“a certain local residence”

On July 2, 1981 Dave Sturm published the results of the Intell Journal’s initial music maker’s poll which, of course, included the question: What is Lancaster County’s Best Nightclub? In that first poll, it was the suburban Old Colony with 9 (19%) nipping the City’s Village (8/17%). David K’s (6/13%) and the rustic Pequea Inn (5/10%) were next. As mentioned on this Blog earlier the 340 Club (4/8%) finished 5th which we spun as the 2nd most popular nightclub in the City!

Now, on May 20, 1982, it was time for the second such electoral contest. Again it was the young Sturm drawing the assignment. In ’81, 84 persons voted with only 48 bothering on the nightclub question. Now, in its second year fully 148 persons expressed an opinion with 84 noting their best nightclub choice. Further, complicating the 340 Club’s path to glory was the obvious ballot stuffing campaign carried out by the Village. Also working against the Club was the fact that our own rock start – the Randallion, Randy Brown, had gone AWOL. I forget where coulda been jail, coulda been the West Coast but he did leave the 340 after a short residential stay the previous August (was it the M TV?). In any case Randy aka Randall Stoltzfus had drawn some attention in the poll the prior year and may have caused 2 or 3 of the Club’s five votes.

Nonetheless, on the eve of a big McMorial Day weekend at the 340, when the polls closed it was a triumphant moment for the 340 Club. Sturm reported it thusly:

Lancaster County’s best nightclub: The Village polled 39 (46%) votes and beat last year’s winner, the Old Colony, which got eight (8/10%) this year. Also in the running were “a certain local residence”, the 340 Club (7/), David K’s and the Swan Hotel (5 each), the Lancaster Dispensing Company, Tom Paine’s Back Room, the Oaks and the Carpenter’s Inn (3 each), and the Pequea Inn, East of Eden, and “my living room” with two each.



Taken in composite, the 1981-82 Intelligencer Journal Music Maker polls rated Lancaster County’s Best Nightclubs as follows:

The Village Nite Club 47 (37%)
The Old Colony 17 (13%)
340 Club 11 (9%)
David K’s 11 (9%)
Pequea Inn 7
Lancaster Dispensing Company 6
Swan Hotel 5
Tom Paine’s Back Room 5
Carpenter’s Inn 3
The Oaks 3