The Metro St. Louis Live Music
Historical Society
Red Garter
Formerly The Sandbar
3214 East Broadway, Alton IL
Owners: Denny and Rita Maggos
This club later became P R's first Nite's Out.
Red Garter owners Denny and Rita Maggos, 1975
I got the following Bio from Denny Maggos on 8/3/10:
IT WAS 1952 WHEN MY FATHER BUILT AND OPENED THE SANDBAR. A NEW
NIGHTCLUB LOCATED IN AN UN-INCORPORATED AREA BETWEEN ALTON AND EAST
ALTON IL. THE BIG DRAW WAS POKER AND BLACK JACK IN THE BACK ROOM. THE BAR
WAS OPEN 24/7,WITH WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT FEATURING JACK SILVIUS PLAYING
HAMMOND B3. HIS BIG NUMBER WAS STORMY WEATHER WITH A FLORESCENT LIGHT FLASHING
BEHIND THE DRAPES. THE AREA WAS ANNEXED TO THE CITY OF ALTON IN 1960
WHICH ENDED THE GAMBLING AND LONG OPERATING HOURS AND DRASTICALLY REDUCED
INCOME. WE TRIED VARIOUS PROMOTIONS TO STIMULATE BUSINESS,
FROM IMPORTING COORS BEER WHEN NO ONE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA WAS ABLE TO
SELL IT, TO SHOWING THE ST. LOUIS CARDINAL HOME FOOTBALL GAMES ON TV WHEN THEY
WERE BLACKED OUT IN ST. LOUIS. 
WE TRIED VARIOUS TYPES OF ENTERTAINMENT
FROM JAZZ TO BOUZOUKI BANDS WITH BELLY DANCERS. AFTER MY FATHERS DEATH, MY
WIFE RITA AND I BEGAN TO FOCUS MORE AND MORE ON ENTERTAINMENT. WE
CHANGED THE NAME TO THE RED GARTER, DID SOME MINOR REMODELING AND STARTED
WEEKENDS FEATURING BOB DIVELY ON RAGTIME PIANO AND JIM BRYANT ON
BANJO. BUSINESS REALLY STARTED TO COOK, WITH AREA ENTERTAINERS SITTING IN WITH
THEIR BANJOS. THERE WERE PEANUT SHELLS ON THE FLOOR. SILENT MOVIES DURING THE
BREAKS WITH AN ANTIQUE MANURE SPREADER FOR A STAGE. THE NOVELTY OF
RAGTIME BEGAN TO WANE AND WE STARTED TO EXPERIMENT WITH VARIOUS LOCAL ROCK
BANDS. A NEW COUNTRY ROCK GROUP NAMED THE VELVET HAMMER HAD FORMED,
FEATURING KATY GARD ON
VOCALS.
THEY STARTED PLAYING FOR US ON WEEKENDS AND THE DEMAND WAS SO GREAT THEY WERE SOON PLAYING TUESDAY THRU
SATURDAY. WITH SEATING FOR 100.
THE CROWDS BECAME OVERWHELMING. WE BEGAN TO LOOK AT A MAJOR REMODEL THAT WAS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR ENTERTAINMENT. WE LOCKED UP AFTER NEW YEARS EVE 1969 AND BEGAN THE TEAR OUT.
THE WALL SEPARATING THE GAMBLING ROOM FROM THE MAIN BAR WAS REMOVED, A SHORTENED BAR WAS RELOCATED AND SOON WE HAD SEATING FOR 200. VARIOUS LEVELS OF BALCONIES WERE BUILT AROUND A RAISED STAGE AND A HEAVY WALL COVERING WITH ACOUSTICAL VALUE WAS INSTALLED TO DEADEN THE SOUND. THIRTY DAYS LATER WE RE-OPENED WITH RECORD CROWDS.
THE VELVET HAMMER AND BACKSIDE
FEATURING VOCALS BY DAVE SCOTT BECAME OUR HOUSE BANDS. IN ORDER TO KEEP THE
ENTERTAINMENT FRESH WE BEGAN WORKING WITH ARNIE BLOCK, MANAGER OF
RODE HOUSE AT THE AIRPORT RODEWAY INN AND NICK MIRANDA PRODUCTIONS TO
BRING IN TRAVELING GROUPS. A GROUP COULD COME INTO ST. LOUIS AND BE
GUARANTEED OF AT LEAST 2 WEEKS WORK BETWEEN THE TWO CLUBS. OCCASIONALLY THE
SENATE LOUNGE ON LINDBERGH BLVD WOULD PARTICIPATE WITH A WEEK BOOKING. THE
COMBINATION OF HOUSE BANDS AND TRAVELING GROUPS WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL. IN
1978 PETE ROLLA OFFERED TO PURCHASE THE CLUB, WHICH WE ACCEPTED. PETE
BUILT AN ADDITION, RE-OPENED UNDER THE NAME OF PR'S NITES OUT FEATURING
DISCO. RITA AND I FEEL THAT THE BAR BUSINESS HELPED TO KEEP US YOUNG. THOSE WERE
THE DAYS
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The Velvet Hammer poses at The Red Garter Sign
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The Velvet Hammer is: Katy Garde /Vocals, Tamborine Russ Howard /Guitar, Bass, Vocals Art Thomason /Keys, Key Bass, Vocals Chuck Adcock /Percussion
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If you have any photos, facts or memories of this club, please email me at: greg@dejawho.com
