Echoes Of Coventry Podcast: The NYC Rock Music Scene In The 70s

The history of rock music in New York City in the 1970s was a thrill ride, with the Fillmore, Studio 54, and The Coventry.  Echoes of Coventry is an immersive journey into the heartbeat of NYC in the 1970s—a time when music was raw, rebellious, and transformative. This podcast explores the electrifying atmosphere that shaped an entire generation of artists and fans, blending personal storytelling with cultural history to capture the grit and glamour of the era.

This podcast is an independent show, professionally produced, and acts as a reminder that music and cultural history is not simply "what was," but more often the way things are now.

Echoes of Coventry is a new documentary-style podcast that
launched May 1, and it sheds light on one of the most influential yet under-recognized venues in New York City music history: the Coventry, originally known as the Popcorn Pub in Sunnyside, Queens.

The Coventry offered a platform for over 500 early-career bands in the 1970s. The club became a stepping stone for younger generation bands like the New York Dolls and KISS, pioneering the transition between glitter rock, punk, and beyond.

The podcast is available on Spotify and all major platforms, with exclusive behind-the-scenes content shared via @thesounddogs and
@blissstreetnyc on Instagram.

At the center of the story is Paul Sub, a Holocaust survivor and businessman who opened the Coventry not with a music legacy in mind, but because he saw potential in a 5,000-square-foot
bar with a basement. His son, Charlie Sub, grew up in the middle of it all, surrounded by local bands refining their craft and a scene that packed the room night after night. “My dad had a really good intuitive sense of what was good,” says Charlie Sub. “Some of it was ahead of its time, just emerging, and he loved it. And me being a kid there, at 17 or so, I loved it too.”

Episode one features Charlie and Paul Sub, as well as longtime friend Michael Newman, recounting stories of how Queens neighborhood kids flocked there, how previously unknown acts like KISS asked for motel money to try on their first kabuki makeup and costumes, and why the Coventry never turned away a band for being unknown.

On episode two, rock enthusiast Tony Mann and Swedish KISS aficionado Roney Lundell explore how early bands evolved their sound, their look, and their legacy, including anecdotes about
KISS, The Magic Tramps, Joey Ramone (then known as Jeff Hyman) drinking screwdrivers at the bar, and more.

Episode three features Billy Joe White, frontman of Teenage Lust, a Coventry regular who recounts memories from the 1970s with industry folks such as Iggy Pop, The Dolls, and Elephant’s Memory, the group known for backing John Lennon. He also reflects on what made founder Paul Sub stand out from other club owners at the time: his respect and fairness towards new
artists.
“What drew me to this project wasn’t just the music,” says Rich Brotman, the podcast’s Executive Producer. “It was the Sub family’s story. An immigrant family trying to build a life, and in the process, giving the city one of its most important cultural incubators.”

In addition to archival stories and interviews, Echoes of Coventry features original music by Charlie Sub & The Sound Dogs, a rock band led by Charlie Sub, whose personal story is entwined with the legacy of the Coventry. Their latest release, “Full Moon Buzz,” dropped alongside the podcast and delivers a groove-driven anthem that channels the energy of 1970s New York.

The track was produced, recorded, and mixed by Matt Shane, an acclaimed record producer known for his work with Elvis Costello, Flight of the Conchords, Rosanne Cash, and more. Shane brings a signature touch to the sound, melding atmosphere, emotion, and storytelling into a seamless production.

Echoes Of Coventry fills several roles with distinction. It's a history podcast, a music podcast, a culture podcast, and a time capsule into the energetic, innovative, wild music scene in New York City and at The Coventry.