Where Live Music Found Its Home

Way back in 1977, Jeff George and I began playing music together in our first garage band, Scenario. We were in junior high in those days, spending all our free time playing music and learning how to be a band in the basement of the George’s house on Crestwood.

In addition to honing our burgeoning musical skills, I remember wolfing down copious boxes of delicious Pastime Pizza at band practice. Pastime operated out of 205 2nd St. for decades, to include my entire growing-up years, in Marietta. I don’t think it’s romantic bias when I say that of all the pizza I’ve eaten, literally all over the world at this point in my life, the Pastime pizza still ranks at the tippy top. I know that many local folks would absolutely be with me on that opinion.

There are a lot of things you don’t know when you’re a young teenager. For instance, Jeff and I had no idea we would still be playing music together in a band 48 years later. We had no idea Pastime Pizza would end its journey at 205 2nd St., paving the way for the building’s ultimate conversion into The Adelphia Music Hall. And, we also had no idea that our future band, The Fossils, would be the first band to play at The Adelphia on June 26, 2010.

The Mid-Ohio Valley has always been blessed with an incredible amount of musical talent. However, prior to The Adelphia Music Hall, there was no dedicated performance venue to showcase live music and cater to the music lovin’ audience. Musicians have and will seek out corners of bars or restaurants for gigs, play at special events and parties in gymnasiums and backyards – but there wasn’t a space built for and centered around live music until The Adelphia Music Hall arose from the ashes of the old Pastime Pizza location.

In 2007 the Lehman family acquired the restaurant business at 203 2nd St. and resurrected the old Adventure Galley theme from the early 1980s, dubbing it The Galley in its current form. A couple of years later in 2009, 205 2nd St. – at that point, a condemned building – was purchased by the Lehman’s.

Once the building was acquired, the visioneering for the venue began in earnest. John (Lehman) conceived of a music hall and brought in his team of experts together to flesh the concept out. The experts included many musicians (including me), sound technicians, and the construction professionals at Promanco.

The result is The Adelphia Music Hall that we know and love today – with its historically chic interior, boasting a jewel-boxed stage area with a luxurious balcony overlooking the main floor, all fully outfitted with professional-level sound and lighting equipment. At the foot of the Balcony stairs is a beautifully restored antique full-service bar, to include 12 beers on tap. The main floor is adaptable to various configurations. We can do fully seated shows, standing room only shows, dinner shows, shows with dance floor, etc. One of the last steps of the construction phase was to install the beautiful arched doorways between the Adelphia and The Galley, connecting the two buildings from the inside, expanding the total footprint of the combined venue. Above the archway closest to the stage, you can see remnants of an ancient Marietta Tiger, pouncing into the present from its days gone by as the Pastime guardian. The name for The Adelphia comes from the pages of Marietta history. The Pioneers who settled Marietta travelled to the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum rivers on two flatboats – The Adventure Galley and The Adelphia. Its only fitting that The Galley and The Adelphia now stand side by side at the epicenter of downtown Historic Marietta as a lasting tribute to the fair city’s founders.

Once the five room, boutique Hackett Hotel on the third floor of 203 2nd St. and the second-floor Banquet area and Bar with its Upper Deck Patio were renovated and added to the complex, “Dine Here, Play Here, Stay” became a reality.

The physical space itself represents a remarkable investment by the Lehman family into Historic Marietta. But when you consider the entertainment and subsequent commerce brought to downtown Marietta & the Mid-Ohio Valley by The Galley/Adelphia/Hackett complex, the investment takes on the shape of a beautiful gift to our beautiful town.

As The Adelphia Music Hall construction neared completion, we began to book the musical acts. In the beginning and for the first few years, Todd Burge was our talent manager. Todd is a well-known, Parkersburg-based singer/songwriter and music business professional; and a musical friend of mine for 25 years now. We put our heads together and came up with a “wish list” of who we’d like to get on The Adelphia stage. Once that initial list was developed, Todd went to work on booking acts. Thus began The Adelphia’s live music journey.

As we do to this day, we featured a mix of local, regional, and national talent. Local bands such as The Fossils, Titus Canbe, Cry Havoc, Hit Parade, The Bash, Maybe Logic, Sacra Via, The Rain Crows, Liecus, and Vinnie & The Lubricators provided the foundation of MOV music in those early years.

On June 26, 2010, The Adelphia Music Hall had its grand opening night. As I mentioned earlier, The Fossils were the inaugural band. In addition to Jeff George and me, the band included Dave Tenney, Dave Laing, Bill White, and Andrew Colvin. This band is now called The Troubadours, and we’ll be capping off the 15th Anniversary long weekend of shows on June 28th, 2025.

A sampling of the regional and national talent from that timeframe: Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen, Patrick Sweaney, Johnny Staats, LoCash Cowboys, Steve Forbert, Tim O’Brien & Bryan Sutton, Dwight Icenhower’s Elvis Tribute, Supersuckers, Marshall Crenshaw, The Davisson Brothers, The Bottle Rockets, Paul Thorn, Southern Comfort on the Skids, Billy Joe Shaver, Lucy Kaplansky, Bobaflex, Reverend Horton Heat, and Bill Kirchen.

A few artists have played The Adelphia Music Hall before they hit the big time:

• Larkin Poe – this Grammy award winning sister duo recently played on Ringo Starr’s country album and are currently touring with Sheryl Crow
• Sierra Ferrell – now a multi-Grammy award winner and darling of the Americana/Country music world; she is everywhere you turn these days
• Tyler Childers – now an Americana Music award winner, multi-Grammy nominee. Childers is highly regarded in the Americana/Country scene
• Colton Pack – X Factor finalist and member of the trio Restless Road; currently tours the world over with the biggest names in county music

As the years progressed, The Adelphia stage has been graced by multiple Grammy winners, Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame members, and Country Music Hall of Fame members. Acts of every genre: Rock, Country, Pop, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Salsa, Zydeco, Metal, etc.

In those ensuing years, The Adelphia hosted many more notable performers such as:
The Gin Blossoms, Diamond Rio, Marty Stuart, John 5, Chase Matthew, The Texas Hippie Coalition, Coolio, Jim Lauderdale, Will Hoge, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Deana Carter, Tracy Lawrence, Sammy Kershaw, Joe Diffie, Shooter Jennings, Hawthorne Heights, Vertical Horizon, Exile, Wayland, Lucero, Colt Ford, Pop Evil, Edwin McCain, David Lee Murphy, Buffalo Wabs & The Price Hill Hustle, The Glorious Sons, and Hinder.

New generations of local bands also came on The Adelphia scene, including Oyo, The Hopewell, Truckstop, Sunset Roosters, Jesse Forrest, Tulips, Jake Dunn & The Blackbirds, Sadie Johnson, Jake Binegar, and Bad Decisions.

Beginning 2021, The Adelphia Summer Concert Series began a four-year run during each summer from 2021 through 2024. We converted The Adelphia parking lot into an outdoor amphitheater and played host to thousands of concertgoers over those four summers.

The Adelphia Summer Concert Series brought more phenomenal performers to Historic Marietta, to include:
Paul Thorn, Buckcherry, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Ace Frehley, The Wallflowers, Ted Nugent, Craig Morgan, Bret Michaels, Uncle Kracker, Kingfish, Everclear, Afroman, Pop 2000 Tour, Lee Roy Parnell, Steven Adler of Guns N’ Roses, Myles Kennedy, Blanco Brown, Cowboy Killer, Adelita’s Way, Petey Pablo, Chingy, Aaron Lewis & The Stateliners, Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters, Ying Yang Twins, Tone Loc, Everclear, Sponge, C&C Music Factory, Rob Base, Wheeler Walker Jr., Collective Soul, Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, and Yelawolf.

The Adelphia Music Hall has presented around 100 shows, on average, every year since its opening in 2010. The Adelphia also sparked a live music renaissance in the Mid-Ohio Valley. On any given weekend in Marietta, a person can find live music being performed at numerous bars and restaurants. The local air is charged with a harmonic vibrance fueled by the live music all around us – and music is good for the soul!

We so appreciate all of the people have come to see the shows and make it possible for The Adelphia Music Hall to continue to bring you the best in MOV entertainment. The Adelphia and its super staff look forward to bringing you more music, more fun and more memories.

Come celebrate the 15-year anniversary with us June 26, 27, 28 at The Adelphia Music Hall.
It’s where Live Music Lives!!

Cheers,
John A. Walsh