Ad Lib Tavern - Kent Washington

Northwest Dance and Music Venues
Shale at the Ad Lib - 1981 - photo courtesy of Chris Bentley

Shale at the Ad Lib - 1981
The Ad Lib
Kent, Washington

Some of the bands that performed at this place during those great years of NW music were:

Others?
Airborne Baby Gunn Blue Sky The Blues Brothers The Bones John Cougar Bounty Hunter Chaser Child Crown Dartanian Eddie GIllan and The Cools Excalibur Fire Eye Foot Lucy Freeway Jam Steve Hackett Head East Hootus Hostage Ictus Jaugernaut Jerry Lee Lewis	Jr. Cadillac Light (Family) The Machine Mercenary The Names Omega Onyx Penrose Rail Randy Hansen Red Ax Redline Rimfire Ronnie Lee The Royals Savanna Band Savanna Sin City Ramblers Shale Shyanne Soldier Street Talk Sweet Talkin Jones Whiterock Zipperz

Ad Lib Tavern, Kent, WA started around 1968 by Lloyd Tonkin, Lyle Olson & Henry Shellert & sold in 1974 to TJM Enterprises, Inc., whom operated this nightclub until about 1979 & then sold to the Emmet family. We provided top entertainment for years 7 nights a week along with continuing to do so at Ad Lib Tavern, Kent, WA started around 1968 by Lloyd Tonkin, Lyle Olson & Henry Shellert & sold in 1974 to TJM Enterprises, Inc., whom operated this nightclub until about 1979 & then sold to the Emmet family. We provided top entertainment for years 7 nights a week along with continuing to do so at:
    The Old Hatchcover on Bellevue Redmond Rd (became the Ad Lib East in 1977 & operated for about 2+ years with live show R&R),

    Flightline Tavern started in 1977, prior names were the INTERLUDE which opened around 1968 to 1969 & the transferred to the Red Barn, later to be known as The Tunnel Inn, the largest Disco in Seattle. The Flightline operated for 2+ years & was one of the top clubs in the Seattle area!

     Stationhouse Restaurant Lounge & Nightclub in Sumner, WA, starting around 1988 and provided top night club entertainment for approximately 2+ years & then became known as China Sails Restaurant whom also provided top live entertainment for over ten years.

Timothy I. Matelich, October 2008

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Last Update: 20 July 2015
Credits: Mike McElhoe, Laura Oberto, Chris Bentley, Bill Cantlon, Joel Johnson, Danielle Robertson, Timothy I. Matelich, Dan Harris, Steve Berman, Tamara Cobb, Rick Knotts, Clifford Weiss