The Back Door Book Launch Party was a huge success on January 27th! Copies of 'The Back Door' are now available at Words Worth Books, KW Bookstore, Encore Records, Lookin' For Heroes, The Rookery, and X-Disc C Records
Radio broadcaster, journalist, and author Coral Andrews celebrates the release of her first book, “The Back Door,” a chronicle of the musicians, artists and personalities that were part of Kitchener’s underground subculture of the 1970s to the 1990s at the legendary Back Door bar that existed beneath the Metro Restaurant.
The evening was hosted by MC Lindsay Stewart, featured readings and photos from the book, spoken word and music by Scott Wicken, dance from Tara Butler, special guest DJ Kevin Diebolt, and music from Invisible College. One of the largest audiences in the history of The Registry Theatre was there to see and hear it all and celebrate, and pick up copies of the book!
‘The Back Door’ Book project was funded by the Region Of Waterloo Arts Fund and the Launch Party was sponsored by CKWR 98 5FM and The Registry Theatre.
The evening was hosted by MC Lindsay Stewart, featured readings and photos from the book, spoken word and music by Scott Wicken, dance from Tara Butler, special guest DJ Kevin Diebolt, and music from Invisible College. One of the largest audiences in the history of The Registry Theatre was there to see and hear it all and celebrate, and pick up copies of the book!
‘The Back Door’ Book project was funded by the Region Of Waterloo Arts Fund and the Launch Party was sponsored by CKWR 98 5FM and The Registry Theatre.
An Excerpt From The Back Door...
Postcard Provided Digitally By Greg Dietrich
"When I started working on this book, Milan Hrazdilek, the owner of the Metro, gave me a postcard from the early days of The Back Door. On the back was printed, “The Back Door Dining Discoe. (Rear entrance of Metro Tavern) Enjoy the nightclub atmosphere of the 1930s. Try our unique Chicago-style deep-dish pizza – the untouchable taste you can’t refuse.”
On the front was an image of the “discoe” itself. The picture includes a faux marble table with a drink on it underneath a beautiful orange flower petal tiffany lamp. It shows the bar covered in black vinyl cushioning and tons of mirrors. Bamboo chairs sit on a lush red and black swirl carpet. Milan’s wife Karla stands in front of the bar, chatting and laughing with Milan. His business partner Oliver Gunovsky is sitting in conversation with a young waitress. There’s a couple seated at a side split-level booth off the tiny dance floor. To Milan’s chagrin, in the late 80s, I once plotted out The Back Door history in a publication I was writing for. I was not the only one. In one university publication, much to Milan’s chagrin, someone else surmised that the little bar endured “more facelifts than Phyllis Diller.” The article was right. After all, I had experienced many of its multiple identities firsthand. The Back Door did not begin as a punk or new wave bar. Far from it."
On the front was an image of the “discoe” itself. The picture includes a faux marble table with a drink on it underneath a beautiful orange flower petal tiffany lamp. It shows the bar covered in black vinyl cushioning and tons of mirrors. Bamboo chairs sit on a lush red and black swirl carpet. Milan’s wife Karla stands in front of the bar, chatting and laughing with Milan. His business partner Oliver Gunovsky is sitting in conversation with a young waitress. There’s a couple seated at a side split-level booth off the tiny dance floor. To Milan’s chagrin, in the late 80s, I once plotted out The Back Door history in a publication I was writing for. I was not the only one. In one university publication, much to Milan’s chagrin, someone else surmised that the little bar endured “more facelifts than Phyllis Diller.” The article was right. After all, I had experienced many of its multiple identities firsthand. The Back Door did not begin as a punk or new wave bar. Far from it."
