Broker Pierre Vasquez told MySA that Randy’s Ballroom will continue to bear that name after being purchased this month by the Celaya team — Rosa Sumega, Michael Glassinger and Casey Henry — for $2,350,000. The deal, spurred by local entertainment entrepreneur Lil Jay, took about two weeks to close. In its new era, Randy’s will be a mixed-use property hosting wrestling events and concerts while continuing to operate as a dance hall.
Sumega, who owns local street fighting league Fists & Glory, told MySA there was “no doubt in our mind this was the venue for us to accomplish the goals that we have for the city of San Antonio — for concerts, for combat sports.” Henry called Randy’s a “launching pad for superstardom” in San Antonio because of its history of hosting artists like Selena Quintanilla in 1994, Beastie Boys in 1991, U2 in 1982 and many iconic boxers. Overall, the new owners see the sale as “the opportunity to restore energy, to restore a vibe that used to live and bring it back to its glory,” according to Glassinger.
MySA reached out to Randy’s Ballroom’s new owners for comment but did not receive additional information before publication.
Throughout its history, Randy’s Ballroom (once called Randy’s Rodeo and Cardi’s, according to a vintage ticket stub) has been a dance hall, bowling alley and bingo hall. A previous owner told MySA that the venue is perhaps most famous for an altercation between Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious and an audience member on January 8, 1978, in which Vicious allegedly bashed the audience member on the head with his instrument. The San Antonio stop was one of only seven show’s on the band’s only U.S. tour.
As the story goes, concertgoers threw cans of beer (empty and full), food, trash and a pie at the band, which had Vicious heated. After a song, Vicious swung his electric Fender by the neck into the crowd, but missed the audience member. However, legend says the concertgoer was left bloodied. Either way, Sex Pistols broke up only a few days later on January 17 after a concert in San Francisco. Turbulent times, indeed.
Randy’s would later undergo a transformation when St. George Maronite Catholic Church moved their bingo fundraising event there in the 1990s. In early 2000, the church purchased the venue and began to book weddings and quinceañeras there on top of the bingo operation.
Find it: 1534 Bandera Road, San Antonio, TX 78228
