Retro: Kimmer: RETROKIMMER: ANN ARBOR NIGHT CLUB SECOND CHANCE

1/24/12

RETROKIMMER: ANN ARBOR NIGHT CLUB SECOND CHANCE

In August of 1974 a huge night club opened in Ann Arbor called "Chances Are". I was 18 and just graduated high school... Word spread quickly about the club and how cool it was. The bar was 3 levels with bars on each floor. The interior was made of wood. Have never seen a club that looked like this.

Then in 1976 the name was changed to "Second Chance" due to a problem with another business.

The Second Chance Website

Bob Tickle Cathy Stoner Stanley T. Madhatter John Carver Fred Smith Patti Smith

Tons of bands played SC.. National acts along with local bands too. My friends had a band called "Masquerade". Masquerade was the house band for a couple of years. They played most Friday and Saturday nights. We were always in the crowd dancing to this band.

Jim Calder Rich Nisbet and Bruce Miller

The photo above is Masquerade doing a sound check. These guys were all from Ypsilanti High School.

Iggy played SC in 1981

Fred Sonic Smith and Scott Asheton (Joe Ruffner)

Sonic's Rendezous Band played SC a lot

Motor City Bad Boys

Niagara and Destroy All Monsters played SC a lot too.

My friend Skid Marx played with Flirt at SC

Skid Marx

Notice the railing Neil Buchanan is sitting on....

Today I went back to meet with Scot the owner of NECTO the current club that occupies the building. I haven't been in this club since the late 1980's. Scot told me they still have all those wooden sticks from the railing! They are stored out of sight.

Masquerade tuning up on the Second Chance stage

Rich Nisbet and Alan Gwyllt Halloween at SC

We never missed the Second Chance Halloween party. The crowd went all out to win the costume contest. I remember one winner... A guy made a Creature of the Black Lagoon costume out of blue and red garbage bags and plastic. It was incredible...

My friend Alan Gwyllt had this amazing Satyr costume. I need to ask him who made that suit in the photo above.

My gang stopped hanging around SC in the very early 1980's. I went on the road with the show company. After Second Chance closed in 1984 it morphed into the "Nectarine Ballroom" I visited one time after it became the Nectarine and then no more until today...

NECTO main room

The original railings are still here but not much else. The old 3 level club is now a main club with some smaller rooms down stairs. The main club is on the old second floor. Originally when you entered Second Chance you walked straight into the club. Now when you enter you either go upstairs or downstairs.

The (old 3rd level) east end of NECTO has this very cool lounge area.

The west end has a smaller bar and booths. You can still sit at the original rail.

The NECTO bar is beautiful

Main Club to the far right are the stairs to the old green room.

The former huge Second Chance stage is no more...

Looking down the stairs from the old 3rd level

Second Chance photos from Second Chance Website

NECTO WEBSITE

New photos by Retrokimmer

4 comments:

Anonymous, January 24, 2012 10:04 AM: Top photo, far left is Bob Tickle. Without him, alot of productions, maintenance, lighting, etc. would of never happened! I was there during both remodels from Chance to Nectarine Ballroom, to Nectarine, and the only thing that may be original is the building structure and the possibly the wood reused for the dance floor! Nothing else is original. Never did step foot back in that building after 1994. I wanted that wrought iron circular staircase so bad! Someone stole it out of the back patio, probably scrapped it!
Jack Ashton, January 24, 2012 10:14 PM: Kimmer,

So good to see these photo's. Was there many times back in the day.

Jack xxoo
Lesslee Belmore, January 24, 2012 10:14 PM: My second home for many years! Great story.
RetroKimmer, January 24, 2012 11:22 PM: Great Place ......great bands played there. Many great nights there..... Use any of the photos as you wish Kim .. :)"