THE LIVING ROOM

 

 

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1975 - 2008

 

 

HISTORY

The Living Room was created by Ranby Hien and was located on Westminster Street in downtown Providence across the street from Lupo’s Heatbreak Hotel at the southwest end of Westminster Street. Its focus was more on the burgeoning local scene. The room was long and narrow and the stage was in the corner as you walked in against the window on Westminster.  Mainstays at the Living Room included the Probers, the DC Tenz, the Schemers, and the Mundanes.  A lot of the bands from Boston also came to play the venue including the Neighborhoods, Lou Miami and the Kosmetix, Human Sexual Response, and Robin Lane and the Chartbusters.

In May 1981 The Living Room closed down to make way for a federal building that would eventually take its location. The second Living Room opened in what was known as the Bubble complex because its its bubble skylights. This space was located at 273 Promenade St in Providence and hosted many national as well as local acts like The Ramones, Cyndi Lauper, Todd Rundgren,
Motörhead, Joe Perry Project...etc This Living Room ran until the beginning of 1990 at which point it closed down for a few years.

In 1995 The Living Room reopened again at 23 Rathbone Street in Providence where it continues to host many great local and national acts. 

 

In a sad note, our beloved owner and friend Randy Hien was accidentally killed by a motorist near his home in September 2006. His death spurred tributes on TV, in newspapers and on the Internet. 

 

Click here to read articles on the life of Randal Hien.