The Phoenix began as a small town opera house. Opened in 1905 as the Hill Opera House, its stage was graced by the likes of Harry Houdini, Enrico Caruso, and Lily Langtree.
During the early 1980′s the Phoenix began to host late night concerts from nationally known bands, including the Ramones, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and X. Local bands like then unknown Metallica and Primus polished their acts during these late night gigs.
On May 24, 1996, Sublime played their last show here. No one knew that singer Bradley Nowell would be found dead of a heroin overdose the next morning at the Oceanview Motel in San Francisco.
Other acts to perform here over the years include:
Bad Religion
Blink 182
Blue Oyster Cult
Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
Faith No More
Fishbone
Incubus
It’s a Beautiful Day
Offspring
Phoenix Theater
201 Washington St
Petaluma CA 94952
The Phoenix was also a movie house for most of its life in the 20th century. The New Yorker’s celebrated film critic Pauline Kael, a Petaluma native, got her formative education from the screen of the Phoenix.
In the 1980s it interspersed live acts with movies. I saw Santana, Romeo Void, Huey Lewis and the News (not by choice), and Woody Allen’s “Hannah and Her Sisters.”