The Back Door 3025 5th St, Peru, IL. Taken in 1970. Can you spot the roofline that is the same in the next photo? Source: Downstate Sounds.
Skater's Junction 3025 5th St, Peru, IL. Taken in 2018. Can you spot the roofline that is the same in the Black and White photo? Source: Google.
Skater's Junction 3025 5th St, Peru, IL. The very advertisement showing Dick Clark's show to be held at the roller rink. Long before other festivals. Source: Newspaper unknown.
The Back Door 3025 5th St, Peru, IL. The very poster for the concert that started the controversy. Not that the poster is, the concert concept.. Source: Canned Heat, Inc.
The Back Door 3025 5th St, Peru, IL. A few people stirring controversy.. Many sure did. Source: Unknown.
The Back Door 3025 5th St, Peru, IL. Someone stirring controversy.. Many sure did. Source: Unknown.
After the concert...
The Back Door 3025 5th St, Peru, IL. Shown how proven those children were behaving and the biggest debunk ever before Y2K joke. Look at the children sitting on the floor listening to the concert! Wow! Hmm, not trying to be a troll here, no chairs? Source: The Daily News Tribune Sunday 02 August, 1970.
The Back Door 3025 5th St, Peru, IL. A "Rumdum" wrote this letter and was proud of being a rumdum. But it was about how they debunked everyone's fears of a riot. Source: Unknown.
The Back Door 3025 5th St, Peru, IL. Someone wrote a letter to the editor that this was a real expensive joke they caused on themselves. And added a humor at the end. Yes, I remember Lawrence Welk show weekly with his bubble machine of course. My father watched that show. It bored me! I prefer to go skating! Source: Unknown.
The Back Door 3025 5th St, Peru, IL. Columnist John Barron wrote a piece in The Daily News Tribune regarding the controversy was really nothing. Source: The Daily News Tribune. Thursday 06 August 1970.
The Back Door 3025 5th St, Peru, IL. The Open Forum presented the a letter from the owner of The Back Door, Dianne Glynn. Source: Newspaper unknown. (Likely August 1970).
The Back Door 3025 5th St, Peru, IL. The comparative photographs. On left is 1983 with a little expansion on the rear. The right photo is taken in 2021. It is shown with the building being expanded again especially in the rear. The front remains the same. They also cut off the road. Left source: USGS. Right source: Google.
Skater's Junction 3025 5th St, Peru, IL
The Back Door 3025 5th St, Peru, IL
The Back Door 3025 5th St, Peru, IL
Skater's Junction 3025 5th St, Peru, Illinois was around first before it became The Back Door. It has bit of unusual history. Read on!
First it was Skater's Junction and this is when they had much noted music festivals at the rink. The history on that part began in April 1966. Skater's Junction hosted famed American Bandstand host Dick Clark's show that had all-stars called, "Where The Action Is."
Several big names too many to list. Some of them are seen on posters above for you to read.
Bigger acts came two months later when Dave Clark Five gave two performances on June 19. One at 3 pm and the other at 7:30 pm. This band which is from UK which had sold over 100 million albums and is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They played on the Ed Sullivan Show just the week before at the roller rink. This should really followed the steps like the Beatles did. Play at larger venues but it was a mystery they played at a tiny roller rink. But it was heavily promoted by a radio station from Peoria which is an hour away from the rink. They also had 3 opening groups from Peoria.
Since the rink was designed for a roller skating, not a concert venue, it was also one of the smallest venue for the big name band to play music on American soil during the mid-1960s. It was reported it was not well attended. Sound like the locals and people from Peoria thought this band was playing for roller skating. I believe that in my opinion. It was not. That should have warned the organizers of the music fest.
You see, the promotions to cast Canned Heat concert as a "Gigantic rock festival" to echo the popularity of big concerts around the country during 1960s with the highlight of all at the end of the decade: Woodstock and a sleeper unknown but bigger-than-Woodstock called, Watkins Glen (NY) which was much bigger according to a family member who went there in 1969.
Because of the promotors saying, "Gigantic Rock Festival", that did not fool concertgoers but lay fear on city officials and residents who lived nearby to the roller rink during the weeks prior the "gigantic rock festival." Those officials and residents had attempted several times to block the event.
The experience at Kickapoo Creek Rock Festival at another location outside of West Peru by the way of central Illinois, they had Woodstock Hippie-style full of drugs and lawlessness occurred there. That did not help the locals in West Peru. That prompt locals expressed fear that they would get Hippies and troublemakers from that concert in their town. Owners of businesses said they would close it and board up during that concert time. No excuses as they would say. Even with Igloo Drive-In which is still operational today would close during that concert. Check that diner when you are out there sometimes. Their food sounds good especially their famous Pork Tenderloins.
Things got worse when Alderman William Roth called those who attending the concerts as "Rumdums" at one of the city council meeting regarding the concert. That sparked a set of angry letters published in the open forum column of the local newspaper, The News Tribune. However, that did not stop the concert. The reason: the concert was on a private property--the roller rink is a business and it was just outside of the city limits! So, no one could stop them.
Well, it answered everyone's prayers and angers because just days prior to the concert, the organizers received a telegram from the higher ups that the group had to cancel the concert. This is what the telegram said as it was published in The News Tribune:
THIS SHALL ACT AS OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION OF CANCELLATION OF THE CANNED HEAT ENGAGEMENT TO BE PLAYED THE WEEKEND OF JULY 31 - AUG 2. ALAN WILSON SINGER-GUITAR PLAYER OF THE GROUP HAS BEEN HOSPITALIZED FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS FOLLOWING A SERIOUS AUTO ACCIDENT. HE IS STILL UNABLE TO LEAVE THE HOSPITAL AND IS UNABLE TO PERFORM ANY ENGAGEMENT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE FROM HIS DOCTOR. A LETTER FROM HIS DOCTOR AND CANNED HEAT INC IS FORTHCOMING TO YOU. WE ARE EXTREMELY SORRY THAT WE MUST CANCEL THIS ENGAGEMENT CORDIALLY = SKIP TAYLOR, PRESIDENT CANNED HEAT INC
It was reported that Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson's auto accident was an attempt to commit suicide. Unfortunately, Alan passed away a month later on 03 September 1970 due to "accidental" overdose. I believed it was a suicide.
People there thought it was over with but nope. It went on!
The concert promotors saved the concert by quickly booked a replacement for Canned Heat by adding Poco and One-Eyed Jacks groups.
This was the second disaster for the promotors because they were sure it would be a low turnout because of lack of time to replace and promoting with new bands. But...
Thousands of tickets were sold. This was a surprising turnaround. Yes, thousands of Hippies camped out west of Peru after all! Just like Woodstock.
That night of the concert, several neighboring towns send their best-- police officers and their shops (squad cars) to help patrol the area. Even the Illinois state place were out in force as well as several units of LaSalle County Civil Defense groups were on standby in case of a riot or out of control. Far difference than Woodstock experienced. However, funny thing.. only 1,412 people attended the concert. Mostly kids between ages of 15 and 18. It went off without any problems. It was well behaved! Shocking, indeed. Funny thing, just like Woodstock 1999, it was on a hot and muggy Saturday night at the rink.
Problem was that the traffic itself which was bumper to bumper of CURIOUS residents that wanted to see whats happening and check it out. This traffic was quite long for miles. In fact, 200 people stood cross the street from The Back Door roller rink hoping to see something to happen. In another word, they were hoping to see trouble so that they can get that rink shut down. Remember Rome, NY anniversary Woodstock? That is exactly those people wanted to see happen. Those witnesses were in for a big disappointment.
Those children enjoyed the concert (and maybe did roller skate) for four hours.
Because this was so calm and successful, the laughing stock was found in the Letters to the Editors in the forum of the newspaper after the concert.
This statement is quite prophetic when a local citizen warned and I quote this, "This first concert is just a front, just wait until the next one." That person was correct because there were more concerts there but nothing created the same controversy from the first concert there. It was all hype for nothing.
I believe it ended when the rink closed.
The Skater's Junction owner is unknown but The Back Door owner was Dianne Glynn.
It is now Steinberg's Furniture store.
The Interior.
N/A.
The Exterior.
At the time, only I could see it says The Back Door. It was interesting design. They had a lot of windows up front and a little bit on front side as well as you can see in the photo. It also had exposed Wood beams cross through the wall which was common in 1950s-60s with many Mid-Century style.
The walls appeared to be White just like today... still White but the furnture store owner may have added Royal Blue to the bottom part of the walls.
The beams are still exposed today as you can see at the Steinberg's Furniture.
I looked around on Google Map to get idea of the area because of the traffic and the 200 onlookers cross the street. There is still a huge open field there and I am sure many Hippies camped out on that property. The original map for 1960s-70s are unavailable but I found 1983. It is the closest to what it was. The store had add-ons several times. The original was perhaps just rectangular shaped building. But the furniture store added a little bit on the back as seen in 1983. But add more later on perhaps the warehouse part of the store you can see in Google Map. See map above as I pointed out.
There is a road they added cross the street but in 1983, there were no paved road there. Hippies may have also stayed on the farm field 2 doors down from the rink. West of the rink that is. Next to what it is now a UPS center.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: N/A. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Renovations: N/A. Demolished: N/A.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses Steel - Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gabled.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: (Overall)-- Late 1950s? to 1970s?
Skater's Junction: Late 1950s? to late 1960s?
The Back Door: Late 1960s? to 1970s?
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Skater's Junction: N/A.
The Back Door: N/A.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos/articles. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you. You can also use this form.
Sources:
Downstate Sounds - History on both rink names, music.
Blog - related to a band.
Date of issue: 28 December 2021.
For office use only: 13.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 and 16.
First it was Skater's Junction and this is when they had much noted music festivals at the rink. The history on that part began in April 1966. Skater's Junction hosted famed American Bandstand host Dick Clark's show that had all-stars called, "Where The Action Is."
Several big names too many to list. Some of them are seen on posters above for you to read.
Bigger acts came two months later when Dave Clark Five gave two performances on June 19. One at 3 pm and the other at 7:30 pm. This band which is from UK which had sold over 100 million albums and is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They played on the Ed Sullivan Show just the week before at the roller rink. This should really followed the steps like the Beatles did. Play at larger venues but it was a mystery they played at a tiny roller rink. But it was heavily promoted by a radio station from Peoria which is an hour away from the rink. They also had 3 opening groups from Peoria.
Since the rink was designed for a roller skating, not a concert venue, it was also one of the smallest venue for the big name band to play music on American soil during the mid-1960s. It was reported it was not well attended. Sound like the locals and people from Peoria thought this band was playing for roller skating. I believe that in my opinion. It was not. That should have warned the organizers of the music fest.
You see, the promotions to cast Canned Heat concert as a "Gigantic rock festival" to echo the popularity of big concerts around the country during 1960s with the highlight of all at the end of the decade: Woodstock and a sleeper unknown but bigger-than-Woodstock called, Watkins Glen (NY) which was much bigger according to a family member who went there in 1969.
Because of the promotors saying, "Gigantic Rock Festival", that did not fool concertgoers but lay fear on city officials and residents who lived nearby to the roller rink during the weeks prior the "gigantic rock festival." Those officials and residents had attempted several times to block the event.
The experience at Kickapoo Creek Rock Festival at another location outside of West Peru by the way of central Illinois, they had Woodstock Hippie-style full of drugs and lawlessness occurred there. That did not help the locals in West Peru. That prompt locals expressed fear that they would get Hippies and troublemakers from that concert in their town. Owners of businesses said they would close it and board up during that concert time. No excuses as they would say. Even with Igloo Drive-In which is still operational today would close during that concert. Check that diner when you are out there sometimes. Their food sounds good especially their famous Pork Tenderloins.
Things got worse when Alderman William Roth called those who attending the concerts as "Rumdums" at one of the city council meeting regarding the concert. That sparked a set of angry letters published in the open forum column of the local newspaper, The News Tribune. However, that did not stop the concert. The reason: the concert was on a private property--the roller rink is a business and it was just outside of the city limits! So, no one could stop them.
Well, it answered everyone's prayers and angers because just days prior to the concert, the organizers received a telegram from the higher ups that the group had to cancel the concert. This is what the telegram said as it was published in The News Tribune:
THIS SHALL ACT AS OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION OF CANCELLATION OF THE CANNED HEAT ENGAGEMENT TO BE PLAYED THE WEEKEND OF JULY 31 - AUG 2. ALAN WILSON SINGER-GUITAR PLAYER OF THE GROUP HAS BEEN HOSPITALIZED FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS FOLLOWING A SERIOUS AUTO ACCIDENT. HE IS STILL UNABLE TO LEAVE THE HOSPITAL AND IS UNABLE TO PERFORM ANY ENGAGEMENT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE FROM HIS DOCTOR. A LETTER FROM HIS DOCTOR AND CANNED HEAT INC IS FORTHCOMING TO YOU. WE ARE EXTREMELY SORRY THAT WE MUST CANCEL THIS ENGAGEMENT CORDIALLY = SKIP TAYLOR, PRESIDENT CANNED HEAT INC
It was reported that Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson's auto accident was an attempt to commit suicide. Unfortunately, Alan passed away a month later on 03 September 1970 due to "accidental" overdose. I believed it was a suicide.
People there thought it was over with but nope. It went on!
The concert promotors saved the concert by quickly booked a replacement for Canned Heat by adding Poco and One-Eyed Jacks groups.
This was the second disaster for the promotors because they were sure it would be a low turnout because of lack of time to replace and promoting with new bands. But...
Thousands of tickets were sold. This was a surprising turnaround. Yes, thousands of Hippies camped out west of Peru after all! Just like Woodstock.
That night of the concert, several neighboring towns send their best-- police officers and their shops (squad cars) to help patrol the area. Even the Illinois state place were out in force as well as several units of LaSalle County Civil Defense groups were on standby in case of a riot or out of control. Far difference than Woodstock experienced. However, funny thing.. only 1,412 people attended the concert. Mostly kids between ages of 15 and 18. It went off without any problems. It was well behaved! Shocking, indeed. Funny thing, just like Woodstock 1999, it was on a hot and muggy Saturday night at the rink.
Problem was that the traffic itself which was bumper to bumper of CURIOUS residents that wanted to see whats happening and check it out. This traffic was quite long for miles. In fact, 200 people stood cross the street from The Back Door roller rink hoping to see something to happen. In another word, they were hoping to see trouble so that they can get that rink shut down. Remember Rome, NY anniversary Woodstock? That is exactly those people wanted to see happen. Those witnesses were in for a big disappointment.
Those children enjoyed the concert (and maybe did roller skate) for four hours.
Because this was so calm and successful, the laughing stock was found in the Letters to the Editors in the forum of the newspaper after the concert.
This statement is quite prophetic when a local citizen warned and I quote this, "This first concert is just a front, just wait until the next one." That person was correct because there were more concerts there but nothing created the same controversy from the first concert there. It was all hype for nothing.
I believe it ended when the rink closed.
The Skater's Junction owner is unknown but The Back Door owner was Dianne Glynn.
It is now Steinberg's Furniture store.
The Interior.
N/A.
The Exterior.
At the time, only I could see it says The Back Door. It was interesting design. They had a lot of windows up front and a little bit on front side as well as you can see in the photo. It also had exposed Wood beams cross through the wall which was common in 1950s-60s with many Mid-Century style.
The walls appeared to be White just like today... still White but the furnture store owner may have added Royal Blue to the bottom part of the walls.
The beams are still exposed today as you can see at the Steinberg's Furniture.
I looked around on Google Map to get idea of the area because of the traffic and the 200 onlookers cross the street. There is still a huge open field there and I am sure many Hippies camped out on that property. The original map for 1960s-70s are unavailable but I found 1983. It is the closest to what it was. The store had add-ons several times. The original was perhaps just rectangular shaped building. But the furniture store added a little bit on the back as seen in 1983. But add more later on perhaps the warehouse part of the store you can see in Google Map. See map above as I pointed out.
There is a road they added cross the street but in 1983, there were no paved road there. Hippies may have also stayed on the farm field 2 doors down from the rink. West of the rink that is. Next to what it is now a UPS center.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: N/A. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Renovations: N/A. Demolished: N/A.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses Steel - Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gabled.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: (Overall)-- Late 1950s? to 1970s?
Skater's Junction: Late 1950s? to late 1960s?
The Back Door: Late 1960s? to 1970s?
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Skater's Junction: N/A.
The Back Door: N/A.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos/articles. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you. You can also use this form.
Sources:
Downstate Sounds - History on both rink names, music.
Blog - related to a band.
Date of issue: 28 December 2021.
For office use only: 13.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 and 16.