Remember Dancing at Beverly’s/Music Box on Bantam Lake?
I had a serious flashback of the glorious 1980's as I passed the boat launch along Bantam Lake Road/209 over Memorial Day weekend. Why? Because Beverly's/Music Box used to be on that site.
Are you old enough to remember that place? What a huge nightclub it was, 9,000 square feet. The first time that I went had to be in 1986, Beverly's was operating as a juice bar for underage patrons. My parent's found out where I was going, and allowed me to drive from Waterbury to Bantam, due to the fact that they went there when they were kids and it was known as the Music Box, or, 'The Box'. I'll never forget the first time that I stepped through those doors, and was greeted with the sight of about 300 kids trying to breakdance on that massive dance floor to Freakazoid, and It's Tricky.
Beverly's had a beautiful back deck overlooking Bantam Lake, it was so nice to get out of the sweaty un-air-conditioned crush of humanity, and drink in some of the cool breezes coming off the water. It was a bit of a ride from Waterbury, but damn, it was worth it. My group of friends used to go up there every other weekend to dance and get crushed by the powerful bass from their huge sound system.
It's been almost 10 years since Beverly's/Music Box was torn down to make way for Bantam Lake's boat launch, which is really nice. Here's a recent photo-
The State of Connecticut bought the land and building in 2011, after the building had sat vacant for around around 25 years. It was brought to the ground forever in early 2013. God, the things you forget over time, but not that place. Maybe we can get West Shore Seafood to install a 5,000 square foot dance floor?