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Earlier this year when it was announced that the building that currently houses Peabody’s would be razed to make room for a new Cleveland State University health innovation center, Peabody’s owner Chris Zitterbart, said he hadn’t “ruled anything out” when asked whether the club would move to the Agora Ballroom and Theatre, the historic Euclid Avenue venue that Hank LoConti operates.

“I talk to Hank on a regular basis,” Zitterbart said at the time. “Hank is a legendary guy in the business and has been a great resource. The reality is that we’re a destination location. We create events that people will travel a little bit to see. For me, I’m looking for customers to feel safe and parking and it has to have a cool vibe and good sound and a good layout. That’s what I’m looking for.”

Well, it turns out the club will indeed close at the end of October and move into the Agora. Just this week, Peabody’s released a schedule of events that includes four or five shows a week at the Agora starting with a Pelican show on Nov. 1.

“We’re not messing around. We’re going to hit it hard right away and we have a nice full fall calendar,” says Zitterbart, adding that he’s unsure if he will retain the Peabody’s name. “The Agora has a historic place in Cleveland’s music history and the fact that Hank has created such a recognizable brand name is appealing. I’ve owned Peabody’s for eight years now and when we close, it will be bittersweet. But the opportunity to start over with the Agora name is pretty cool.”

Zitterbart says he’s already begun making improvements to the venue and has just installed radiant heat in the theater. “It will be a significant upgrade from what we’ve seen in the past,” he says.

This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 1, 2013.

Jeff has been covering the Cleveland music scene for more than 25 years now. On a regular basis, he tries to talk to whatever big acts are coming through town. And if you're in a local band that he needs to hear, email him at jniesel@clevescene.com.

8 replies on “Peabody’s set to move into Agora”

  2. Happy to see someone take over the Agora again. Peabody’s smelled like a combination of various bodily fluids, sewage, and bleach. It made me sick to my stomach to even walk in the doors. Let’s see how long it takes them to trash the place.

  3. I loved Peabody’s. It still is my favorite concert venue in Cleveland and I don’t want to see it renamed.

  6. The Agora name is legendary in Cleveland music history. People all over the world have heard of it. Peabody’s name has been a Cleveland staple over the past two decades and has developed it’s own legacy from a local and regional perspective.

    Whether you like Peabody’s or not, everyone has either played a show there or been to a show there. Whether it was down in the Flats or it’s current location. It would be a bummer to let the name go.

    I think it would be awesome to see them integrate both the names into the venue. A combination of forces in the Cleveland area. Maybe rename the venue as Peabody’s and keep the theatre called the Agora Theatre. Or name the complex something like “Peabody’s at the Agora.”

    It would just be a shame to see either of the names fade off in to history.

  7. I like how he says they’re going to “hit it hard”, starting with a pelican show. Maybe they should move into the Metroparks Zoo instead.

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