Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Videos: Spend Hours At Old Ritz Concerts, From The Pixies To Guns N' Roses
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 27, 2012
Modified Nov 27, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 27, 2012
Modified Nov 27, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
There was Webster Hall, then there was The Ritz—the venue was founded in 1980 by Jerry Brandt, and housed in the same space that is now Webster Hall's ballroom on 11th Street. Later on in the decade, however, it moved to the site of the former Studio 54. While in business, up and comers as well as more popular acts at the time took the stage: from Madonna to Clapton to Soundgarden to Guns n' Roses to R.E.M. to the Beastie Boys to Fugazi. U2 even performed their first live show there on December 6th, 1980 (they returned the following year). Check out some of the old action below:
THE PIXIES—November 23rd, 1991)
JANE'S ADDICTION—1990
THE RAMONES—1989
KISS—1988
HAPPY MONDAYS—1988
GUNS N' ROSES—1988 (Here's more on this show)
WHITE LION—1988
BIG DIPPER—1987
SLAYER—1986
ICEHOUSE—1986
THE CULT—1985
U2—1981:
Previously:Old performances at Tower Records, a Pearl Jam in-store performance from 1991, and shows at the old Brownies in the East Village.
Tagged
concerts
flashback
the ritz
original
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .