Irving Plaza

The story

Before the Ramones ever played here, a future pope stood on this stage. The Polish Army Veterans of America purchased the building in 1948 and made it a community center; in 1976, the man who would become Pope John Paul II was among the distinguished Poles who appeared there. Two years later, Tom Goodkind and Frank Roccio converted the hall into a rock venue, booking the B-52s, Talking Heads, and the Ramones, then adding British punk and new wave acts alongside partners Jane Friedman and Louis Tropia. The ballroom became a premier American address for a generation-defining sound.