Club History
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While it is common for nightclubs to enjoy three, four
or even ten years of success it is a rarity for a club to
survive and thrive for twenty-five years in the same location.
The Hippodrome is one of these rare breeds that has stood the
test of time proudly. One of the last true megaclubs, The Hippodrome
is always looking forward but also realizes that it has it's
place in Monterey history and this page is dedicated to it.
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The original club was owned by Brooke Lewis and opened
in 1979 and was simply titled The Club. Opening night was
truly a sight to be seen as no expense was spared on this
lavish undertaking. At that time Saturday Night Fever had
just hit the screens and every one wanted to be a part of
the opening.
The disco scene was booming and The Club sported state of
the art lighting and sound for it's time, and was truly Monterey's
first nightclub. To the public it was a true sight to behold
with it's dazzling mirrorball collection and assorted rooms.
The staff was dressed in their best and even professional
make up artists and hair dressers were brought in to make
sure that they looked just right. |
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Behind the scenes things were a little more crazy as running
water to the upstairs rooms had not been hooked up yet! That
first night, thousands of glasses were rented because nothing
could be washed so nothing could be used twice!
Despite opening night oddities, The Club was a tremendous
success and went on to win awards and high praises for years
to come.
The Club had many successful theme changes including turning
various rooms into locations such as: |
The Library, a place where you could check out chess and checker
boards from the bar and play your favorite game or just curl up
on a couch with a good book!
The Piano Bar, a baby grand was in one room so you could sip cocktails
and listen to artists play your favorite jazz tunes.
The Game Room, fully equipped with full sized video games, pin ball
machines and pool tables.
The Comedy Room, stand-up comics took the stage and told jokes for
hours on end.
The Oyster Bar, yes, it's true... Those of you who love having raw
shell fish with your cocktails would have been happy!
| In the early 90's, Brooke decide that it was time for a
major overhaul at The Club so he shut the doors for the first
of two major remodels in the club's history and reopened as
Mc Garrett's. |
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Mc Garrett's sported a beach theme complete with grass huts and
surfboards. The name of the club came from one of Brooke's hero's;
The detective Mc Garrett from the television show Hawaii 5-O!
Again the club enjoyed a rebirth and boom, and went on to win
awards and more importantly a strong welcome from the local community.
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In 1999, after a strong twenty-one year run, Brooke decided
it was time to retire and started looking for someone to pass
the torch too. In the same year, a relatively new company
called The Hippodrome Entertainment, a D.J. company with the intent
of starting a clothing line out of Santa Cruz, California
performed a one night party at Mc Garrett's.
At the end of the evening, current owner Taylor Wolfsen approached
Brooke and asked him if he was interested in selling. The
response was, "yes," and a few months later the club was purchased
on a hand shake in what we now call the Back Room. |
After formalities were completed
again, the club closed it's doors for it's second major
remodel. After nearly a million dollar remodel and one year
of the club reopening in stages, it has been accepted by
locals and media alike.
Of course, that opening night was an experience. Forty-five
minutes before the club was to open as The Hippodrome, Taylor
was asking the carpet layers if they were going to be able
to get the carpet down before the doors opened!
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Since the reopening, The Hippodrome has been
featured on numerous web sites and had rave reviews in seven national
magazines. The combination of multiple venues under one roof is
not something easily pulled off in this day and age and yet the
combination of live rock bands, D.J.'s, and Latin bands has come
together seamlessly, again giving the city a entertainment venue
it can be proud of.
Even today, it is not uncommon for people to stop by The Hippodrome
and share their story of when they were growing up and used to
come to, or work at The Club or Mc Garrett's. One person even
stopped by who was at The Club opening night in 1979. It's our
hope that twenty years from now people will still be stopping
by and saying, "I remember opening night of The Hippodrome!"
To that end, we'll see you in the club...
"The nightclub of today is like the town hall of yesterday. It's
a place where the community can come together to communicate and
celebrate being alive."
- Brooke Lewis |
