Ludlow Garage

The Ludlow Garage began life as an automobile shop and later became a music venue located at 346 Ludlow in the Clifton neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio.

In the 1970s, the venue hosted concerts by many prominent touring acts including The Allman Brothers Band, Santana, Spirit, The James Gang, Humble Pie, Grand Funk Railroad, Taj Mahal, The Kinks, Albert King, NRBQ, Iggy Pop And The Stooges, Mountain, MC5, Lemon Pipers, B.B. King, Alice Cooper, Johnny Winter, Ry Cooder, Captain Beefheart, Mother Earth, as well as local acts such as Balderdash, Bitter Blood Street Theater and Stone Fox. The Allman Brothers Band's 1970 live album Live at Ludlow Garage: 1970 and NRBQ Live at Ludlow Garage was recorded at the club.

Cincinnati city council member Jim Tarbell was proprietor of the garage from October 1969 until its closing in February 1971. Although no longer a concert venue, the garage still stands and currently houses a restaurant, yoga studio and an Ace Hardware store in the original concert space. The hardware store has even decorated with original and copies of posters from that time.

The restaurant, Olives at the Ludlow Garage, closed on July 20th 2014 to begin renovations in plans to open a music venue. The new venue named Live! at the Ludlow Garage opened October 29th, 2015 in the basement of the building. Vanessa Carlton, and Matisyahu were the first acts to play at the new venue. The upper floor remains a restaurant and re-opened in November 2015.

The Concerts ​ ​1969

September 19-20, 1969 Grand Funk Railroad, Lonnie Mack, Balderdash (opening night)

September 26-27, 1969 Spirit, Sound Museum, Sandy Nassen

October 3-4, 1969 Holy Modal Rounders, Stone Fox

October 7-9, 1969 Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Holy Modal Rounders

October 10-11, 1969 Mother Earth, Lighthouse, East Orange Express (10/10), Lemon Pipers (10/11)

October 14-16, 1969 Mountain, Devil’s Kitchen

October 17-18, 1969 Barry Goldberg Reunion, Devil’s Kitchen

October 21-22, 1969 Santana, Sons of Champlin, Sound Museum, Justice

October 24, 1969 Jam Session

October 25, 1969 The Flock

October 31-November 2, 1969 Elvin Bishop, Humble Pie, Devil’s Kitchen, Catfish

November 7-8, 1969 Devil’s Kitchen

November 14-15, 1969 Kinks, Humble Pie, Glass Harp

November 21-22, 1969 Sons of Champlin, Ricky Nelson, Lemon Pipers

November 28-29, 1969 Incredible String Band

December 19-20, 1969 The Frost, Glass Wall, Allman Brothers Band

December 26-27, 1969 BB King, Zephyr

December 28-29, 1969 Raven, All The Lonely People, Uncle Dirty

December 30, 1969 Raven, Balderdash, Uncle Dirty

December 31, 1969 James Gang, Raven, Uncle Dirty, Eli Radish, Balderdash

1970

January 1-3 1970 James Gang, Eli Radish, Atlantis (1/1), Savage Grace (1/2 & 1/3)

January 9-10, 1970 Flamin’ Groovies, Iggy & The Stooges, Golden Earring

January 16-17, 1970 MC5, Sunday Funnies

January 23-24, 1970 The Flock, NRBQ

January 25, 1970 Renaissance, NRBQ, Lemon Pipers, Ed Chicken & the French Fries

January 30-31, 1970 Amboy Dukes, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen

February 6-7, 1970 Mother Earth, Eric Mercury, Glass Harp

February 13-14, 1970 Herbie Mann, James Cotton Blues Band

February 20-21, 1970 Grand Funk Railroad, Lemon Pipers

February 22, 1970 Savoy Brown, Balderdash and Raintree

February 25, 1970 (moved to Music Hall) Neil Young, Renaissance

February 27-28, 1970 Taj Mahal, Cold Blood

March 3, 1970 Lemon Pipers, SLSN

March 6-7, 1970 Bo Diddley, Brownsville Station and Glass Harp

March 13-14, 1970 MC5, Stone the Crow, Elizabeth (Friday early show only), Stooges

March 20-21, 1970 Albert King, NRBQ

March 27, 1970 New York Rock & Roll Ensemble, Alice Cooper, Mad Lydia

March 28, 1970 Ten Years After, New York Rock & Roll Ensemble, Alice Cooper, Mad Lydia

April 4-5, 1970 Allman Brothers Band, Devil’s Kitchen (thanks to Brett Champlin for this correction)

April 10-11, 1970 Zephyr, Argent

April 17-18, 1970 (rescheduled to June 5 & 6) Pink Floyd

April 17-18, 1970 Staple Singers, The Silvertones, Biff Rose

April 25, 1970 Brute Force, Lemon Pipers

April 30, 1970 Allman Brothers, Hampton Grease Band

May 1-2, 1970 Tony Williams Lifetime, Hampton Grease Band

May 8-9, 1970 Incredible String Band, Stone Monkey

May 10, 1970 Phil Ochs, Jerry Rubin

May 15-16, 1970 Mother Earth

May 22-23, 1970 James Cotton Blues Band

May 29-30, 1970 Fairport Convention

June 5-6, 1970 (cancelled) Pink Floyd

July 10-11, 1970 Beechwood Farm

August 15-16, 1970 Balderdash, Screaming Gypsy Bandits

August 28-29, 1970 Dr. John the Night Tripper, Bitter Blood Street Theater

September 11, 1970 NRBQ, Rock City, The Farm

September 19, 1970 Bob Seger System

September 26, 1970 Iggy & The Stooges, Whalefeathers

October 2, 1970 The Farm

October 3, 1970 MC5

October 21, 1970 (Music Hall) Frank Zappa & The Mothers, Sandy Nassan, Balderdash

November 20-21, 1970 Captain Beefheart, Hampton Grease Band, Screaming Gypsy Bandits, Avenue of Happiness and Balderdash

November 22, 1970 Johnny Winter

December 10, 1970 Savoy Brown, Beechwood Farms

December 11-12, 1970 Roland Kirk, Vibration Society

December 13, 1970 Incredible String Band

December 23-24, 1970 The Flock

1971

January 19-20, 1971 Captain Beefheart, Ry Cooder, Pure Prairie League (last concert at the Ludlow Garage)