SALT LAKE CITY — It’s an end of an era in Salt Lake City after the Zephyr Club building was leveled to the ground Friday.
It sat vacant on the corner of 300 South and West Temple for 17 years, but the demolition is heartbreaking for artists and fans alike.
Now a pile of debris,The Zephyr Club was the place to go for live music in Salt Lake City in the late 80s and 90s.
“It was a very, very big deal,” Kate MacLeod said.
MacLeod performed dozens of times on the Zephyr stage.
"It was an artist/musician’s place to play,” MacLeod said.
The Zephyr's unique sound and intimate atmosphere provided a must-stop venue for both local and national touring bands, from B.B. King and the Blues Travelers, Emmylou Harris and Robert Palmer.
“This was the town that they could play in between the larger towns. We always had the best artists here in a relatively small venue.”
From Guatamala, Zephyr Club owner Otto Mileti told FOX 13 News:
With the small club like that, it had a way of creating a lot more energy.
The Zephyr Club closed unexpectedly in 2003. It was demolished this week after sitting vacant for nearly 17 years.
Demolition workers said the building was in really bad shape. Part of the roof collapsed and there were safety and environmental concerns.
Now that it’s gone, MacLeod is taking some of the brick foundation to hold up her memories.
"We had a feeling of community with the Zephyr,” MacLeod said.
The demolition crew said there is no plans to develop the lot that will be leveled off by early next week.
