Court Tavern Explained

The Court Tavern
Address:124 Church Street New Brunswick, New Jersey, US
Nickname:The Court
Location:Corner of Church and Spring Streets
Type:Music venue, dive bar
Genre:Punk, hardcore, hip-hop and indie rock
Opened:1981
Closed:2019
Seating Type:standing room
Seating Capacity:185

The Court Tavern was a live music venue and bar located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Home to local and national acts across all genres, including punk, hip-hop, indie, and hardcore, it has stood closed at 124 Church Street since 2019.[1]

History and venue

In 1961, Bob Albert Sr. bought the Court Tavern, then at 149 Church Street with a partner.[2] He told a reporter in 1977 that the bar dated to 1902, having operated illegally through the Prohibition era.[2] In 1981, upon being forced to move on the building of a parking deck, the tavern moved across the street to its present location.[3] [4] [5] [6] From 1981 to 2012, the venue, run by Albert Sr. prior to his passing in 1997 alongside his son, Bobby Albert Jr., became a notable location for live music in New Brunswick.[7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

The venue ran into financial trouble,[12] and Patti Smith and her band as well as The Smithereens played a fundraiser for the venue in 2010 at the State Theatre.[13] [14] Bobby Albert Jr. closed the venue in 2012. It was purchased by Michael Barrood at a sheriff's auction in March 2012 and opened in November 2012 after completion of renovations. The club saw closures in 2015 and 2017 before closing indefinitely in 2019.[2]

While DIY underground all-ages live music shows continue, no live rock music venues akin to the Court remain open in the city as of 2024. The Court Tavern was the last venue of its kind following the closure of other popular New Brunswick live indie and punk rock clubs of recent decades, such as the Melody Bar, the Roxy, the Budapest Cocktail Lounge, Patrix and Bowl-o-Drome.[15]

As of March 2024, the building is scheduled to reopen as a 100%-vegan venue, Veganica, that will offer a vegan bar and restaurant, as well as host live music.[16] [17] [18]

Notable acts

Acts like Pavement delivered its first show at the Court, and the bar was home to touring acts like the Butthole Surfers, Mudhoney and The Jesus Lizard. During a tour stop in New Brunswick, The Replacements did an interview with MTV at the venue.[19] The Flaming Lips, Sadat X of Brand Nubian, Ween, NJ Bloodline, X and Henry Rollins also played the venue.[20]

A number of bands from New Brunswick got their start at the venue, the Smithereens considered it their home venue, and it was seminal according to a number of commentators on the New Brunswick, New Jersey music scene.[21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: New Brunswick Today's Mid-Year Music Review - New Brunswick Today | New Brunswick, NJ Local News.
  2. Web site: As NJ Music Scene Comes Back to Life, The Court Tavern Stays Silent - New Brunswick Today | New Brunswick, NJ Local News.
  3. Web site: Marc Lanzoff, 'cantankerous doorman' at the Court Tavern in New Brunswick, has died. Courier News.
  4. Web site: Legendary Court Tavern Doorman Reflects on 30 Years at Rock Club - New Brunswick Today | New Brunswick, NJ Local News.
  5. Web site: Bob Albert, former owner of the legendary Court Tavern in New Brunswick, has died. Chris. Jordan. Courier News.
  6. Web site: Notable New Brunswick Music Venue Set to Re-Open WNYC New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News. WNYC.
  7. Web site: Something borrowed, new in New Brunswick basements. Bob. Makin. Courier News.
  8. Web site: Court Tavern to reopen with show by Samiam. Tris McCall For Inside. Jersey. October 2, 2012. nj.
  9. Web site: Remembering The Court Tavern, New Brunswick's Storied Rock Dive. Mike. Appelstein. January 23, 2012. The Village Voice.
  10. Web site: The Blases at The Court Tavern:" Playing All Night Long". www.youtube.com.
  11. Web site: New Brunswick Music Scene Archive Digital Collection Digital Collections. collections.libraries.rutgers.edu.
  12. Web site: Court Tavern faces a scare, but keeps rocking. Tom Haydon NJ Advance Media for. NJ.com. December 16, 2009. nj.
  13. Web site: Benefit for the Court Tavern, with Patti Smith, the Smithereens, Glen Burtnik's Slaves of New Brunswick. Jay Lustig For Inside. Jersey. April 20, 2010. nj.
  14. Web site: New management: The Court Tavern is our Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Chris. Jordan. Asbury Park Press.
  15. Web site: 20 Years After Its Sudden Closure, New Brunswick Still Remembers The Melody Bar - New Brunswick Today | New Brunswick, NJ Local News.
  16. Web site: Court Tavern to Become Vegan Restaurant This Spring - New Brunswick Today | New Brunswick, NJ Local News.
  17. Web site: 'Slice' of Heaven: New Brunswick Pizza Joint Makes PETA’s Top 10 List of Vegan Pies. February 8, 2024. PETA.
  18. Web site: This New Brunswick restaurant has one of the best vegan pizzas in the country, says PETA. Courier News.
  19. Web site: The Replacements Don't Tell A Soul tour Rutgers NJ on MTV Week in Rock with Kurt Loder (1989.04.14). www.youtube.com.
  20. Web site: Makin Waves with Chris Pierce. April 12, 2018. NewJerseyStage.com.
  21. Web site: End of An Era: The Final Years of New Brunswick's Melody Bar - New Brunswick Today | New Brunswick, NJ Local News.
  22. Web site: Court Tavern New Brunswick legacy: Glenn Bruden, Destroy All Bands frontman, dead at 54. Chris. Jordan. Asbury Park Press.
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  24. Web site: New Brunswick Gets Ready To Rock Again. September 2, 2017. NewJerseyStage.com.
  25. Web site: Court Tavern manager Brittney Dixon exits. Chris. Jordan. Asbury Park Press.
  26. Jordan, Chris. "Court Tavern closing marks end of era in New Brunswick", Courier News, February 6, 2012. Accessed March 10, 2013.
  27. Chaux, Giancarlo. "New Brunswick business owner plans to reopen the court tavern", The Daily Targum, April 17, 2012
  28. Kalet, Hank. "The List: 10 Best Places to See Indie Bands in the Garden State", NJ Spotlight, July 21, 2014. Accessed January 11, 2015.

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