Starland Ballroom facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Starland Ballroom

Exterior of venue (c.2008)
Former names	Jernee Mill Inn (1962-87) Hunka Bunka Ballroom (1987-2003)
Address	570 Jernee Mill Rd Sayreville, NJ 08872-1753
Owner	AEG
Operator	The Bowery Presents
Capacity	2,500
Construction
Opened	August 1962 (1962-08)
Closed	October 29, 2012 (2012-10-29)
Reopened	September 6, 2013 (2013-09-06)
Building details
General information
Renovated	November 2012 - September 2013
Renovating team
Structural engineer	Kipcon Engineering
Other designers	Heritage Industrial Services, Inc. M. Silberstein Interior Design Integrity Ironworks, Inc.

The Starland Ballroom is a popular place in Sayreville, New Jersey, where people go to watch live music concerts. It has been around for a long time, starting in the 1960s.

First, it was called the Jernee Mill Inn, which was a local bar and a big hall for parties. Later, it became the Hunka Bunka Ballroom. In the 1980s and 1990s, this was a famous spot for dance music. It also hosted many concerts, especially for punk and ska bands.

History of the Starland Ballroom

The building first opened in August 1962. It was a place for banquets and a tavern. The owners, brothers Chester and Frank, decided to use the space for concerts too. This helped fill the hall when there were no weddings or parties booked.

In 1982, a person named Bernie Bailey bought the venue. During this time, the main hall was sometimes used by bands to practice. It's even believed that John Bongiovi Jr. and Richard Sambora met here before they formed the famous band Bon Jovi.

Five years later, in 1987, Bernie Bailey changed the name to the Hunka Bunka Ballroom. Concerts then became the main focus of the venue. As the Hunka Bunka, it became one of the best concert spots in Central Jersey. It hosted many big and independent rock, country, and hip-hop artists.

In October 2003, the Hunka Bunka Ballroom closed for some important updates. A company called Concerts East started to manage the venue and promote its shows. Just five weeks later, the club reopened with a new name: the Starland Ballroom. The first show was by David Lee Roth.

Years later, Bernie Bailey and his partners sold the property to a company called AEG. From 2007 to 2017, AEG Live (now AEG Presents) owned and ran the building. In 2017, AEG Live bought part of The Bowery Presents. This made The Bowery Presents the new operator of the Starland Ballroom.

Hurricane Sandy and Rebuilding

In 2012, the Starland Ballroom was badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy. This big storm caused the Raritan River to flood. The club was covered in about six feet of water. This damaged the walls, floors, electrical system, and plumbing.

The building closed in late October 2012. All concerts were canceled until March 2013. Work to fix the club began in mid-November 2013. Twenty-four local companies helped rebuild it.

The updates included adding a new viewing area at the back of the main hall. They also improved the lighting, how well you could see the stage, and the sound. The backstage area and dressing rooms were also redesigned. Special measures were put in place to help prevent future water damage from floods.

The venue was supposed to reopen in March 2013. However, AEG announced it would reopen in September instead. Tickets for new shows went on sale in June. The grand reopening happened on September 6, 2013, with a concert by Stone Temple Pilots.

Between 2003 and 2013, the Starland Ballroom sold 1.3 million tickets. That's a lot of people coming to enjoy music!

Events and Special Shows

The Starland Ballroom has hosted many special events:

• The band Taking Back Sunday has an annual Holiday Spectacular concert here every December since 2013.
• Coheed and Cambria filmed a concert at the Starland Ballroom. They later released it on DVD as Live at the Starland Ballroom.
• The TV show That Metal Show from MTV Classic filmed at least one episode at the venue.
• In 2005, the Starland Ballroom held two concerts to raise money for people affected by the December 26 tsunamis. Bands like My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, and Senses Fail performed. They raised over $150,000 for UNICEF and the International Red Cross.
• In September 2005, Dashboard Confessional and Coheed and Cambria played a concert together. They raised $80,000 to help people affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Noted Performers

Many famous and popular artists have performed at the Starland Ballroom. Here are some of them: