Round About Akron

The Interbelt

A Nightclub Like No Other

The Interbelt is one of the oldest gay nightclubs in Akron with a compelling modern history. Original owner Vernon Baker bought the club in the late 1970s, it has been open for over thirty years. The club features different theme nights to provide entertainment to the local area, such as Hip Hop Mondays, Bad Girls Club on Thursdays, and Fuego Fridays. It has had many local talents and well-known drag queens who have performed, such as Plastique Tiara, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Roxxxy Andrews, and Manila Luzon. Now, every year, there is a charity event between The University of Akron and Kent State University called Battle of the Wagon Heel, which benefits the larger community in different ways. The amount of money raised from that night is split in half between Kent State’s LGBTQ+ emergency fund and Canapi in Akron.

An autographed photograph of Eartha Kitt, courtesy of Peter Sovacool Goff

But even before the club was there, the building, which was constructed by local Akron architect M. M. Konarski, was known as the Ritz Theatre, a venue that hosted film and live entertainment. We can see an example of the entertainment hosted at the Ritz from the content of an ad in an edition of the Ohio Informer from January 22, 1955: 

Sunday – Monday – Tuesday

Wednesday – Thursday

Friday – Saturday

The Ritz, courtesy of Peter Sovacool Goff

Echoes of Howard

Something notable from the advertisement’s contents is Wednesday’s screening of an All-American newsreel. The All-American News, first produced in Chicago in 1942, was one of the first news outlets that was aimed towards the African American community. Its inclusion in the weekly program of the Ritz Theatre served as a reminder of North Howard Street’s status as a former epicenter of downtown Akron’s African American community.

Another highlight of this advertisement is that it talks about the live entertainment of Ray Charles and The Five Keys on the night of February 8, 1955. This comes as no surprise when considering North Howard was home to many of Akron’s most famous jazz clubs from the 1940s to the 60s. This building has had a great deal of vibrant entertainment take place within its walls and will have more coming in future years.

The Interbelt stands out as an oddity on North Howard. The construction of the eponymous Innerbelt Freeway saw the razing of many of the historic buildings that defined the landscape of North Howard in an effort to better connect Akron’s downtown area with its surrounding suburbs. The Interbelt has alone been left to stand and look over the new Innerbelt Freeway.

Entertainers at the Interbelt, courtesy of Peter Sovacool Goff

A Word from the Entertainment Director

Peter Sovacool Goff is the entertainment director at the Interbelt. He has been working there since 2007, but even before that, he was an avid visitor of the club. In a phone interview, Peter talked about some important facts about the club, as it is going into its thirty-second year of being in business, and it has been owned and operated by the Vernon Baker since the beginning. But something unknown by many people is that there are two businesses within the building–a lower level is operated by an electric company which has actually owned the building ever since it was done being the Ritz. Since there is a rich history with the Ritz, the building was given a historical marker. This, along with the presence and ownership of the electric company, saved the building from being torn down when the Innerbelt Freeway was constructed. Peter also highlighted names of others who have performed at the venue, including the original Catwoman, Eartha Kitt, Rap and Hip Hop legends Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jay, and drag legend Rupaul. Although famous stars such as these have come through, though, the Interbelt has been sure to give local entertainers a place to show their talents. Furthermore, every female illusionist in the country has gotten time there. 

At the end of the interview, Peter credited Vernon, who gave many people a place to be themselves, to hold and kiss their partners, without fear of being assaulted or condemned. The Interbelt has given queer people in the community the opportunity to be themselves.

Researched and written by Phillip Fischio & Anthony Greenaway

  1. Interbelt Nite Club. Accessed November 20, 2019. https://www.interbelt.com/history.html.
  2. “Ritz Theater.” Cinema Treasures. Accessed November 20, 2019. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/15939.
  3. “SS_IX_21_7.” CONTENTdm. Accessed November 20, 2019. https://www.summitmemory.org/digital/collection/shepard/id/52.
  4. Goff, Peter Sovacool. Interview. November 2019.
  5. Shepard, Samuel. Advertisement for the Ritz. The Informer. Akron, Ohio. January 22, 1955. Retrieved from https://www.summitmemory.org/digital/collection/shepard/id/52/rec/1.
  6. Jenkins, Amanda. All-American News: The First African American Newsreel. Library of Congress. Retrieved from https://blogs.loc.gov/now-see-hear/2019/02/all-american-news-the-first-african-american-newsreel/.
  7. Hindi, Noor. “A Road to Nowhere: How the Construction of Akron’s Innerbelt Displaced Thousands.” Cleveland Scene. December 5, 2018. Retrieved from https://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/a-road-to-nowhere-how-the-construction-of-akrons-innerbelt-displaced-thousands/Content?oid=27096491.