Last Days of the Stone Balloon
Some of the biggest acts in Rock and Roll passed through the doors of Newark’s Stone Balloon at one time or another. The club opened in 1972, and is at the edge of destruction, as long as the permit is approved.
Bruce Springsteen performed there, and when Metallica came to Newark, there was an army clad in black concert t-shirts on Main Street as far as the eyes could see. The Allman Brothers would roll their tour bus into town every so often, and put on a show, especially after Wilmingtonian Johnny Neal joined the band. Meatloaf came back for a few extra helpings, Pet Benatar announced her engagement to a band member at a performance in Newark. Run DMC, The Cure, Dave Matthews Band, and others put on shows on the Balloon’s stage.
Located right in the center of Newark at 115 East Main Street, the club has been an active part of the evening social scene in Delaware for years, and years. A popular mug night held on Thursday nights at the venue saw long lines of predominately college students waiting for music and inexpensive beers. The doors of this entertainment hall closed for its last performance on December 17th, 2005.
The location will become home to condos, and retail shops, though the path to developing those was a battle with Newark’s City Council. The original plans called for 85 condominiums, but the final number was reduced to 54. That article notes that deposits have been made on 56 units already, even though only 54 were approved. Hard to know for certain if some of the folks who put down a $500 deposit have backed out - a sign out in front of the building (where bands performing used to be listed) shows prices of $325,000 for a one bedroom, $339,000 for a two bedroom, and $550,000 for a penthouse. These new dwelling places don’t appear to be priced as college rental units.
A fence went up around the building last Thursday, and I took some pictures before demolition begins. Some memories came to me of a performance by B.B. King with Ron Wood, where the old bluesman schooled the Rolling Stone.
While the Balloon was the place for more well-known bands to perform when they rolled into Newark, the regular diet of bands rocking the house were often cover bands. A couple of smaller clubs in town, the Deer Park, and the East End Cafe have been hosts to more original acts than the Balloon over years past. They are left to carry on with the Balloon as only a memory. I don’t expect to see any tour busses pulling up to either place, though. They are just too small.
Some local artists who performed at the Stone Balloon included George Thorogood and the Destroyers, Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers, Philadelphia favorites The Hooters, and Love Seed Mama Jump.
The founder, and first owner of the club, has written a book about it, which I’ve seen for sale at the Newark Newstand. It’s The Stone Balloon: the Early Years, by by William (Bill) Stevenson, III. I’ll probably pick up a copy sometime this week. The word on the street is that demolition is scheduled to begin this week, and maybe even tomorrow if the utilities are shut down, and the permit has been issued.
Thanks to everyone involved in making the Stone Balloon the place it was for all those years. It brought a lot of good times to many people.
June 5th, 2006 at 10:42 am
Such a shame, it’s the end of a era. Any idea why they went out of business? I can’t imagine they were in the red. Do we really need more highrise condos?
June 5th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
Hi Duffy,
I’m not sure of the exact reason. The Balloon was as popular as ever when they closed their doors, and the markup on beer is incredible, so they had to be making a couple of dollars every week.
High Energy Gym, over on Chapel Street closed down this past year, and has now been replaced by condos, too. The owner of that property wanted to retire from running the business everyday, and felt that managing some condos was a lot easier than running the business as it was.
The original plan called for 84 condos, and if they each were going to go for a minimum of 335,000, that’s over $28 Million. With 54, it’s still over $ 17 Million. While the cost of building has to be factored in, I guess he felt that he could get more money with the condos than he could be selling the business as it was.
It is the end of an era, and it will change the complexion of the City tremendously. With so many new folks moving into the center of town, there’s more of a need for some night time entertainment now, too.
June 6th, 2006 at 4:21 pm
I suspect that compliance, liability, and stress from hassle all played a part in the decision.
December 16th, 2006 at 10:54 am
Not sure if this site is monitored. I saw an article today in the News Journal about getting a piece of the Stone Ballon. Does any one know who I can contact to buy a piece?
December 16th, 2006 at 1:06 pm
Hi David,
I did see a lot of people asking construction workers for pieces. There isn’t much left on the lot over there now - and work on the foundation of the new building has begun. The News Journal article says that the original owner of the Stone Balloon, Bill Stevenson III, is the one who is selling the pieces, along with Certificates of Authenticity. Shame that they didn’t provide contact information.
December 16th, 2006 at 2:35 pm
I found the article in the newspaper, and it has about eight more paragraphs in it than the online version - kind of annoying that they would only include half the story in the Web.
Advertisements were in the UD Daily, and some other print publications, and it looks like you can place an order online through local publisher, Cedar Tree Books.
October 13th, 2007 at 12:11 am
Nice Something Awful thread that points to this post, and discusses condo development in college towns, marketed at older audiences. Newark isn’t alone in being a target of this kind of development.
October 13th, 2007 at 12:21 am
[…] A thoughtful thread at the Something Awful forum, is this happening to any other college towns?, discusses the condominiums that are being build where the old Stone Balloon was located, as well as similar development in other college towns. It also points to a post here that I wrote on the closing of the Stone Balloon. […]
October 28th, 2007 at 8:42 am
I have been a ‘townie’ since before the Balloon was Merills Tavern, and spent many hours in there and saw many great bands. I was also lucky enough to get a peice of the ‘Balloon’ and Bills book on the Balloon. The greatesthave died.
October 28th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
saw George Thurougood there for the first and last time. UD grad 1979 go Hens
January 26th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
hey all, I have started a new group in Facebook for anyone who ever worked at the balloon! Please join and post your pics !!
Join Facebook.com and search for Stone Balloon in groups! Share your great stories!
August 13th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Prettiest craziest woman {must add and intellectual} fun man I mean fun. THE Farmer,s Bank across the street is also gone. The offices on the second floor had the offices of the company I worked for. Thursdays and Fridays led to many a liason it was the best memories. The Stone Balloon, the many encounters, bring only the best of the best of the Stone Balloon amazing legacies of the Rock Era and will be greatly missed. Tearing down the Balloon is an attrocity. GOODBY STONE BALLOON YOU MAY BE GONE,BUT YOUR NOT FORGOTTEN.
September 21st, 2008 at 12:38 am
I grew up in Newark, attended the U of D and was a big time Deer Park guy and watched Merills Tavern become the Stone Balloon. There became a competion between the Deer Park and the Stone Balloon and I always stayed with the Deer Park. But over time I saw group over group perform at the “Balloon” and also watched it grow into the biggest retailer of Budweiser Beer on the east coast. I was impressed that Bill Stevenson was able to with stand the competition of the Deer Park and turn the Stone Balloon into a great attraction. Hate that it is gone.
November 20th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
I had the pleasure of tending bar at the Balloon from 1972 to 1974. Those early years were a lot of fun, and probably one of the reasons I was able to squeeze 4 years into 5 and graduate from UD in ‘74. Two weeks ago I was back in Newark for the first time in many years and, oh, the changes! The town is a lot more lively than the early 70’s, but missing a certain “character”. The condos on the Balloon’s old site just don’t look like they belong.
I was with my 15 year old son and he was asking me what it was like “back then”. I tried to explain to him how much better live music was than being plugged into an iPod. There are also some stories I couldn’t tell him. I did tell him about Mace, the friendly old house drunk who worked around the bar and package store for Bill. Mace was like the Balloon’s mascot. Everyone kind of looked out for him and did what they could to help him out. He was my first exposure to homelessness and aclcoholism. I also didn’t share with my son the time me and another bartender (his name long forgotten) got a little hammered while working. Bill made us come in early the next morning (Sunday!!! no college kid is awake at 7 am on Sunday) and clean out the beer coolers. This was a disgusting job when sober, and almost deadly with a hangover.
I’m sad that the Balloon disappeared without my knowledge. I would have loved to have been at the 30th anniversary party or the demolition party. I am going to try to find a copy of Bill’s book.
Anyone reading this from the ‘72-’74 years, look me up.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:11 am
I played the balloon many, many times in the late 80’s and early 90’s with a reggae band called “one”. some of the memerable moments include: the reggae band third world’s manager weilding a knife at kaye the balloon manager and chasing her down the steps from the dressing rooms to the main room…our singer’s wife beating the crap out of our trumpet player because the trumpet player was making out with our singer in the dressing room, the trumpet player screaming, running out of the balloon….yeah, memories…….
January 11th, 2009 at 9:30 am
Bill Stevenson was the Stone Balloon. Groups and musicians came to play because of him. I bought a “rock” from the stone balloon and one for my friends. I also bought the book. I bought them both from Bill…Hey does everyone know he was married to Jill Biden??????
April 4th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Have many fond memories of the Balloon. Had my first legal drink there on my twentieth bday in 1974! Had many illegal drinks first at the Deer Park. One other musician of note I saw there was Manfred Mann.
Sure miss the old days.