Liberty Hall collection

Liberty Hall was a music venue located in downtown Houston, Texas from 1971 to 1978. It was originally owned and operated by Michael Condray, Lynda Herrera, and Ryan Trimble. Hosting a wide variety of performers, including Bruce Springsteen, ZZ Top, The Velvet Underground, The Ramones, Lightnin' Hopkins, Big Mama Thornton, and many more, it was known for its low admittance prices of sometimes only two dollars for nationally known entertainers.

Before Liberty Hall, Condray and George Banks, the future graphic illustrator of Liberty Hall posters, opened Jubilee Hall which became the Family Hand, a restaurant and entertainment venue. The restaurant was known for its red beans and rice, prepared by Thera Neumann, the African-American female chef. When Condray began looking for a new location to open with Herrera and Trimble, Neumann found the building that would become Liberty Hall. The building was originally a church built in the 1940s and later became the American Legion Post 391. On March 4, 1971, it opened as Liberty Hall.

Besides the many musicians that performed at Liberty Hall, the venue hosted plays and comedy performances. Cheech and Chong performed for a completely sold out four-night stand for two dollars a ticket. Cheech and Chong credit Liberty Hall for their success. Liberty Hall also hosted rock opera director C. C. Courtney's play "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" from March 23 to April 22, 1972. At the time, it was the longest running play in the history of Houston.

In 1974, Herrera left Liberty Hall with Condray following in 1975. Trimble stayed on until the venue closed in 1978. The building that was once Liberty Hall was soon demolished after its closing. Today, a parking lot near the Toyota Center sits where Liberty Hall once was.

Text borrowed from the "Liberty Hall (Houston, Texas)" Wikipedia page written by Woodson staff member Claire Weddle.