<P> The popularity of the club led the Agora to expand during the 1970s and 1980s, opening 12 other clubs in the cities of Columbus, Toledo, Youngstown, Painesville, Akron, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Tampa, Hallandale, Hartford, and New Haven . However, the Cleveland location is the only one still in existence today . </P> <P> In 1984, the Agora was damaged by a fire and closed . Two years later, the Agora reopened in a new location on Euclid Avenue, east of Downtown Cleveland . It has remained there since then, and today is still a popular concert club, with many national acts playing there when they stop in Cleveland . </P> <P> The building currently known as the Agora first opened on March 31, 1913, with an English performance of Aida as the Metropolitan Theatre . It was the brainchild of Max Faetkenheuer, an opera promoter and conductor who had also been involved in the construction of the monumental Hippodrome Theatre on Euclid Avenue five years earlier . The new opera house was well received and did well early on, but later struggled to stay profitable . Among various uses, the Metropolitan was home to a Cleveland's Yiddish theatre troupe in 1927 . This brief episode in its history came to an end a few months later in 1928 after the troupe was involved in a bus accident on the way to a performance in Youngstown; the actors were too injured to perform and the venture went bankrupt . By 1932, the venue had turned into a vaudeville / burlesque house called "The Gayety," hosting "hoofers, comics and strippers ." The Metropolitan returned to its original use for a short time during the mid-1940s staging comedic musicals, but by the end of the decade stage productions had ceased and the theatre became a full - time movie house . From 1951--78, the theater offices were home to radio stations WHK (1420 AM) and WMMS (100.7 FM); the theater itself was known as the WHK Auditorium . In 1968--69 the theater was known as the Cleveland Grande . In the early 1980s, it briefly re-opened as the New Hippodrome Theatre showing movies . </P> <P> Following the fire which damaged the Agora Ballroom on East 24th Street, club owner Henry LoConti, Sr. decided to move to the 5000 Euclid Avenue location . Following extensive renovations, the new Agora Metropolitan Theater, the third Cleveland venue to bear the Agora name, opened in October 1986 . The 24th St. Agora was the site of a live recording on the 1996 reissue of Patti Smith's Horses album . The present - day Agora has two rooms: a 500 - person capacity, standing - room - only ballroom with adjoining bar, and an 1800 - seat theater . It is available for rentals, and is still playing host to nationally touring acts . Plans are underway to reopen the Backstage Cafe . The Agora is the host of Cleveland - based band Mushroomhead's annual Halloween show . </P>

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