The Gold Dollar (1996-2001)
This Sunday morning at about 2:30 am or so the Gold Dollar will close its doors for the last time. That ever present steel door will slide down and an era in Detroit music will come to an end. It’s so ironic now, that with our local music scene finally getting some well-deserved national recognition – that one of its founding pillars will come crashing down.
It’s weird thinking about the end of a club – it’s only a building and you figure that everybody will just pack up and move along to the next place. After all, our local scene has survived the closing of Bookies, the Red Carpet, Nunzio’s, the Graystone, the Freezer and host of other places that I can’t remember. There are places like Paycheck’s and Lili’s that have been in business far longer than the 5 years that the Gold Dollar gave us. I don’t remember the last night at Bookie’s or Todd’s or Traxx; hell, I was probably at some other hot new club checking out some band that you “just had to see”.
The Gold Dollar was different for me. It just seemed to be a place that I felt comfortable dropping in, regardless of who was playing. I saw some great rock & roll in there and I saw some bands that seemed to be having their first rehearsal in front of us on that stage. Some nights were packed and on other nights there were barely enough people to sit at the bar. All my friends, who aren’t into this music, would cringe when I told them that I was heading down to Cass to see some band by myself. All my invitations to try out this new place were politely rebuffed in favor of another trip to Royal Oak. So I would patiently nod, get in my car and head down to Detroit by myself for another evening of fun. The Gold Dollar was mine – I found it and only select few could know about it.
All these little mind games just made it harder for me to face the fact that the Gold Dollar was going away. The rumors started and it finally became official. There were going to be no more shows at the Gold Dollar – it was just going to become another abandoned building on Cass Avenue. I could never see the White Stripes or the Paybacks or a host of other favorites playing on that stage. I would never be able to bounce out of there, all sweaty from jumping around with my ears ringing, desperately wanting to tell somebody – You have to come here – it’s so great. Yes, the Gold Dollar holds more great memories than I can even begin to list.
A couple of months ago I bought an electric guitar and have spent my time barely learning to pathetically play a few chords. I really had no illusions about becoming a good guitar player, but damn - I wanted to get on that Gold Dollar stage just once and rip through a couple of chords. I guess that is not going to happen either.
I will also remember this place for possibly the stupidest thing that I have ever done (and if you know me – that covers a lot). I managed to treat one of my dearest friends in a such a dumb way that she rightfully wanted nothing else to do with me in the future. Sometimes you just wonder what the hell is going through your head when you manage to hurt people that you care the most about. Unfortunately that Gold Dollar memory will linger longer than any of the good ones.
So, I want to say good-bye to the Gold Dollar – the spirit, the atmosphere, all of the great people that I met in there and the soul of what makes me come out and see these bands over and over. The Gold Dollar is more than a building on Cass Avenue – it’s a place in my heart (both good and bad) and that Gold Dollar will live forever.
Thank you, Neil for those 5 great years & best wishes with whatever you decide to do in the future.