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:


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
 

Others?


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


Image Courtesy of Chris Bentley

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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