Ruthie's Inn

The Story

This bar in Berkeley was where Bay Area thrash metal thrived from 1982 to 1988. Metallica, Exodus, Slayer, Death, and Possessed all played here in their formative years, and it was here, on February 17, 1984, that Megadeth played their very first show, with Kerry King of Slayer performing as a second guitarist. Cliff Burton was a regular before joining Metallica. Wes Robinson, a jazz enthusiast turned metal promoter, ran the venue and gave the local scene a home. The space closed in the late 1980s.

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