“America’s longest continuously running rock club”: The Newport has seen it all ➡️ When the State Theater opened its doors in 1922, it was one of Columbus’ grandest new buildings. It was built with entirely local materials and labor – its designers, the Dusenbery brothers, believed in “patronizing their home industries whenever possible”. The fireproof building's floor was laid with “fancy tile”, the foyer decorated with black and white marble, and “prismatic” crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling (the first of their kind seen in Columbus). When it opened, its 1800 capacity was the second largest in the city. In 1970, the theater had a new name: the Agora Ballroom. Immediately, its famous alumni became too many to count: Chuck Berry, Queen, Rush, The Grateful Dead, The Ramones, Emmylou Harris, Genesis, Patti Smith, and Bruce Springsteen were among the first to take the stage. In 1984, it changed once more, becoming the Newport Music Hall. In its first nights with a new name, ...