Photo Updates to Some of Your Favorite Radford Nightclubs from the 80s and 90s

8/15/2014

I paid a brief visit to Radford Va. on 08/14/2014 and I made a point to check out some of the most popular Radford University nightclubs and bars from back in the day. Overall, it was a sad exploration indeed...

The Bus Stop

As Ralph Barrier let us know in his Roanoke Times article from 2003, the Bus Stop nightclub was closed down by owner Ed Savage, sold and then turned into a parking lot. Currently the land appears to be used as a bus stop for the Radford Transit bus system. At least it is still the Bus Stop, kinda...

Sackett's

Former Radford nightclub Sackett's met a similar fate as the Bus Stop, but the building housed at least one more restaurant before the whole structure was eventually torn down. These pictures show the former location as it appears today:

Chancey's

Somehow Radford's Chancey's nightclub and restaurant managed to outlive most local competitors, but eventually the plug was pulled on this former Radford landmark.

The Pi Kap Wednesdays were at times amazing, but Mary, the bar's owner, not so much. This was easily the most hazardous place to DJ as your equipment was basically placed on a bar table in the floor and subject to frequent disturbances by overly eager patrons.

The building was eventually damaged in a fire and now look as though it is being consumed by nature, disappearing into it own little grove.

Update 4-20-2020 - The building has now disappeared, demolished and completely gone. The sad Chancey's sign is the only thing remaining.

Lucky's

This was the place in Radford that gave us our first paying gig and I always enjoyed the Tuesday nights parties, working in the tiny "booth" located at the end of the bar. At some point Lucky's and Lucky's Upstairs became Riley's, and the Riley's Main Street Lounge concept appears to be thriving.

I visited at lunchtime and was unable to get photos inside as they were not opening until later in the evening. You can definitely still see the Lucky's influence on the exterior and upstairs patio areas...

BT's

One look Radford's longstanding restaurant and nightspot BT's and you will feel like you just stepped out of a custom DeLorian that transported you back to 1985. To me, the whole place appears relatively unchanged since I first visited in 1984. They must be doing something right.

We never had a paying gig here to the best of my memory, but I have seen our friend DJ Shock turn this place out on several occasions. Also known for its acoustic music nights and "Waftos" which were cool back then, and now waffle fries are a common site at restaurants around the country.

22 Comments

Irvin

9/16/2015 09:44:26 am

Loved looking at your Generic Male DJs website. Your 80s music posted on YouTube is excellent. Too bad I missed the Radford nightclubs in the 80s and early 90s when I was in high school and college. I went to ODU and frequented places like the Boathouse, Mr Ts Tacos, O'Sullivans, and not to forget some garage bands that would pop up and play in the late evening for free. Great times, great memories. Thank you.

Generic Male DJs

9/16/2015 11:45:24 am

Thanks for all of your kind words, Irvin! Radford was quite an interesting place back then, I was very fortunate to have been around at that time to be a part of the action.

I think there was a pretty vibrant nightlife in the Norfolk area back then too, although I didn't get many opportunities to check it out.

Although most of my old haunts have long since gone away (aqs you saw in our photo feature), at least we still have the music to go along with the many great memories.

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to contact us. It means a lot to us to hear how folks are enjoying our website and YT content, please keep checking our vids our and also let us know how we are doing! Have a great day!

Chris Brooks link

7/3/2016 05:24:32 am

I was a Phi Sig. A lot of memories luckily left there. Do miss the old days when you had nothing to worry about except gathering enough change for some real cheap beer.

7/3/2016 06:42:33 am

It's good to hear from you, Chris. Those were the days, we had a lot of fun during our time working the Phi Sig Thursdays at Sacketts, as well as our various nights at Bus Stop. Many times at Bus Stop gigs we would purchase 50 beers and leave them at the table right in front of the booth, free for the taking. It didn't cost us a lot, but folks sure did appreciate it anyway!

Carmen Richardson

7/30/2016 11:04:41 pm

I used to work at the Bus Stop and Macado's back in the mid 80's when I attended college at Radford! Great times and fun! I still have lots of old pics from the BS as TKE sponsored Friday night.

7/31/2016 08:58:51 am

We worked there too, we did many TKE nights, as well as nights for some of the other Greek organizations. It was a pretty amazing time to play. I bet some of the pictures you have would be amazing to see now!

Bryan mitchell

7/31/2016 01:53:05 am

I was the Dj at Disco Depot from 1978 to 1983. We started the End of the World party and had a lot of great bands including the Romantics, Delbert McClinton, Root Boy Slim and the Sex Change Band and more. Also did Stray Cats , Pablo Cruise outdoors. I think REM played there too but kinda fuzzy about that lol

7/31/2016 08:53:03 am

We worked at Sacketts after the late DJ Tom Winkler retired to begin his dental practice. We DJ'ed Thursday Nights for Phi Sig in the late 80s and through 1990 or so. We also did several Beginning/End of the world parties It was amazing to sit up in that crows nest and look down on the vintage Saturday Night Fever dance floor and see all of the folks having a great time.

Matt

8/4/2016 05:59:37 pm

Hey GMs,
I lived down the hall from some of you in Madison. One day, I heard a song blaring from your open door that was so eerily beatific, I followed the sound like the pied piper and stumbled wide-eyed into your dorm room. You guys glanced at me confused and annoyed but answered my questions and showed me the heiroglyphic-album cover you were spinning. It was the first time I had ever heard The Cult, and it began my intense years-long love-affair with that band. Too bad they turned douchey soon after, but Love is a prog-rock masterpiece.

8/4/2016 06:28:28 pm

Matt, it is always good to hear from our old Madison Hall neighbors!

Glad we helped turnyou on to something as epic as Love. It is a shame that things transpired the way they did later for the band, but those songs still stand up.

You would be surprised at how often folks stopped by, we eventually adopted an open door policy as much as possible.

In retrospect, we may have played the records a bit too loudly at times, but it was out of our love for the music.

Thanks for stopping by our "new" digs at genericmale.com, hope all is going your way!

6/7/2025 12:12:32 am

Cheers!

Brad Hundley link

12/20/2016 06:53:43 pm

Wow I stumbled across this via utube ------ spent a lot of time in Radford and Bburg 83-88 before I moved to Pinehurst . Had some real trippy times and ya can't discount the music --still rates as the best in my book ---great job on the site, wish I could buy ya some Crusties

12/21/2016 01:37:26 pm

Thanks for stopping by, Brad. We were all so fortunate to be in the Radford area during what turned out to be an amazing time musically and culturally. Please have a Merry Christmas and amazing 2017!

Michael Love

11/8/2017 05:16:28 pm

Hi GMs, just wanted to say G'day from Australia, have been following you guys for a while, listen daily and love it. Still manage to hear songs streamed, I haven't heard before. Must have been a great scene back then.
Anyway keep up the great work. Mike, Australia

11/8/2017 09:48:25 pm

It's good to hear from you Mike!

It really was a great scene back then - the most amazing thing about the music from that time is that we are still discovering great songs that we didn't even know existed back then!

We may never have it as good again musically as we did back then, but at least we can help spread the word with our little campaigns.

Thanks for your support and kind words!

Justin Bryant

3/19/2019 12:37:44 am

Whoa, memories! I was a goalkeeper on Radford's soccer team from 84-87. I was a rube from a small Florida town still listening to The Doors and Zeppelin when I got there. The Radford culture, especially Thursday nights at Sackett's, really opened my mind to progressive (not prog rock) bands I still love today. Keep it up!

Christy Glover Pilson

4/16/2020 02:01:55 pm

I worked at the Bus Stop in the spring of 1988, and I have great memories from there. You guys would always play Police songs for me!!!

4/17/2020 01:36:49 pm

Hello there, so many good times! We loved The Police as well, playing those songs was always a pleasure!

Jim Hubbard

1/6/2022 10:39:04 pm

Thank you very much for providing the best times for my friends and me. I would come down from VMI in 1987 through 1990 to see my Radford friends. So many good times we're had at the bus stop and at the end/beginning of the world parties..... It's hard to imagine that anyone could have as much fun as we had back then. Thank you!!

1/6/2022 10:57:44 pm

Good times indeed, Jim! Wish we were still playing live shows, especially those with the energy and happy people we saw back then! Glad you enjoyed those bars as much as we did, be well and have a great 2022.

James

9/17/2023 09:59:05 pm

Sacketts was the place to be on Friday and Saturday nights...I worked at the arsenal then..drove from rural retreat every weekend.. Saw some great bands there..it was always packed when January Rose played... It wasn't long after I saw BTO that I moved and never had a chance to go back..thanks for the memories...

Crystal Ingram Leadmon

10/8/2024 01:48:03 pm

We worked at AT&T 80's-90's and spent about every Wednesday night and Friday and Saturday there with my sister and our friends who seemed to take over the bar area. We had a great time dancing and just being with Friends. I felt like it was our Friends show before Friends came on TV. LOL Levy was always nice, Bouncers were our good friends. Too many fun memories to count. Glad we didn't have cell phones then.

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.