Northwest Dance & Music Venues
Raymond IWA Hall - Photo by and courtesy of Laddy Kite
Raymond I.W.A. Hall
Raymond, Washington

Some of the bands that performed here during those great years of NW music were:
 

Ball Mane
The Beachcombers
The Boss Tweed
The Capris
The Chessmen (Hoquiam)
The Henchmen
The Sonics (Raymond)
The Titans
 

Others ?
 

Raymond IWA Hall Billboard - Photo by and courtesy of Laddy Kite

"The Raymond IWA Hall is located in Raymond, Washington, a small logging town about 25 miles  south of Aberdeen/Hoquiam and about 60 miles west of the Centralia/Chehalis area.  The Raymond IWA had a legal capacity of around 200 but many nights was packed with 400 or more hot, dancing, sweaty teens.  You could rent the hall for $20 and put on your own dance and many bands did this.

A band could make over $300 a night and that was REAL good $$$ in the early '60s.  It was a tough place as the Raymond guys didn't take to outsiders coming to their dances and trying to take their women.  Fights were common.  If they liked the band, no problem.  If they didn't like you and/or the band you were in big trouble.  The Raymond IWA still stands and is still used for it's original purpose as the offices of the International Woodworkers of America local union hall.  But in the 60's it really rocked on the weekends.  Some of the bands that played there include The Beachcombers, The Capris, The Chessmen (Hoquiam), The Sonics (Raymond) and The Titans and many others."

Stan Foreman, The Beachcombers, 22 April 2003

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Last Update:  26 November 2010
Credits: Stan Foreman, Laddy Kite, Brad Beck, Carl Lentz