The Place was open between 1977-1982.
Owner: Allen Kovac
Location: 160 S. Park Street Eugene, Oregon
Description: 350-seat club & 12,000 sq feet
In-house production company called Totally Dedicated to Artists Productions (TDA Productions – Allen and Phillip Kovac; 1974-1984).
Kovac graduated from the University of Oregon
Allen Kovac continued in the music business long after closing The Place:
- Founder/CEO of Tenth Street Entertainment (2002-Present)
- Eleven Seven Music – Hard Rock record label
- Founder/CEO of Left Bank Management & Beyond Records (1985-2002) – Discography
Register Guard articles involving Kovac:
April 7, 1977 – A Good Question – Concert promoter Allen Kovac, “Eugene has got to get a descent auditorium…” (rest of the story on page 2B)
June 10, 1977 – Ten young men in Oregon turn a shack into a home…
Building History
For more than 20 years this building was a night club spot with a revolving roster of names and addresses:
- Aug 19, 1948 Ad: Ernie Piluso’s Cafe – Completely remodeled and renovated at 157 E Broadway
- Feb 4, 1952 Ad: Piluso’s – 167 E Broadway
- Feb 24, 1955 Ad: Piluso’s Night Club 157 E Broadway, reopens after extensive remodeling
- March 1956 Ad: Sahara Club (Formally Piluso’s)
- Feb 2, 1962 Ad: The Sahara on Broadway (changes of address 159 Broadway)
- July 1962 Ad: The Carriage Trade Restaurant opens (159 E Broadway)
- March 1966 Ad: The Forester (formally the Carriage Trade) – 160 S Park
- 1968-1977 Ron and Maddy’s Caravelle – 160 S Park (last ad Jan 6th 1977)
- Oct 6, 1977 Ad: The Place 160 S Park – Eugene’s Newest Night Spot
- Feb 2, 1978 Ad: The Place – Grand Re-Opening
- March 11, 1978 – Alan Kovak opens the 350-seat club See Billboard article pdf
- Mid 1982 – 1988 was The Lone Star, a country western music venue
- 1987 – Ron’s Place
- 1988 – Central Building Remodeled for Retail in Mid 1988. End of Clubs there.
- 2015 – Variety of stores and restaurants located there
Music History
- Oct 6, 1977 – The Soup
- Oct 1977 – Brother Owens
- Feb 3 & 4, 1978 – Norton Buffalo Stamped with Wheatfield (Grand re-opening)
- May 9, 1978 – Patti Smith (live recording)
- May 27, 1978 – George Thorogood with a live broadcast on KZEL
- Sept. 1978 – The Persuasions, The Hotz, Dakotah, Wheatfield, & Slowbuck
- Sept. 10, 1978 – Talking Heads
- Elvis Costello
- Hometown Band
- Pat Travers
- Tom Waits
- Roger McGuinn
- Gene Clark
- The Amazing Rhythm Aces
- Dizzy Gillespie
- Woody Shaw
- Karla Bonoff
- Country Joe McDonald
- Vassar Clements
- James Cotton
- Ester Phillips
- Tom Rush
- Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee
- Stan Kenton
- Walter Egan
- Elvin Bishop
- Head East
- Kalapana
- Mary MacGregor
- John McLaughlin
- Pousette-Dart Band
- Dave Von Ronk
- Sea Level
- Loudon Wainwright III
- Muddy Waters
- Wet Willie
- Los Xplorers
- Mithrandir (1980)
- The Wiers (1980)
- Little Big Band (1980)
- Dirty Legs (1980)
- Lion (1980)
- Bosworth Brothers Band (1980)
- Whiskey River (1980)
- Transaction (1980)
- Lips (1980)
- Roadhouse (1980)
- Raccoons (1980)
Terry Leo says
Walked in The Place one Night after hearing loud music from the street. Behold here was Pat Travers on a little stage justa Rockin the place. There was no place to sit and Terry Jenkins the sound man waved me over, I stood next to him the whole show. It was a real ass kicker. Terry reminded me 40 years later that we went to the Down Under bar till 4am that was out the back door of the place. Terry Jenkins has passed on. He did some big shows like the Grateful Dead at Autzen. He is missed.