The club scene in Kalamazoo was crazy in the 80s and 90s. Maybe it was too wild to last.

We asked Southwest Michigan, via Facebook, to tell us their crazy stories about Kalamazoo area clubs that are no longer open. The people of one specific Facebook Group, Vanished Kalamazoo, did not disappoint.

Hundreds of people talked about how much they missed Top of the Rock, Electric Avenue, and Cheek to Cheek back in the 80s and 90s. The memories went all the way back to the Coral Gables club in the 70s to Wayside in the 2000s.

I selected about a dozen stories from Southwest Michigan people that had good and bad memories of clubbin' back in the day in the Kalamazoo area. I've removed last names to protect the 'innocent.' Enjoy, with caution.

Some of the stories below are inappropriate and some are downright dangerous.

Kalamazoo Area Clubs That Were Too Wild to Last

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When we asked you on Facebook to tell us about the Kalamazoo area clubs that were too wild to stay open, we received nearly 600 comments telling stories about almost 50 nightclubs or bars. I am grateful to everyone who contributed to this article.

There were many clubs that I'd never heard of like Back Door, Big Daddy's, Black Ram, and Pappy's. Then there were infamous clubs like Electric Avenue, Top of the Rock and Club Soda.

Let's also give Melville's in Marcellus an honorable mention. Things went down at that place that I refuse to put on the internet. I'm not a monster.

Here's a list of the 10 Kalamazoo area clubs that were mentioned the most when asked, "what Kalamazoo clubs were too wild to stay open?"

  • #10 Top of the Rock
  • #9 Club Soda
  • #8 The Back Door
  • #7 Electric Avenue
  • #6 Keggers
  • #5 Peppers
  • #4 Cheek To Cheek
  • #3 The Warehouse
  • #2 Bourbon Street
  • #1 Coral Gables

Long Gone Bars and Nightclubs in Kalamazoo

Photos of bars and nightclubs that no longer exist in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

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