Installment Vol. 2, Page 2

There were other night clubs around New York City doing rock and roll on a part time basis, like "The Club 82" -a transvestite club around the corner on west 4th St.-, and "Coventry" in Queens Plaza. "Max's Kansas City" reopened, I believe, by the late fall of 1974;and so there were now two full time rock clubs contributing to the rock scene. Max's started to book original bands as we did, but they also had a full time restaurant going for them. Our food was only light fare. We served chili, hamburgers, and fries. Later on we curtailed the use of the kitchen in favor of snacks, which we sold behind the bar. I made a dressing room out of the kitchen. The competition of the two clubs, about 16 blocks from each other was healthy for rock and roll.

My part time manager was a big Scottish man, Merve Ferguson. He was quite an imposing character, about six foot four and well over two hundred and fifty pounds, wearing a bright yellow hard hat. VISIBLE?? He had been a college instructor for several years and a former competitive athlete who got tired of it all and decided to change his lifestyle, henceforth the night club business. He was big strapping man but actually gentle and compassionate. When anyone got beyond the talking stage, he would just pick them up and deposit them outside on the sidewalk. Even though this new rock music was not his cup of tea, Merve was a good and friend to everyone: musicians, customers, fellow workers and of course myself.

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