The Tralf Returns

The Tralfamadore in Buffalo, N.Y., is up and running again after a turbulent spring. The legendary club closed its doors this summer but resumed operations in September despite stories of unretired debt, artists being stiffed and battles with City Hall.

The club has seen its ups and downs since it relocated to its current location more than 20 years ago, but The Buffalo News says finances have been in turmoil after it was purchased by Rohit Kapoor last year. The businessman immediately renovated the facility, with mixed reviews, according to the paper. Meanwhile, tales of unpaid employees and vendors sprung up.

All told, the Tralf had debt in the tens of thousands of dollars, according to the News. It reportedly failed to get building permits for $300,000 in work and ignored a city order to shut down because it had not obtained necessary business licenses.

Two agents – Elizabeth Rush and Jeff Laramie – contacted Pollstar about unpaid balances for Lisa Loeb and Dark Star Orchestra, respectively. Laramie said DSO’s balance of $2,750 was significant but not to the point of hiring a lawyer, considering attorneys fees would eat up most of the recovered sum.

He said he forwarded his complaint to a collection agency because contact with the Tralf was impossible. He was unsympathetic to any club that would book shows while still owing money from previous performances.

Rush told Pollstar that Loeb’s attorney is working on recovering a balance of $2,500.

The Tralf has a new talent buyer in Scott Saxon, a veteran of the city’s 3,000-capacity Shea’s Performing Arts Center. Saxon told Pollstar he was unaware of Laramie’s case, but said he would follow-up on it immediately.

“No one wants that out there,” Saxon said. “You’ll never get another show if that continues.”

As for Loeb, Saxon said it was a debt that had gotten a lot of publicity and he urged Kapoor to take care of the situation. Loeb’s attorney says Kapoor has agreed to pay the balance in two installments, but the first payment had not arrived at press time.

The club recently hosted bluesman John Hammond, who has played the Tralf many times. The Rosebud Agency informed him of the controversy, but Hammond was willing to give it a shot. Rosebud agent Drew Palmer told Pollstar that everything went well.

The Tralf has Tommy Castro and The Manhattans on the books, as well as comedians Robert Klein and Bob Smith.

Despite reports of unpaid creditors, the News said the Tralf – faced with 20 code violations – scrambled for three days, did satisfactory repairs, and obtained the required permits for reopening.

Kapoor told Pollstar in July that the Tralf was not avoiding the agents.

“We’re just trying to fix all of the financial problems right now and we’ll get them all back on the right track,” Kapoor said.

– Joe Reinartz