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This history is part of a feature article written by Dave Bonan, which was published in the February issue of InterMixx Magazine and Webzine.
Even though there was a scene in the 50s-80s, the Danbury music scene restarted in 1989/1990 at what is now Cousin Larry's Cafe. Those bands were Hed, China Pig, Monsterland, Bunny Brains and Creature Did in the alterna rock/grunge scene. On July 2, 1992, Sonic Youth played at Tuxedo Junction where member Thurston Moore (a Bethel native whose brothers family lives in Danbury) told the crowd the Danbury scene was the next Seattle. That was the scene coagulater but the breakup of popular band Monsterland in late 1994 was the crack in the dam. I believe they were the first Danbury band to ever received a large cash advance from a record company (s subsidiary). (Heck, they still have an underground following in Europe and Australia).
Across the street is Cousin Larrys Caf at 1 Elm Street which was opened in January of 1999. Previously it was Classics, then Gotham City, Chameleon, McNallys and then Franks in 1973. The local music scene was strong at Gotham City as it was told to me but its unattractive interior, both furnishings and people lingered on, even when we, at the Independent Media Center produced shows there as Larrys, starting in Spring of 2001. Larry Stramiello has always fostered the growth of the scene here and the IMC produced benefit concerts every other month until late 2004 until Jeff Goresen, Adam Brandt and Frank Stewart started the now very popular Monday open mics. These have people traveling from 40 miles away to play and jam with the crowd. The Tuesday night jam sessions have brought the scene that was lacking back to the forefront, starting just 2 months ago and quadrupling attendance, while bringing back veteran scenesters into the mix from word-of-mouth. Malcolm Tent from Trash American Style showed me a saved newspaper clipping about the Chameleons demise in early 1991 where then (and present) landlord Joe DaSilva said he didn't want it to become another venue because he "didn't want any more weirdos hanging out on Elm Street."
