Bijou Cafe, Philadelphia, Pa

The small club located on Lombard Street in Philadelphia, first opened October 4, 1972. The first show was Dan Hicks and his Hot licks with local act Whole Oates (later to become Hall & Oates) as the opening act. Almost any genre of music was performed at the Bijou but the main focus (at least in the early stages) of the entertainment was Jazz and comedy. The Jazz lineups were nothing short of spectacular and the comedy was even better! The National Lampoon Show with future superstars John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner and Lorraine Newman all appeared together. Another comedy troupe, Firesign Theater also appeared. Billy Crystal was an opening act four times and a headliners three times. His impersonation of Muhammad Ali was a big crowd favorite. Albert Brooks, Richard Pryor, Martin Mull and his Fabulous Furniture, Steve Martin, Jerry Seinfeld and Dick Gregory all keep the audiences amused. As did future late night hosts David Letterman and Jay Leno. Leno first performed in 1973 as the warm up for the fantastic Jazz-Rock fusion band Chick Corea and Return to Forever on December 10-27, 1973. The other great Jazz-Rock fusion band Weather Report also played the Bijou. Blues legend Muddy Waters, Reggae superstar Bob Marley and The Wailers and some R & B stars were among the variety of acts. Probably the most talked about of all the shows were the first appearances of Bette Midler on December 12-16, 1972. It wasn’t just her singing, but her bawdy personality made her a crowd favorite. The then totally unknown Barry Manilow, played keyboards and served as Bette’s music director.There were many great moments with rock bands as well. Among the rock acts that stood out were George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers, Billy Joel, Steely Dan, Robert Palmer. Graham Parker (outstanding show that left people wondering why he never became a superstar) Dr. John, Pat Benatar, Rick Nelson, Al Kooper, Warren Zevon, Paul Butterfield, Tom Waits, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Sir Douglas Sahm and John “Cougar” Mellencamp. U2’s first Philadelphia performance was at the Bijou on March 4, 1981.