By Birgitta Wolfe, Managing Editor
BORDENTOWN CITY Not long ago, a newly married Randy Ellis, aka Randy Now of City Gardens and The Record Collection fame, obeyed his wife and moved all his good man cave stuff out of the living room into the attic of their Union Street home.
”She didn’t want it next to the Victorian sofa,” he said.
It was priceless memorabilia collected during his 35 years as a promoter bringing in big-name rock bands.
Well, on Saturday, his collection once more will see the light of day when Randy Now’s Man Cave & Consignment Shop opens its doors at 15 Park St.
The shop is attached to Angie’s Luncheonette and in the back is a big attached garage where the Jet Weston band will be performing at the grand opening at 2 and 4 p.m.
The grand opening goes from noon to 8 p.m. and will feature free hot dogs, popcorn and chili.
Actually, Mr. Ellis said, the garage does look something like the legendary, now-defunct, City Gardens rock club on Calhoun Street in Trenton where he worked from 1978 to 1996. He was there when the bartender was Jon Stewart, the future standup comedian and “Daily Show” host.
”He was a nice quiet guy,” Mr. Ellis said.
Was he funny?
”Not at all. The owner of City Garden was funnier than Jon,” he said.
The promoter, who figured he has brought in some 5,000 bands during his career, did not rule out doing some promoting for himself when it comes to bands in addition to his work at the shop..
”Who knows. I always worked for someone else. Now if I screw up, it’s my own fault,” he said.
The idea for Randy Now’s Man Cave & Consignment Shop came to him about two months ago when he was let go as the concert promoter for the New Hope Winery.
”They said they couldn’t afford to keep me,” he said.
And so the Man Cave was born. At its opening, Mr. Ellis plans to display an album with John Lennon’s autograph, a poster with Richard Avedon’s autograph, Beatles concert ticket stubs from their 1965 USA tour and the rare Beatles “Butcher Album” cover.
The shop will sell pop culture items of the Beatles, Marilyn Monroe, postcards, vinyl records, antiques, CDs, DVDs, magnets, sports items, meatball and roast beef bubblegum, unique sodas such as Kitty Piddle soda, electronic gadgets, bobbleheads including one of Thomas Paine and Bordentown history items.
His family has lived in Bordentown for four generations.
The Randy Now’s Man Cave & Consignment Shop will be open seven days a week from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.

