Cain's Ballroom is a historic music venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma that was built in 1924 as a garage for W. Tate Brady's automobiles. Madison W. "Daddy" Cain purchased the building in 1930 and named it Cain's Dance Academy, where he charged ten cents for dance lessons. The academy was the site of The Texas Playboys' first regular radio broadcast, and they continued to play there regularly. It fell into disuse until 1976 when Larry Schaeffer purchased the building, refurbished it, and reopened it with the name Cain's Ballroom. Cain's Dancing Academy was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on September 4, 2003. It was listed under Criterion B and its NRIS number is 03000874.
History
Tate Brady used this building as a garage after its construction in 1924. His garage was renamed "The Louvre" and opened to the public. It became a night spot for the oil boom town. Madison 'Daddy Cain' hosted dance lessons and evening gatherings under the name Cain's Dance Academy. Jazz, ragtime, blues, and country, and were among the band styles booked. Bob Wills became a regular performer. By 1932, Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys broadcast a popular radio show from Cain's on KVOO. In the late 1960s, Cain's was shut down for a brief time. It was purchased by 82-year-old Marie Mayers, a Bob Wills fan, in 1972. She planned to reopen Cain's as a full-time dance hall. It experienced very limited success with traditional dance evenings and concert rentals. In 1976 she sold Cain's Ballroom to rock concert investor Larry Shaeffer. His investment in Cain's focused on reviving the original elements and structure. In 1977 Cain's Ballroom opened with a concert by Elvin Bishop. Shaeffer's production support was Little Wing. The Sex Pistols were booked through Malcolm McLaren in early 1978. After the Sex Pistols, Cain's primarily succeeded in music bookings and oddity performances. In the 1980s, Shaeffer had a business partner named Davit Souders who concentrated on new wave musicians. In 2010, Pollstar ranked Cain's Ballroom at #26 worldwide for ticket sales at club venues.
