Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Oklahoma Tulsa Cain’s Ballroom

Cain’s Ballroom

Sid Vicious famously punched a hole in the wall of this iconic music venue.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Added By
Tony Dunnell
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The hole.   Rhys Martin
Cain’s Ballroom.   Rhys Martin
Cain’s Ballroom.   Rhys Martin
Cain’s Ballroom   Nicolas Henderson
  breaingram / Atlas Obscura User
Cain’s Ballroom   The Erica Chang
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
Cain’s Ballroom   NMajdan
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Built in 1924, Cain’s Ballroom began life as a garage, which was then purchased in 1930 by Madison W. "Daddy" Cain. Cain turned it into a dance academy, but soon branched out into the world of live music. Today it’s one of the preeminent music venues in the U.S., with a rich history spanning from Bob Wills to the Sex Pistols and beyond.

The first performer to leave a large impression on the history of the venue was Bob Wills, the American Western swing musician, songwriter and bandleader. Wills was a regular at the ballroom from 1935 to 1942, and the venue became known as “The Home of Bob Wills” (who himself became known as “The King of Western Swing”).

Then, during the 1960s, Bob Wills suffered a series of heart attacks. At the same time, rock and roll was sweeping the nation. Cain’s Ballroom, for a while at least, was in limbo, and largely fell off the map as a music venue. The revival began in 1976, when rock concert investor Larry Shaeffer purchased Cain's Ballroom. It reopened the following year with a show by American blues and rock musician Elvin Bishop.

A year later, and in stark contrast to the bluesy Bishop, the Sex Pistols came to town. Dealing with Johnny Rotten and co. was never an easy task, but Cain’s caught them at a particularly bad time. Their U.S. tour was imploding because, well, they were the Sex Pistols, and Sid Vicious was more irritable than normal.

Vicious famously lost his cool in Cain’s and punched a fist-sized hole through the wall, inadvertently creating a treasured piece of punk rock history. The hole, which upon its creation was located in the wall of the green room, was later framed. The green room is now the ballroom's main office, but the hole has been carefully preserved, complete with explanatory plaque.

Since the Sex Pistols, Cain’s has gone from strength to strength, and is frequently listed among the top club venues worldwide for ticket sales. The 1,200-capacity venue has hosted a huge amount of big-name sellout concerts in recent years, including Beck, The Smashing Pumpkins, Jack White, Fleet Foxes and many, many more. And most of these big names request to play at Cain’s despite its small size, knowing they’ll have a passionate crowd at a genuinely historic venue.

Related Tags

Shops Music History Venues Dancing Rock And Roll Punk

Community Contributors

Added By

Tony Dunnell

Edited By

Meg, Collector of Experiences, breaingram

  • Meg
  • Collector of Experiences
  • breaingram

Published

May 11, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/raising-cain-cain-s-ballroom-goes-from-history-to-legend/article_2b1dc42b-04ef-56a0-a0c9-d72f3b25d913.html
  • https://www.cainsballroom.com/venue-info/history/
Cain’s Ballroom
423 N Main St
Tulsa, Oklahoma
United States
36.160996, -95.994941
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Woody Guthrie Center

Tulsa, Oklahoma

miles away

The Center of the Universe

Tulsa, Oklahoma

miles away

BOK Tower

Tulsa, Oklahoma

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tulsa

Tulsa

Oklahoma

Places 16
Stories 4

Nearby Places

Woody Guthrie Center

Tulsa, Oklahoma

miles away

The Center of the Universe

Tulsa, Oklahoma

miles away

BOK Tower

Tulsa, Oklahoma

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tulsa

Tulsa

Oklahoma

Places 16
Stories 4

Related Places

  • Site Of Strawberry Studios, Stockport

    Stockport, England

    Strawberry Studios

    Paul McCartney, Joy Division, and many others created era-defining music at this former recording studio.

  • Manchester, England

    Sifters Record Shop

    This small record store was a favorite of Oasis's Noel and Liam Gallagher, who mentioned it in one of their early songs.

  • Look for the cheery red and white exterior.

    London, England

    The Dublin Castle

    Once a 19th-century refuge for Irish immigrants, this pub has hosted performances by Amy Winehouse, The Killers, and the Arctic Monkeys.

  • Neseblod Records

    Oslo, Norway

    Neseblod Records

    This record shop and unofficial black metal museum is an ode to Oslo's heaviest musical export.

  • Cactus Club

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    Cactus Club

    This storied music venue was once a tavern that housed an Italian Anarchist book club and prohibition parties; today it's a community space for artists and musicians.

  • A visitor admires the mural on the ramp where punk was born.

    Queens, New York

    'The Ramp'

    Where the four original members of the Ramones hung out and revolutionized punk rock.

  • The former Washington

    Washington, D.C.

    Washington Coliseum

    A historic arena where the Beatles played their first concert in the U.S.

  • The front signage of Third Man Records.

    Nashville, Tennessee

    Third Man Records

    Jack White's record store is the only place in the world that records live shows direct-to-acetate.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.