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The Paradise Rock Club, formerly known as the Paradise Theater, is a small (933 person capacity) music venue in Boston, Massachusetts. Because of its small size, it appeals to top local rock and alternative performers as well American bands visiting Boston for the first time (R.E.M., Steve Earle, The Double Yellow). The venue also accommodates small music festivals as well as non music related events. The Paradise is located on the edge Boston University's campus and draws an excitable, student-based crowd. Most shows have an age requirement of eighteen or older.

History
The Paradise Rock Club opened on September 22, 1977. It was owned by Don Law Company, a Boston music giant that also controlled the Boston Garden and the Cape Cod Coliseum. Don Law was a former BU student who got his start working as a promoter for the Boston band The Remains. Identifying Boston's large student population as a key music market, Law and colleague Frank Barsalona began purchasing Boston venues to capitalize on the strong local music scene and willing audience.

The venue transferred hands to Live Nation, but was purchased back by Don Law and David Mugar in 2009. After the purchase, Paradise was owned by Don Law, Declan Mehigan and Joe Dunne. It is presently owned by Law, Mehigan, Dunne and Mugar. Though the Don Law Company is now Crossroads Presents, they are still prominent players in the Boston music scene and own The Paradise, The Orpheum Theater, House of Blues, and the Brighton Music Hall.

In 2010, Paradise Rock Club completed a three month renovation where the stage was moved fifteen feet to the left. In addition to the stage being moved, the box office was relocated to the front of the venue, the bar was demolished and positioned to the back of the venue. These renovation features provided an open view of the stage. The artist rooms were upgraded with televisions and refrigerators and were relocated to the second floor, as well as doubled in room size. The new additions to the venue were a separate space provided for opening acts, a private bathroom with a shower installed next to the newly added dressing rooms, a new washer and dryer was also included. "All the bands that come through are always looking for the nearest laundromat, so we figured, why not," says Declan Mehigan.

Reputable Performers
The Irish rock band U2 played a landmark show at the Paradise Rock Club on March 6, 1981. They opened for the band Barooga Bandit and drew a crowd of five hundred people. U2's Boy album had recently risen out of England's pot-punk scene, and they were beginning to gain radio airplay in America. The band chose Boston as one of its first locations to promote this album. The concert was recorded for their live album Live from Boston 1981.

List of Performers:


 * All Time Low
 * Amadou & Mariam
 * Architecture In Helsinki
 * The Big Pink
 * Black Moth Super Rainbow
 * Blitzen Trapper
 * Cold Cave
 * Dan Deacon
 * Dashboard Confessional
 * The Decemberists


 * Dinosaur Jr.
 * Dragonette
 * Ellie Goulding
 * Foster The People
 * Grimes
 * James Blake
 * The Joy Formidable
 * The Knocks
 * Los Campesinos!
 * Marina & The Diamonds


 * Matthew Dear
 * Motion City Soundtrack
 * Nada Surf
 * Neon Trees
 * Of Montreal
 * Oh Land
 * Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
 * Plain White T's
 * The Police
 * The Pretenders


 * Rachael Yamagata
 * The Raveonettes
 * Real Estate
 * Sharon Van Etten
 * Simian Mobile Disco
 * Stars (Canadian band)
 * They Might Be Giants
 * Travie McCoy
 * Warpaint