Former Location –
If you were a local San Francisco North Bay band you played here at one time or another, Neil Young and Crazy Horse showed up one day in 1975, you can find bootleg copies of this concert if you look hard enough. In May 1971, Van Morrison played here.
Old-timers recall that the Grateful Dead were regulars, playing every Tuesday to try out new material for a while and Janis Joplin reunited for a quick set with Big Brother and the Holding Company shortly before her death in 1970.
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott introduced a young Arlo Guthrie here who graced listeners with the first-ever stage performance of his classic “Coming into Los Angeles
Other major stars that played here include the Jefferson Airplane, Hank Williams Jr., Etta James, Junior Wells, Kate Wolf, Carlos Santana and Joan Baez.
Inn of the Beginning
8201 Old Redwood Highway
Cotati CA 94931
Was it Van Morrisson or Van Halen that came and played at my fundraiser for a friend at the Inn of the Beginning. Norman Greenbaum came of Spirit in the Sky and of course Jerry Garcia. My husband Michael Menkee built the burlwood bar . We had 4 ferrel kids and life was good.
I saw the buy Billy that could make a guitar talk in New Orleans not long ago. First met him back in the old days at the Inn of the Begining.
Hi Jill,
I’m writing The Encyclopedia Of Jerry Garcia Music Venues. Please tell me about the Jerry Garcia appearance at the benefit for your friend. What date was it? Who was your friend? slipnut01@gmail.com
ligntning hopkins
i was living in rohnert park and working at aim products inc in
petaluma across from the bowling alley where the world wrist wrestling championchips
were held. i think i remember seeing joy of cooking and some other groups there but i did see lightning and he was cool. as was the handdancing done by the hippy chicks. used to hitch hike over to the coast sometimes on the weekends through the russian river valley. it took a lot of short rides and many hits of reefer to get there. slept in the dunes and just bummed around what then was pretty isolated beautiness. born and raised in ohio. rock on.
Great Concerts at the Inn! I got to see Kate Wolf and Norton Buffalo in the late 70s. Loved those times.
I went to Sonoma State in the Fall of 1969 as a junior to play baseball. I was pretty straight… there was a VW bus parked along the roadside to school with a sign that had something I’d never read before, “have a nice day”. By Spring of 1970 I’d smoked my first dope. The experience was horrible. I realized I wasn’t me, but rather a collective personality of everyone I knew. Not necessarily personally. My mannerisms and laughter were Johnny Carson’s. Then when i started laughing hysterically at something that happened, I was shocked to realize I was actually crying in agony. I had to pitch in a ballgame the next day. It did not go well… both physically and particularly mentally. And there was The Inn of The Beginning just a couple miles away.
I went to The Inn one night to see The Vicki Randall Band play. They played one set. They were great and then another band began setting up and it turned out to be Van Morrison and friends. They played one song after another until closing. What a great night it was, no special effects or choreography, just non-stop good music.
It was 1979. I was building log homes for Cal-Cedar Homes with my guitar buddies Mike and Rick. Stopped by one evening and saw Van Morrison. It was great! Packed tight like a can of sardines, but was totally worth it. Great times, great memories…lots of ladies, lots of love. Peace.
If this is the old Cotati Inn? I worked there as a pregnant 18 year old. Long story there. I remember the Greatful Dead coming in to jam after hours. And also Sal Valentino and the Buea Brummell. I remember also good old Taj Mahal. I was pretty quiet and shy, worked in the kitchen helping the bakers. I remember also ALLOT of weed and hash being smoked back then. Those were some crazy days and I saw some crazy things no one would ever believe. Yep just another true story in the cray cray crazy life of Sunny.
The Inn Of The Beginning was one of my favorite places ever. I was a janitor there for one night. My pay was free entry to all the concerts, but the first night, the owner wanted me to wax the whole dance floor! It was a bit too much so I quit. I sat and talked with Billy J. Farlow backstage for a long time at a benefit concert for KSUN radio at Sonoma State. I also saw Third World, Tony Williams Lifetime, and The Meters at different times. To see bands of that quality in this small of a venue was something beyond amazing! I should have waxed that floor!
Saw Nick Gravenites at the Inn , ’75 or ’76.
Two semesters at Sonoma State before I gave it up… Living in Forest Hills on the River at the time.
I lived in SF and would come and stay with my best friend in Cotati and we’d go to the Inn for the music scene. She called once and said there’s a band coming here that you’d love and she was right! It was The Tubes. Saw them there twice I think. Plus many more great shows. Lots of dancing, lot of great fun. Had my 21st birthday drink at the bar next door. JD’s? Fell in love with some piano player that worked there at the Inn. But he never knew. Ahhh lost love and rock and roll nights!
I lived in Santa Rosa in the early 70’s and saw a lot of great shows there, Jerry a few times but one that stuck in my head for a long time was Boz Skaggs can’t remember the date but it was memorable.
I lived in Sonoma Valley, in the 70’s and spent many and night and a few afternoons at the Inn of the Beginning. I saw It’s a Beautiful Day, Clover with Huey Lewis, Pappa John, Norton Buffalo and many other memorable bands there. Also some budding amateurs there on Sunday afternoons. Great place with great memories.
Yes I went to Sonoma State college from 1968 to 1971 and played guitar in a band until 1972, The Inn was the place to go and play. The Bronze Hog was the big local group and I saw Ramblin Jack Elliot there as well. As I remember it was first started by a young guy with blond hair . . . I heard that he was the son of a state official or something. I do walk by every time I visit in Cotati . . .
Saw Albert King play—he complained about the sound mix for a while, then put on great show. Also saw Leo Kottke, who was great, too. My girl friend caught up to Leo as he was making his way to the dressing after his set and said “This is my boy friend and he plays guitar, too!” Leo gave me a pitying look. Pretty embarrassing!
Hey everyone, well… we 1970’s stoners are sure getting old these days. I want the 70’s back!
WTF is going on in 2020??!!
Anyhow, The Inn of The Beginning is where I turned pro in 1974. If anyone still reads this string, do you remember the band Starfire Express? We were out of Santa Rosa and played mostly for free on Thursday nights. Management in 74 had a format that said if you sold enough beer on Thursday night, you might have a shot at a Friday night with pay. I met some of the guys in Pablo Cruise and Clover while hanging out there periodically. Those were some of the best days of my long life.
Hello out the I was one of the many Dave’s who bartended at the Tradewinds, the hard liquor bar next door. Mark Bronstein ran the INN and got many great acts that came through the Bay Area on week nights and great local bands on week ends. The local scene was fun with a variety of usual suspects showing up and getting along.
Still live in Sonoma County “Where the Palm Tree meets the Pine”
Yeah…..saw Van the Man Morrison there… got to shake his hand late ’70[s early 80’s….also, Jesse Colin Young band….probably saw other artists there too, used to bounce from there to the Cotati Cabaret and back…..memory ain’t what she used to be……smiles though
We had a music store in the Inn-1970-Stained Glass Music-Greg was the original owner before Ward-
Greg was the man!-Mark was the sound man-& Their was “Mr Fine”
The Inn was Bad Ass!!-Every night-Mose Allison-Sea Train-Garcia-New Riders-Van Morrison-Sal Valentino-Loading Zone-Joy of Cooking-Beautiful Day CAT MOTHER!!!!!-Bronze hog-Mendocino All Stars-Dan Hicks-On & On
Those were killer days back in “rural Sonoma county” Oh well!