The Chance

Originally known as Chances Are, the Second Chance nightclub on East Liberty Street became THE place to hear great music in the 70s and 80s. I began frequenting the club when owner John Carver signed on to be one of the sponsors of my radio show, and the list of great artists who I had the opportunity to hear play there is a long one - Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Rick Nelson, Cheap Trick, George Thorogood, The Stray Cats and The Ramones just to name a few. But some of the best shows I saw there were done by local artists like the Romantics and Sonic's Rendezvous Band. The latter band was sort of an Ann Arbor super-group made up of former MC5 guitarist Fred Smith, ex-Rationals lead singer Scott Morgan, Stooges drummer Scott Asheton and bassist Gary Rasmussen from The Up. Pictured above are Fred "Sonic" Smith (top) and Scott Morgan (bottom) performing on stage at Second Chance.