Agora Theatre and Ballroom
The Agora Theatre and Ballroom (commonly known as the Cleveland Agora, or simply, the Agora) is a music venue located in Cleveland, Ohio founded by Henry "Hank" LoConti Sr. The Agora name was previously used by two other Cleveland venues in succession, the latter of which was damaged by fire in 1984. The current Agora venue, known as such since 1986, first opened in 1913 as the Metropolitan Theatre.
On December 29, 2011, the LoConti family donated the Agora to MidTown Cleveland Inc., a nonprofit organization.
History of the Agora
Cornell Road
The first Agora in Cleveland, informally referred to as Agora Alpha, opened on February 26, 1966 at 2175 Cornell Road in Little Italy near the campus of Case Western Reserve University.
East 24th Street
In 1967, the Agora moved to a second building on East 24th Street near the campus of Cleveland State University. Once settled in their new location, the new Agora Ballroom, informally referred to as Agora Beta, played a role in giving exposure to many bands, both from the Cleveland area and abroad. Many artists such as Bruce Springsteen, U2, Lou Reed, Grand Funk Railroad, Duran Duran, ZZ Top, Glass Harp, the Raspberries, and hundreds of others achieved much exposure after playing the Agora. The Cleveland Agora was also the setting of the concert by Paul Simon's character in the opening minutes of the 1980 movie One-Trick Pony. The front facade of the Cleveland Agora was temporarily swapped for the one shown in the movie.
