your favorite place you ever played,,and the least favorite.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 17 Jul 2009 6:48 pm

Was kind of reminiscing today of some of the clubs I have played over the last fifty years [can't remember a lot of them] But one comes to mind once in a while that I really enjoyed in the early 70's,in Houma La. Don't remember the name of the club,but the owner was a BIG cajun named Roy,I was in a duo,It took a few nights for the crowd [mostly cajun] to warm up to us,BUT when they did,they treated us great,BEST TIPS of any place I ever played.And those cajun ladies were some of the most beautiful ANYWHERE. There have been so many bad ones I'm still thinking about that,Maybe think of it later.Keep you posted .DYK?BC.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 17 Jul 2009 6:58 pm

Favorite Liberty Hall Houston Tejas,least favorite most of the joints in Anchorage.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 17 Jul 2009 6:59 pm

A side note,when I got down to Houma,I could'nt understand a damn thing they were saying,Stayed down there several weeks,did'nt realize it when I got home my family could'nt understand half of what I was saying,I was using a lot of that cagun lingo,DON'T take long,guess that's why I understand most[not all] of what LJ talks about. DYK?BC.

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 17 Jul 2009 7:53 pm

Played the "Riverside Rancho" in Glendale, Ca. Several times with Ole Rasmussen, and Jack Tucker.
It was finally tore down to make way for the 5-Freeway. This was where Spade Cooley and Tex Williams had held forth and it had a historical ambience about it. Good size bandstand with foot lights. Big Stone Fireplace with a fire in the Winter time. At the end I beleive it was being managed by "Walkin-Talkin Charlie Aldridge" a terrific Lead Guitar player in his own right.
The crowds came out to Dance on a large dance floor, were well dressed and well behaved. The Bar was in a separate room and a Chicken Dinner restaurant in another section. Also a large patio.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 17 Jul 2009 8:30 pm

Billy,I had family that lived in Glendale for years,I lived in Fullerton about a year,in the late 50's,used to watch the Spade Cooley show,my favorite was Town Hall Party,GREAT SHOW.Spade Cooley's show kind of reminded me of a western swing Lawerence Welk.Don't think there was much ad lib in his show,could tell a lot of rehearsing went on with that band. DYK?BC.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 17 Jul 2009 8:56 pm

Hey,now I remember that WORST one,Still with this duo,We had an agent in Atlanta that would book us,Would stay in a place a few weeks,he would call and tell us where to go next,Think we were in Bossier City,he sent us to Jacksonville,I'm sure this place must have been a front for something unlawful,There was a bartender,us two,and a drugged out old stripper,We sit around MOST of the time,the place had a double front door,when someone came in a bell would ring,the bartender would jump behind the bar,we would run to the bandstand and play for the old gal to do her strip show,[never over a half dozen people in there at any time]after the show every one would leave,we would go back to sitting in the booths,till that damn bell rang again,Did this for about three or four weeks.The ONLY good thing the pay was REAL good,That's why I knew every thing could'nt be on the up and up,I bet they did'nt sell fifty bucks worth of booze a night,Me and my buddy did'nt ask any questions,just got our money and got the hell out of Jacksonville. STRAAAANGE PLACE. DYK?BC.

Quesney Gibbs · Post by **Quesney Gibbs** » 18 Jul 2009 3:38 am

Favorites...Jazz Fest in New Orleans...Gold Range Hotel in Yellowknife NT Canada...Hired Hand Saloon in New Orleans

Least Favorite...Americana Hotel in Jarkata, Indonesia

Steve Hitsman · Post by **Steve Hitsman** » 18 Jul 2009 3:47 am

Favorite? the Anheuser-Busch corporate Christmas party at the Saavis Center (formerly Kiel Auditorium, now Scottrade Center) in St. Louis. Never saw so much food, booze, nor so many trophy wives. Oh, Sting was there, too.

The clunkers? too many to count.

Roual Ranes · Post by **Roual Ranes** » 18 Jul 2009 5:05 am

Best: Betts' Hall, Queen City, TX. Nice stage and great audience. I would call it almost a "seniors club". Mostly just a jam.
Worst: Don't remember the name. North East of Oklahoma City. Big Red Gamble Roof barn. Stage covered in Chicken Wire. Nuff said?

Dick Sexton · Post by **Dick Sexton** » 18 Jul 2009 6:16 am

Best... Carousel Club in Brownsville Texas, 1960 something, got my start there with Skipper Copeland.

Worst... Camp Shwab Okinawa, twelve drunks and a table full of dancing bears. I was stationed up the island at Futenma.

Most memorable... The night the steel player slapped the bass player for being late. Bass player out weighed the steel player by near 50 lbs. Smokey Joe from California, later killed in a Marine Corps helo crash. Good singer.

Most money... $500 a night, 15 years ago

Least money...$12.50 a night, not that long ago

Leroy Riggs · Post by **Leroy Riggs** » 18 Jul 2009 6:30 am

Favorite: The Taste of Colorado in Denver. I was playing with a Mexican band and we had several hundred people standing around listening and a large number of dancers on the grass in front of us. What a blast.

Least Favorite: Most of all others. (There are some real dives out there.)
.

Paul Wade · Post by **Paul Wade** » 18 Jul 2009 6:40 am

Favorite: nick's nick a bob's in milwaukee wisconsin
and pony express kenosha wisconsin all in the late 70's to early 80's least :Favorite friendly's tavern north chicago

p.w

John Cox · Post by **John Cox** » 18 Jul 2009 7:22 am

My favorite, Texas Hall of Fame in Bryan, TX. My least is any outdoor gig in inclement weather.

JC.

Tom Quinn · Post by **Tom Quinn** » 18 Jul 2009 7:24 am

Best place? Our homebase, Hannagan's, in Fort Bragg CA. It was a big old honkytonk with a dance floor, big stage and held about 300 folks.

Worst? Our once only gig at a "cowboy" bar in San Francisco down around Howard and 10th in 1979. It wasnn't til we started playing that I realized the only women in the place were two old ladies in the corner making out... the rest of the audience was having a ball. But after we played one slow song, we decided to keep it uptempo the rest of the night.

Fred Shannon · Post by **Fred Shannon** » 18 Jul 2009 8:16 am

Best: Maison Bourbon corner of St Peters and Bourbon St in 'Nawlins'.

Worst: Stateline Bar Hobbs New Mexico. More beer bottles flying everywhere than notes played on the bandstand.

phred

Ellis Miller · Post by **Ellis Miller** » 18 Jul 2009 8:38 am

Best: Probably the Nashville West in Portland, OR in the 70s. It was a musicians hang out and there was quite a music scene in Portland at that time. I grew a lot as a musician during those years for various reasons.

Worst: Playing a "cowboy" wedding at a ranch in Colorado on a blistering hot August day. Overheard two ranch hands talking: "we need to move the horses. It is too hot for them in front of that hot building. Besides, that is where they are going to put the band."

Ray Montee (RIP) · Post by **Ray Montee (RIP)** » 18 Jul 2009 9:45 am

I had the pleasure of playing at Portland's Division Street Corral, steadily for most of fifteen years. I most likely, played at that facility longer than any other area musician. It was a huge modern hall, with a capacity of 750, I believe. The hardwood floors were 'pegged' rather than glue or nailed. The arched roof required no posts to hold it up. The bandstand was roomy and bright. No alcohol was permitted on the premises so it was a great family place to go dance. The car parkers were off duty county sheriff deputies. Lots of parking on a totally level acreage.

The GREEN SHUTTERS in Beaverton, OR., was perhaps the worst. No exhaust fans. The cigarette smoke was so thick you could cut it with a dull knife.

Such is the life of a working musician.

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 18 Jul 2009 11:23 am

Best Santa Monica Pier when I was subbing in Spades bands. Worst A little scrubby place on Fort Street in Honolulu. Dirt, filth, stench, fights, beer bottles flying. Worse than Cal City IL. cc

Bill Dobkins · Post by **Bill Dobkins** » 18 Jul 2009 12:00 pm

Best is The Grizzly Rose in Denver CO.
The worst is The Little Jug in Owensboro Ky.
There was a law against dancing. The club could have go-go girls but no dancing by the audience.
BD

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 19 Jul 2009 2:25 pm

Best: 4-yrs. WSM's Grand Ole Opry. ’71/’72 w/Billy Walker
’77/’78 w/Stonewall Jackson
(Only-claim-to-fame in 61-yrs. of playing!)
Worst: Playing at home. Hardly ever get the urge!

Dan Murphy · Post by **Dan Murphy** » 19 Jul 2009 6:45 pm

Best place was the Houston Astrodome with Rich McCready and worst was Elks lodge in Bartlesville OK

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 19 Jul 2009 7:06 pm

My favorites are always the Springfest and Magfest festivals at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, FL. Playing with some of the most fun and interesting bands ever, with backstage jams and camaraderie second to none. In fact even thinking about it puts me in such a good mood I won't even dredge up the worst ones.

Jonathan Cullifer · Post by **Jonathan Cullifer** » 19 Jul 2009 8:53 pm

Best? Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, TN. Usually once a month or so.

Worst? Lots of too-loud college bars. One in Athens, GA, comes to mind.

Ben Lawson · Post by **Ben Lawson** » 20 Jul 2009 2:18 am

My favorite "one time" places were Lincoln Center in NYC and the Orlando Arena. Favorite regular gig was Church Street Station in Orlando. I'm getting too old to remember a lot of the others. Had a love/hate thing at the Caravan East in Albuquerque.
Good place to play but we got screwed moneywise.
Worst place was a club in Beach Grove Ind.
I don't remember the name but we pretty much had to fight our way out because some drunk was hassling the bass player to play Freebird. This went on for a few weeks and the bass player finally had enough. The ensuing brawl had the police shut the place down for the night. We never went back.

Austin Tripp · Post by **Austin Tripp** » 20 Jul 2009 11:32 am

Best-- The Stage on Broadway, always a loud and rowdy crowd.

Worst-- The Lavonia VFW club, always drunk and dont have a very good crowd.

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your favorite place you ever played,,and the least favorite.

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