Cleveland Reggae - Singers & Players

(l-r)  Wally , Afi Nur, Anwar Amir, Hornsman of Steel N' Bread, Ras Matunji, Dave Smeltz, Brignite, Choppper.

This photo was taken at the Cleveland Heights Peabody's Cafe on a Wednesday night approximately 1989 in preparation for a Cleveland version of the former reggae Directory magazine.  Peabody's was 'the spot" on Wednesday nights from the late 1970's and into the late 1990s.  Peabody's stopped running the weekly Wednesday reggae shows and then later closed down.  The City always gave the club problems due to noise and disturbance complaints.  The club closed and is now the location of the popular Melt.   Melt expanded by opening up the wall on the North end. The original club was "boxy" with an open center down to the basement floor.  Patrons could line up around the railing on the second floor and look down to see the bands as they would play in the basement.
The list of local reggae bands that played at Peabody's Cafe is quite large.  If there was a band that payed reggae at the time, they surely played at Peabody's.  The crowds would line up down the street to get in.  The club held approximately 800 people (that's an estimate) and went years selling out on a weekly basis on Wednesday's.     

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