1) Thanks for posting this incredible footage. When I was a young~fearless Down-to-Earth teen in leather jacket & pants I walked past a row of Hells Angels bikes parked at the curb outside Max's. I was w/my boyfriend, but I turned to the Hells Angels congregating there & said "Hi Boys!" my boyfriend freaked & mumbled under his breath "you DON'T say Hi Boys to the Angels~you don't encourage them at all!!" It felt like the longest walk to the door after that, they all turned to look at us :-)
the first time i went there i couldn't see a thing. i walked into a table and flipped my self right over and landed on my head. after that i was a bit more cautious. had to have been 78? maybe? thanks for posting.
This is a great piece of history. I would like to share your veiw with the view of two paintings that were on the walls of Max's in 1974.One being an Arshile Gorky, probably traded with Wil De Kooning and a Frank Stella. I have a lot of detailed information with each picture.But I not finish my research yet. Thank you very much for sharing of this very informative film of the interior of max's.
the site is on flickr.com , search Stella Max's Kansas City
We spent many nights there in the back room, and some time at the bar, too. I remember taking my cousin Mary to Max's in the early afternoon. There were two Great Danes leashed to the radiator in the front room by the bar. This was normal for Max's. I remember having dinner in the back room with Gilman and Jerene. A puppeteer came to the table, did a quick skit and disappeared, once again, quite normal for Max's.
Read "Please Kill Me," there is a lot about Max's in that book. A lot. The Max's that was presided over by the guy who started it, Micky Ruskin, was over in 1974. Upstairs, the music club, continued for a few more years. But as a hangout it was over when Ruskin was gone and the new owners hung "Tiffany-style" lamps over the tables, which was decidely uncool, sort of proto Olive Garden, no longer a place to be.
i absolutely loved max's -- it didn't matter if i was alone or with friends -- i always had a fantastic time --- even got to hang out in the infamous back room...and loved seeing bands upstairs too
@babiisiah its not weird. its mine too. i think if you are a 70s fan or vintage rock fan or both like me, its only natural to feel that. this place was THE place to hang out for rockers fans and enthusiasts in the 70s and its been vividly described in many biographies. too bad i was born in the 80s (great decade too) but i wish i had been a rock chick in the 70s!
Today I was in the deli that now occupies this spot. The cash register is along the right as you walk in, a hot buffett is in the center and the back is a dining area. It seems the upstairs is now a private residence.
What a happy occasion to have come across this footage. I went to Max's to interview for a waitress job when 19 years old. Mickey Ruskin took one look at me ( I was not part of the Max's scene:) and gave me a job - uptown - at Max's Terre Haute. He was protective. Every time he came uptown (where his childhood nurse maid regularly had her dinner) he'd say to me, "I ought to fire you. You don't cut the mustard as a waitress, in fact, you're lousy, but you sure are sexy so I won't fire you".
I used to go downtown to Max's after work at Terre Haute w/the busboys. We'd share a bottle of St. Emelion and eat those roasted chick peas(our version of a very late night dinner). I WAS a lousy waitress and glad I didn't join the Max's crowd (lucky me -very druggy). I've a son who's a singer in a popular band who regrets I kept to the edges -would have liked more stories. Not me. But it sure was fun being there. Great art. M. Ruskin looked to me like he was separated at birth from Tiny Tim.
It's so cool to watch this. I loved Max's so much. It's nice to see the old decor - before Tommy Dean came in and fucked it all up.
There must be SOME footage of Max's around, but I would bet it was from 71-72 on. There was a guy who had what looked like a 16 MM camera who used to film a lot of bands there. I have a lot of stills that I took at Max's.
Doesn't ring a bell -- then again -- I didn't go to Max's for the music - I stayed downstairs. There was a nasty manager of the Max's uptown that partly fits the description. Long straight dark hair pulled into a severe ponytail. His name, I think, was Phil - he was dedicated to macrobiotic fasting. Maybe that's what made him so nasty :) Anyway, don;t know about the flim-making part - but I do know that he went downtown for the music.
I've scanned some, but it was a while back and the scans aren't very good. I'm going to re-scan them with a better scanner, photoshop them to perfection, and then publish them in my book on the 70's music scene. :)
Max's closed its doors for good in 1981. The building is still there. For several years the ground floor housed a Burger King, and it now houses a deli
2) Who's the man & baby at 2:00? It looks like Levon Helm. I'd be curious where that baby is today! Thanks again!
hipretty 1 year ago
@hipretty
Do you remember at host/doorman named Dale Gabriel?
gabeartinc 3 months ago
1) Thanks for posting this incredible footage. When I was a young~fearless Down-to-Earth teen in leather jacket & pants I walked past a row of Hells Angels bikes parked at the curb outside Max's. I was w/my boyfriend, but I turned to the Hells Angels congregating there & said "Hi Boys!" my boyfriend freaked & mumbled under his breath "you DON'T say Hi Boys to the Angels~you don't encourage them at all!!" It felt like the longest walk to the door after that, they all turned to look at us :-)
hipretty 1 year ago
the first time i went there i couldn't see a thing. i walked into a table and flipped my self right over and landed on my head. after that i was a bit more cautious. had to have been 78? maybe? thanks for posting.
jimbobklyn1963 1 year ago
What was the vibe like by the time Madonna played at Max's?
aquilinonyc 1 year ago
This is a great piece of history. I would like to share your veiw with the view of two paintings that were on the walls of Max's in 1974.One being an Arshile Gorky, probably traded with Wil De Kooning and a Frank Stella. I have a lot of detailed information with each picture.But I not finish my research yet. Thank you very much for sharing of this very informative film of the interior of max's.
the site is on flickr.com , search Stella Max's Kansas City
adam42111 1 year ago
Comment removed
adam42111 1 year ago
We spent many nights there in the back room, and some time at the bar, too. I remember taking my cousin Mary to Max's in the early afternoon. There were two Great Danes leashed to the radiator in the front room by the bar. This was normal for Max's. I remember having dinner in the back room with Gilman and Jerene. A puppeteer came to the table, did a quick skit and disappeared, once again, quite normal for Max's.
RocknRollkat 1 year ago
Wow. This was the place to be any night. The people I saw in there (was just a kid).
LegrandnjClassicSoul 1 year ago
what is there today? in place of Max`s Kansas City
superemposed 1 year ago
@superemposed There is a mini supermarket at 213 Park Avenue South today, the location of Max's back in the day.
RocknRollkat 1 year ago
I thought Greens Cafe was their today 213 South Park Avenue.
bikewhiz 1 year ago
@bikewhiz - The last time I was there it was a mini-supermarket.
It's called "Evergreen Gourmet Deli".
RocknRollkat 1 year ago
Read "Please Kill Me," there is a lot about Max's in that book. A lot. The Max's that was presided over by the guy who started it, Micky Ruskin, was over in 1974. Upstairs, the music club, continued for a few more years. But as a hangout it was over when Ruskin was gone and the new owners hung "Tiffany-style" lamps over the tables, which was decidely uncool, sort of proto Olive Garden, no longer a place to be.
korduroy 1 year ago
@korduroy great book man i have it!
sonicsteev 1 year ago
can someone please tell me something?
what used to happen in the back room of maxs kansas city? i mean why is it so infamous? big 70s fan here but born in 1981... thanx!
alinecalves 1 year ago
@alinecalves go to Wikipedia and plug in this name: Andrea_Feldman
ezywonder 3 months ago
is that john cale sitting with the blond with the big toothy smile?
dweebcentric 2 years ago
i absolutely loved max's -- it didn't matter if i was alone or with friends -- i always had a fantastic time --- even got to hang out in the infamous back room...and loved seeing bands upstairs too
agyvonne 2 years ago
what does Max's kansas city look like today? its my dream to go there one day...i know it may sound kinda weird but it is
babiisiah 2 years ago
@babiisiah its not weird. its mine too. i think if you are a 70s fan or vintage rock fan or both like me, its only natural to feel that. this place was THE place to hang out for rockers fans and enthusiasts in the 70s and its been vividly described in many biographies. too bad i was born in the 80s (great decade too) but i wish i had been a rock chick in the 70s!
alinecalves 1 year ago
Today I was in the deli that now occupies this spot. The cash register is along the right as you walk in, a hot buffett is in the center and the back is a dining area. It seems the upstairs is now a private residence.
tomthefunky 2 years ago
The light in the back room was provided by a Dan Flavin
neon light installation. It made the food look green.
Weird.
bbethany7 3 years ago
What a happy occasion to have come across this footage. I went to Max's to interview for a waitress job when 19 years old. Mickey Ruskin took one look at me ( I was not part of the Max's scene:) and gave me a job - uptown - at Max's Terre Haute. He was protective. Every time he came uptown (where his childhood nurse maid regularly had her dinner) he'd say to me, "I ought to fire you. You don't cut the mustard as a waitress, in fact, you're lousy, but you sure are sexy so I won't fire you".
Daisytoo 3 years ago
I used to go downtown to Max's after work at Terre Haute w/the busboys. We'd share a bottle of St. Emelion and eat those roasted chick peas(our version of a very late night dinner). I WAS a lousy waitress and glad I didn't join the Max's crowd (lucky me -very druggy). I've a son who's a singer in a popular band who regrets I kept to the edges -would have liked more stories. Not me. But it sure was fun being there. Great art. M. Ruskin looked to me like he was separated at birth from Tiny Tim.
Daisytoo 3 years ago
It's so cool to watch this. I loved Max's so much. It's nice to see the old decor - before Tommy Dean came in and fucked it all up.
There must be SOME footage of Max's around, but I would bet it was from 71-72 on. There was a guy who had what looked like a 16 MM camera who used to film a lot of bands there. I have a lot of stills that I took at Max's.
strangeparty 3 years ago
There was a curly haired Yugoslavian guy named ?? who took lots of still photos w/a Brownie Camera. He was a friend of Andy. Remember him?
Daisytoo 3 years ago
This guy looked like a major hippie, during the glam and punk era. He had long, straight dark hair pulled back into a ponytail.
strangeparty 3 years ago
Doesn't ring a bell -- then again -- I didn't go to Max's for the music - I stayed downstairs. There was a nasty manager of the Max's uptown that partly fits the description. Long straight dark hair pulled into a severe ponytail. His name, I think, was Phil - he was dedicated to macrobiotic fasting. Maybe that's what made him so nasty :) Anyway, don;t know about the flim-making part - but I do know that he went downtown for the music.
Daisytoo 3 years ago
I never went to "Max's Uptown", which only opened in 1998. I'm talking about the early 70s.
strangeparty 2 years ago
have you scanned and posted any of your stills?
roberttotti10 2 years ago
I've scanned some, but it was a while back and the scans aren't very good. I'm going to re-scan them with a better scanner, photoshop them to perfection, and then publish them in my book on the 70's music scene. :)
strangeparty 2 years ago
This is wher I spent My childhood, this all looks like it was filmed downstairs?? the gigs where up stairs
HarleyFlanagan 4 years ago
Fantastic!
billieMadley 5 years ago
Around 2:01 it looks like Jim Morrison with his hair cut carrying a baby. What year is this footage?
MorrisonsTornCircus 5 years ago
Looks like '66 or '67. It's definitely pre-rat fur.
petercrowley41 4 years ago
This is an incredible video, it brought back many memories
junoman973 5 years ago
Max's closed its doors for good in 1981. The building is still there. For several years the ground floor housed a Burger King, and it now houses a deli
sergejisd 5 years ago
What year did Max's close down? Anybody know? And what's there now?
GoodBoys79 5 years ago
thats great stuff
pangea 5 years ago 2