 Member Username: Detroitej72 Post Number: 143 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 66.184.3.44 |
Reason for closing: Packed at lunch, dead at dinner. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 6319 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 70.200.128.135 |
Used to see ol' Jim...oh, what is his last name...play his one-man schtick there every Friday and Saturday night, what a scream that guy was. This was back in the summer of '81...wow. He had a hat to wear for practically EVERY song he sung...and had a great time getting corporate-types to loosen up after hours with his Jimmy Buffet and James Taylor and Paul Simon tunes. Then my old friends from the Three of Us started playing there...I vaguely remember that New Year's Eve into 1982 getting 'stuck' in the parking structure, driving around and around until I realized I kept seeing the SAME pickup truck. But NO, dunno why they closed, it WAS a jumping place whenever I went there. There was always some dispute with the RenCen management over their patrons parking at that mall door...and I think they had some trouble after serving a minor or two. Geez, I was a minor back then...and they served me. I wasn't there when they closed, though, I gravitated to the Rivertown Saloon when the Three of Us went there. Wasn't the Big Fish building near Fairlane Towne Center also a Nemo's for a while?! The Three of Us played there, too. Maybe Nemo's as a chain of bars just got too big for the owners to manage. Chains are VERY different than single stores for enterpreneurs...they learn their limits much more quickly when they cannot be two places at the same time! | ||
Bvos Member Username: Bvos Post Number: 1871 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 70.228.57.79 |
That and the fact that the restaurant opened before the movie. The waterfront location was perfect for a movie tie in, but production took much longer than expected. The owner was really ahead of his time with cross promotions. | ||
Ron Member Username: Ron Post Number: 280 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 70.212.121.87 |
I loved that place. I used to go there to listen to the jazz music. One of the best in the D. Aaahhh, memories. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 6327 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 70.200.128.135 |
Oh yeah, didn't Zonjic play there in their rotation when he was still doin' smaller clubs?! Most of my memories of early Alex were at Baker's...I keep bumping into the guy in the weirest places...ended up at his house for a Christmas party one year, where we capped off the fifth of Martell XO that I brought to the party...that man loves his cognac, or at least did a decade ago. But at the time, I thought most of the jazz downtown was at Bert's across from Cobo Hall...and Alexander's on Woodward (Orchard Lake Drive RULED there)...on the top deck of Galligan's in the current Tom's Oyster Bar spot...and at P'Jazz at the Ponch. Damn there was a lot of jazz music downtown in the 80s. | ||
Royce Member Username: Royce Post Number: 1775 Registered: 07-2004 Posted From: 69.209.177.31 |
I think it was Orange Lake Drive. What ever happened to them? I had only one of their albums, "The Cat." | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 6329 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 70.236.198.22 |
They went through some personnel adjustments...at least one of their members ended up with a severe cocaine problem (as did so many folks during those Miami Vice middle 80s)...and they eventually disbanded. I think it really killed them when Kenny the bad-ass bass player left 'em...if I remember right. Never could quite understand why they didn't make it really, really big...they kicked it better than Jeff Lorber Fusion and a few of the other electronic jazz groups that were national at the time...the Yellowjackets remind me of them. I don't think THEY understood why they never quite launched, either. They were really great guys with an amazing groove. Spent MANY a night at Alexanders soaking in their magic...and was there when Regina Carter made her debut. That summer she appeared on so many different band's stages I lost count... | ||
Royce Member Username: Royce Post Number: 1778 Registered: 07-2004 Posted From: 69.209.177.31 |
Thanks for the info, Gannon. |
