Trenton rock club torn down decades after final show
It was a different kind of heavy metal on Calhoun Street Tuesday.
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There will be no encore for Trenton’s City Gardens punk rock club. The building - abandoned for years - was demolished Tuesday.
“It’s just pretty wild to watch it come down," said Edward Jollimore, of Ewing.
“It’s not really sad, but it’s pretty cool," said Dean Fasoli, of Trenton. "It is what it is. It’s been there for a long time.”
City Gardens hosted a who’s who of punk rockers: The Ramones, Nirvana, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sinéad O’Connor, plus many other local acts.
“I used to rollerskate from my house on Paul Avenue in there and dance around with my skates on," said Fasoli.
But time hasn’t been kind to the old hotspot. The last show was in the early 2000s. News 12 visited in 2022 and found the outside crumbling where a car drove straight through, and the inside was in a ramshackle state.
But that's not how any of the regulars will remember their corner bar.
“It was the biggest stage around here, the biggest sound system," said Jollimore. "It was not intimidating, but it was nice to play on the stage that Kurt Cobain played on.”
“I was there for the 99 cent dance nights that were crazy," said Fasoli. "Ninety-nine cents to get in and 99 cents for a beer? Are you kidding?”
It is unclear what will come next at the site on Calhoun Street once demolition is complete.
