PinkVibe Lore Post (Patreon)

The PinkVibe is a historic nightclub and music venue in Sugardale, New Hampshire. It’s located at 1721 Main street in the heart of the Honeywood District, at the corner of Squeeze Boulevard, and opposite Chips’ Department store. 

The venue has been the host for bands and musical acts over the years such as Rommy Rommy Dimm Dimm, Sally and the Soothsayers, Drill, SaccharrineRiot! (Who filmed 2 music videos there in 2012 and 2014), Joesph!joseph, TJ Money Bags, Dr. Crave, The English Muffs, Teen Temple, T.I.D.T, Periwinkle James, Blacksmith Cooley, Electricians by Trade, Fourth Place Olympians, and many, many more.

History

Foley Taffy Company

Foley Shoe Factory, 1911

Prior to PinkVibe’s construction, it was home to a controversial, failed venture. The original plot of land hosted the Foley Shoe factory in 1911. This later turned into the Foley Taffy Factory in 1913 after a tumultuous financial year for Gregory and Terry Foley (infamously known as the ‘Fumbling Foleys’ according to numerous gossip columns at the time).

The factory (in both iterations) was heavily criticized for its poor working conditions and lack of safety measures for the young Polish and Irish immigrant women and girls they employed. Wages were notoriously low, and employees were often encouraged to cut corners while working. Some rumored that the rubber from the old shoe factory was repurposed into the taffy produced. The Foleys never confirmed these claims.

The unsatisfactory working conditions coupled with the lack of safety measures likely lead to the untimely fire of the building in 1920. After the disastrous fire and a bankruptcy in 1922, the Foley family cleared the lot and left it vacant in the heart of Sugardale for nearly 60 years.

Numerous projects were proposed and rumored to be built in the conspicuous plot of land, but no real plans ever came to fruition until the 1980s.

Inception and Opening: 1980-1982

Arroyo Acquisition

In 1976, Puerto Rican Real estate developer and business man Ignacio Arroyo was planning on opening a disco nightclub in Sugardale. His nightlife ventures were quite lucrative in New Ambrosia where he promoted and managed exclusive clubs like The Spanked Pony, and Teca. 

However with the cost of rent and the crime rate steadily increasing in New Ambrosia, he returned to his hometown of Sugardale and soon recognized the gap in the market for a nightlife hub.

Despite his impressive real estate portfolio, Ignacio had difficulty finding and purchasing a building to renovate into a disco nightclub, “PinkVibe Disco”. City ordinances and a lack of vacant buildings downtown led Arroyo to an unlikely seller. 

After relatively short negotiations, Arroyo purchased the former site of the Foley Taffy Company for $15,000. The construction of a $110,000 structure was commissioned and Arroyo broke ground May 1, 1980

Structure

Southside facade of PinkVibe building

A mix between Beaux-Arts style and a warehouse style, PinkVibe has two stories and a basement. The southern face of the structure faces Main street and is immediately recognizable by its ornate, theatrical stone work and trimmings. This is complimented by its industrial warehouse, brick facade. The building was designed by French architect Henri Labouche.

Though the building was ornate, it was considered “dated” and not well received by the public in 1982 when the build was completed. Several local papers decried the new use of the empty lot as an eyesore.

“With it’s vulgar name, ugly building and questionable business plan, I think I speak for all of us when I say we would rather have our cursed vacant mound of dirt back.” - Joe Chauncey, The Sugardale News. January 12, 1982

Opening Day

Promotional Poster from opening day, May 1, 1982

Arroyo was keenly aware that the “Disco is Dead” movement was in fully swing by the time construction was completed on the unique structure in 1982. This did not deter him, however, as he was a savvy man who was known to have an understanding of trends and modern culture. 

The few who were eagerly awaiting PinkVibe Disco’s arrival were disappointed to hear the premiere was pushed back by 2 months to accommodate for renovations. This decision received a lot of criticism, due to the fact that Arroyo was renovating a space before the public had a chance to even see it.

“PinkVibe Disco” was quickly renamed “PinkVibe” and renovations were made to accommodate for less of a dancing atmosphere, and more of a concert-going experience. 

Seating was added all along the second floor balcony, along with the removal of floating platforms and mirrors along the walls. The sound stage was elevated and expanded, a new lighting system was employed and even staff uniforms were altered from a holographic, go-go style to a more poppy, 80’s athletic style.

Weeks before opening day, Arroyo had club promoters mail out 5,000 invitations and personally deliver ornate gift baskets to several A-list celebrities, and public figures. Arroyo planned to have a star-studded line-up, free concert to kick off the opening. 

Word got out about the elaborate promotional campaign being done, and rumors soon spread about the caliber of talent that would arrive on opening day. Public opinion quickly changed when it became a status symbol to have received an invitation to PinkVibe.

On May 1, 1982 PinkVibe officially opened to the public with the free concert headlined by American rock band, Blacksmith Cooley. The space was designed to originally hold 2,000 people. Over 4,500 people arrived, many from neighboring towns and cities.

Hundreds of patrons were turned away from the door, including numerous celebrities. Actress Talia Grimme details the incident in her 2002 autobiography:

“I never knew what it was like to be rejected… Well, ever. I was always the first to be invited, or the first on the VIP list, but when I had to wait in line for 2 hours only to be turned away at the PinkVibe? I knew something was wrong. That was the moment I knew my career was taking a nose dive. “ - Grimme Tales of Stardom: The Talia Grimme Story

The Crazy 80s Era

After a wildly successful opening day, Sugardale saw a revival to its nearly non-existent nightlife and recreational culture. PinkVibe regularly hosted sold-out concerts, events and club nights to the youth of Sugardale and surrounding cities. The venue quickly became associated with prestige and status as popular acts began to frequent its stage.

The limited operating days of Thursdays and Saturdays soon had to be expanded to include Fridays and Sundays, due to the sheer volume of patrons arriving every night. 

Arroyo’s focus shifted to PinkVibe solely, as he shut down his other clubs in New Ambrosia in 1986. The clubs were successful, but nowhere near the heights PinkVibe was reaching. Teca and the Spanked Pony, both nightclubs in central New Ambrosia, collectively brought in $2 million in revenue per year. PinkVibe, during its first year of operation grossed $5 million alone.

While the venue found wild success in it’s early years, there was a noticeable increase in security as the mid and late-80s arrived. Drug use was common at the music venue, as the patrons were often in the young rock and roll or early hip-hop crowds. 

The SugarJournal characterized the space as “…the perfect meeting spot for your neighborhood teeny boppers who just discovered hair metal, and the rough urban kid who knew how to breakdance.” The venue was often ahead of the curve and invited musical acts that were on the brink of stardom as well as acts that were known the world over.

This interesting mix of patrons was not immune to the Crush epidemic of the mid to late 80s, however. Increased violent crimes, police brutality and drug activity plagued the entire Honeywood district. Arroyo’s insistence on bag checks, stricter door policies and his zero-tolerance banning system allowed for a safer experience, though many patrons were less enthusiastic about the new stringent procedures.

90s LemonAID charity concert series 1992-2002

Joey Tandem and John Righteous hosting LemonAID 1998.

The LemonAID charity concert series aired on October 10, 1992 at 8 P.M. ET live from Sugardale NH, Caramel Bay CA and Limon FL.

The tragic 1992 Hurricane Jolie left El Pastel, Texas in ruins, with major flooding and thousands of families displaced. To raise money for relief efforts, PinkVibe of Sugardale, Milkbomb of Caramel Bay and Bongo-go-go of Limon all broadcasted their benefit concerts. The concert lasted 3 hours, and the TV special raised $18 million in its first hour and by the end of the night, raised over $51 million in aid funds.

The event was a smashing success, and Arroyo coordinated an annual iteration of the benefit concert with partner clubs and music venues all over the world for 10 years. Every year, Arroyo donated tens of millions of dollars to various philanthropic causes. 

However, with each year television viewership declined, and funds dwindled. In 2002 on the 10th and final anniversary of the event, it was announced the concert series would conclude. 

The final concert was headlined by the British band rock band Drill with a special guest performance of rapper Lil Bennie, and included a 15-foot, painted communal mural that decorated the northern wall of the venue.

2012-2016 Rock Revival

Greenlight PricksGO performance 2014

Throughout the early 2000s, PinkVibe remained a historic staple in the Sugardale nightlife scene. Though it was a popular venue, expansion of other Arroyo projects and philanthropic efforts demanded his attention. The building was maintained, however it was not the prestigious venue it once was in the 80s and 90s.

The modern rock revival of 2012 forced Arroyo to consider a more updated and intimate musical experience for the youth of Sugardale. Less-polished, underground acts were booked at the venue, and soon the club amassed a new cult following.

The nostalgic building, paired with the stringent security measures from the 1980s brought comfort to parents dropping their teens off for shows. The wild, home-grown, rookie bands that played there frequently were appeasing to the young patrons. While it lost the prestige of its former years, it grew a new appreciation among the Sugardale community as a staple of the music scene.

The smaller band format of 2012-2016 still leant itself as a launching pad for metalcore, post-hardcore and pop punk bands. SaccharrineRiot! and Greenlight PricksGO are two notable acts that got their start at PinkVibe and later credit the tight-knit fanbase to their meteoric rise to stardom in 2013.

PinkSugar Festival

Festival-goers at PinkSugar Festival 2017

The PinkSugar Festival was an ambitious music festival organized by Ignacio Arroyo and sponsored by Danish Ltd. in 2017. The music festival was first held for 3 days, from July 11 - July 13, 2017.

The festival was the largest of its kind in the city of Sugardale, but was also the largest event Ignacio Arroyo had ever ran or promoted. Over three days, the festival spanned half of Main st., and included over 80 food trucks, 60 musical acts and booths for over 50 community organizations. The main stage was of course in the PinkVibe building, with multiple side stages setup on either side of Main st. The event was praised by many local publications:

“[PinkSugar] is exactly what this town needs. It’s the perfect marriage between old and new. This is the kind of music festival both you and your angsty teens can enjoy, there is no limit to the amount of fun a family can have going to this fest!” Daniel Garcia, The Sugardale News. July 12, 2018

However, there were complaints about the ticket prices, which were upwards of $450 for a General Admission Weekend ticket. Arroyo defended the ticket pricing by stating:

“Musicians, Security, Sanitation and the like are all vital to this operation. People tell me I’ve ‘sold out’ because I am charging these prices. Do not expect to pay sub-par prices for a premium experience.” - Ignacio Arroyo, SGR Interview on July 9th, 2017.

Despite the criticism, the festival was considered a wild success, with many residents excited to experience the festival again the following year.

The Silvertooth Riots 2018

Car set on fire during Silvertooth Riots 2018.

During the planning of the second PinkSugar Festival, Ignacio Arroyo passed away due to complications with his heart. It was rumored that he was at his desk, writing out plans for the festival when he took his last breath.

His eldest son, Andreas Arroyo was put in charge of completing plans for the festival. Many cite Andreas’ lack of event planning experience and lack of business savvy as the reason for the event’s outcome, others cite the odd music lineup as the culprit. Regardless, the 3-day event was rife with controversy and left irreparable damage to the festival and the venue’s reputation.

Because of the sudden death of his father, Andreas opted to enlist the help of event organizers. Foley Events Ltd. were brought on to help with logistics and planning for the festival. There were rumored conflicts between Foley Events and the Festival’s largest sponsor, Danish Ltd. 

The result of these conflicts was Danish Ltd announcing 3 months before the event that they were no longer sponsoring it, and “…does not want to be associated in any way with this caliber of event.” (Danish Ltd. Press Release, March 24, 2018)

The lack of funds put a severe strain on the festival’s outlook. It was later discovered via an email leak that the fall out with Danish Ltd resultured in Foley Events prioritizing finding the cheapest solutions for the event’s security, sanitation, and medical personnel. This severe drop in quality from last year’s vital infrastructure was noticeable by patrons almost as soon as they arrived.

“The security guards were literal babies. Teenaged f***s who couldn’t even grow chin hair. There was no way they stood a chance against what was comin’” - Marshall Peterson, PinkSugar 2018 festival goer. SGR News February 8, 2019.

While half of the lineup was confirmed before Ignacio passed, the other half was still undecided, and many believe Andreas’ poor judgement in music trends and tastes led to the odd choice of bands and acts to round out the second half of the festival.

The Silvertooth Kidz, The Rad Hunk Churro Peepers, Clyde McGrath and Lola were just a few of the acts chosen for the last two days. Silvertooth Kidz and Clyde McGrath in particular attracted “…the most aggressive fanbase than PinkVibe had ever seen.” (Tori Jones, The Sugardale News. 2018) These bands were popular, but they did not fit the image of bands that were present the previous year.

“I don’t know who thought it was a good idea to book a pop-country female singer back to back with angry, trailer-trash trap-rock bands. But they did, and what happened is a direct result of the crowds they invited there. They’re animals.” - Lola, in a Pop days after the festival.

In the lead up to the event, festival goers who pre-purchased the tickets at their original $450 price tag felt that the lineup was not nearly as good as they were anticipating. Fans of the newest bands also felt the pricetag was too steep. In an attempt to please the public, ticket prices were lowered to $100 a week before the festival was set to begin.

This pleased some, but those who had already spent the larger amount were not offered refunds. Protests were organized in front of the Arroyo estate, but were quickly dispersed.

“They shafted the loyal festival goers who were willing to pay a premium for a good experience, in favor of the low-brow, young, idiotic knuckle-draggers? They should have just cancelled the festival when Ignacio died. He’d be rolling in his grave if he saw what was happening to his event and his venue.” - Randall Piper, PinkSugar festival goer 2017, 2018.

With tensions high on all sides the event was put on, but was met with controversy from the first day. The lack of proper medical attention lead to the mistreatment of 3 heat seizure victims on day 1. Security was unable to stop hordes of teens from storming the gates to the festival on day 2 which led to overcrowding and lack of order.

Vandalism, assault, burglary and drug use were rampant over the course of the first two days of the festival. Frustrations between the “old lineup” crowd and the “new lineup” crowd were rising and soon, a brawl broke out in the middle of the headlining Silvertooth Kidz set at the Main Stage.

The violence was instigated by the lead singer of the band, Matt Morely, who stated during the concert “Fuck the rich assholes who tried to keep us from y’all. Punch them in the face and set their dicks on fire!” Shortly afterwards, he dove into the crowd and began to assault concert goers.

Violence escalated from that point, and resulted in what was coined the “Silvertooth Riot”. PinkVibe’s sound stage caught fire, seats were ripped from floors, and the iconic communal mural from the 10th annual LemonAID concert was partially burned and damaged. The chaos spilled out into the streets, with more assaults and minor property damage to the buildings and food trucks nearby.

By 8:18PM, state and federal law enforcement arrived, and had the riot fully contained by 9:42PM. The festival resulted in 6 deaths, 1,841 injuries, and property damage upwards of an estimated $2.2 million dollars. The festival’s 3rd day lineups were cancelled.

PinkVibe shut down after the catastrophic festival. 

This event is the subject of an upcoming 4-part documentary series, Rotten Teeth: The Death of PinkVibe (2023). Though, the documentary is receiving backlash, due to the seemingly apologetic stance it takes towards Andreas Arroyo and the Foley Events organizers in it’s teaser trailers.

2018 to present

State of PinkVibe interior space, as of early 2019.

Since the 2018 PinkSugar festival, PinkVibe was partially renovated, though many say the interior looked as if it weren’t complete. The venue hosted it’s final show in October of 2018, months after the Silvertooth Riot.

The concert ended early due to multiple Crush overdoses happening in the center of the crowd. With a lack of security checks, patrons came into the venue with drugs on their person. Medical services interrupted the shows so many times, AnkleGrinders (the headlining act) refused to continue their set and walked off stage.

“I’m not playing my music while my fans die from Crush right in front of me. That’s fucked up, and this venue needs to do better.” Ash Cashly, AnkleGrinders. 2018

Since that last show, PinkVibe has been closed indefinitely. Though it has not permanently shut down, according to an Andreas Arroyo representative.

Local PinkVibe supporters have organized and tried to revive the older, safer spirit of the music venue. However, it seems the decision to reopen and re-invigorate the PinkVibe lies solely in the hands of one man.