Resting ordinarily in a stucco plaza near a commercially infused box store area of east central Phoenix, The Dirty Drummer is easy to drive by miss. However, the outside mundane environs dissipate when you walk through the doors. Hand-carved wood signs, diagonal wood paneling, 80s-era neon beer signs, classic parquet dance flooring, and vintage Mission-style lamps give the venue a nostalgic panache.

Dirty Drummer has been around for a long time—way back to the 1970s when it was a 14-location restaurant/bar in the Phoenix area that was the home of many a good time eating and drinking place until the last one still under that name closed on 44th Street.

The late founder’s daughter, Dana Armstrong, and two partners reopened the 44th Street location in 2019 with a modern meets vintage twist and a music-centric theme, gradually leading to more local and national music booking. Armstrong was a locally known respected DJ who hosts the long-running Valley Fever night at Yucca Tap Room, Crescent Ballroom, Handlebar J, and Rhythm Room and is also a talented graphic designer and creative director who has implemented the feel and imagery of vintage country album fonts and colors into the Dirty Drummer brand. The results have played out remarkably. 

Musically, The Dirty Drummer has championed the independent spirit of sepia-toned imagery or ramblin’ roadhouse musical shenanigans. But it has also welcomed relevant artists of the Americana scene; the venue is a valuable tastemaker. Think modern labels like New West, Bloodshot, Fluff & Gravy, and Colemine, where the past meets the present while avoiding pop culture cliches – The Dirty Drummer has those genres and more covered. Good music is good music, and they book it accordingly. National touring artists that have played the Drummer stage include Jesse Daniel, Jenny Don’t & The Spurs, Petunia & The Vipers, Emily Nenni, Night Beats, Margo Cilker, Melissa Carper, Gruff Rhys,  Vandoliers, Norm Hamlet, and even Charley Crockett came up to sing a couple of songs when swingin’ through town.

Arizona has a rich musical history through many classic country artists, including Waylon Jennings, Lee Hazlewood, Sanford Clark, Linda Ronstadt, Marty Robbins, and modern-day artists like Dierks Bentley. But embracing its “big sky” geography by curating that sound with a fiercely independent spirit, one is sure many a venue in Austin and Nashville probably wishes they had a piece of that history to build around. 

There is also a run of regular local artists who are creating their own music scene here at The Dirty Drummer, not unlike the most famous one that was at Tempe’s Long Wongs in the 90s, where fellow artists would champion each other through sit-ins or co-billings. It is also a place where the hosts are vested in each artist who performs and treats each with down-home hospitality not found in today’s Live Nation/AEG-controlled venue monopoly.  The artists seem to want to return routinely and often are seen wearing Dirty Drummer gear on the road. 

While many consider it a cozy restaurant/bar that serves arguably the crispiest and tastiest wings in town (there’s a grilled option, too), The Dirty Drummer’s story seems to be just getting started. For this edition of These Walls, Glide spoke with Dirty Drummer co-owner/creative director/talent buyer Dana Armstrong about her insightful take on country and what makes The Dirty Drummer so worth stoppin’ by..

The Dirty Drummer has a rather legendary history in the Phoenix area. You and your team have been successful in keeping the legacy alive and establishing it as an important venue for local and national touring acts. Although the current tag is “eating and drinking place”- it’s also very much a “listening ‘place too – What is the bind that brings the musical acts that perform there together?  What do you look or listen for when considering an artist to host?

My country night started initially with a network of talented and musically like-minded friends like Bindle Stiffs, Flathead, Chip Hanna, Tony Martinez, Jimmy Pines, DJ Johnny Volume and more. But generally I’m still booking a network of friends on a local and national level. Most of the bands and DJs we book at The Drummer, no matter what the genre, are generally part of a longtime local Phoenix friend network. If they’re good and they’re nice, we’ll book them. 

My first DJ night incorporated all kinds of music from the 1970s and 80s. I’ve always collected all kinds of records: classic and soft rock, R&B and funk-jazz, disco, hip hop, punk rock/ alternative in my early years, and really anything that appealed to me, usually between 1972 and 1982. Each phase evolved into the next soundtrack to whatever we were up to in that phase of our lives. 

So, I don’t draw a hard line between country and other music genres. It all comes from essentially the same place, and it blends together. So it’s hard to label the stuff that I’ve been booking, it’s been called Outlaw Country, Alt-Western, Americana, but I still just call it “country music.”  There’s no need to add a qualifier when it is real country music. 

We book musicians who are dedicated and immersed in their art, and present that from recording to stage. They have the same goal we do: to create an environment through not only the soundtrack they provide for the night, but the whole experience. Whether playing originals or covers, their commitment and delivery are essential to engaging an audience. We do all we can to collaborate with the bands to highlight what makes them who they are and what makes the night or day as special as possible. The main goal is always to have a good time, but building upon relationships and fortifying the growing national network of country artists who are on the same page makes it even more fulfilling. We are a place that thrives on diversity. I am so proud and thrilled to be able to book the bands that we have—the increase in female-fronted bands is awesome, and their talent is off the charts. 

I think that accessibility and exposure to more music via digital online music platforms like Youtube, Spotify, Sirius enable everyone to instantaneously watch or listen to not only the foundational artists, but to the most obscure country and roots music, and that opens a lot of eyes to a much wider lens on country music. I think the diversity that is growing within country music further validates the depth and breadth of this genre, and that is reflected in the industry and who we get to book here at The Drummer. 

I’ve never taken seriously the fans of country music who secretly (or not so secretly) celebrated the homogeneity of it. Now those people are becoming part of a subset. The “good old boys club” is out of trend, and the redneck connotation that made it a hard sell is fading into the past and giving way to new or previously overlooked artists who represent some of the top talent of this era. It’s expanding the message, the tone, the references, and the experience. This doesn’t at all diminish the legend and impact of the foundational greats like Hank Williams Sr., George Jones, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Waylon, Wilie, Johnny Paycheck, etc. but it does add more to the mix. 

Arizona-based artists like Brea Burns, Taylor Glasheen, Joe Baker, Bobby Perez, Mario Moreno, and August Manley have had a very important role in curating the sound and giving the venue its voice as well. To you, what musical characteristics do Arizona artists have that you might not find in say Austin or Nashville?

Arizona is an independent-minded state, and that is reflected in the music that is made here. It is not formulaic; it’s open and evolving right before our eyes. Arizona Country today pulls inspiration from outlaw country, desert country, old western music, old-time, cumbia, traditional Mexican music, punk rock, blues, rockabilly, and Indigenous music. There are a lot of up-and-coming artists and bands here who are coming out and supporting each other but have their own distinct voice, writing, and sound. 

Joe Baker, for example, is a record-collecting country music historian who specializes in Arizona music. That definitely impacts his sound and his band, The Lazy Aces, which is made up of long-time musicians. 

You can find a common thread in unique Arizona country music that links musicians from Sanford Clark, Duane Eddy, and Waylon Jennings to Meat Puppets, Bruce Connole, Flathead, Al Foul, and Junction 10. That’s Arizona Country.

Also, given your deep knowledge of Arizona musical history, who would you have most liked to have performed at the venue, past and present? 

Waylon Jennings, Peso Dollar, Stevie Nicks, Linda Ronstadt, Sanford Clark. How incredible would it be to see any of them on the Drummer stage? 

The Dirty Drummer has soft rock nights and has booked punk bands and other eclectic artists aside from Americana/country that most might quickly identify only with playing there. Why is it important for you to keep it diversified and not be labeled a certain type of music room?

It’s all part of creating an environment. I basically will book any band if they’re really good and they’re nice.  All music is interconnected in some way. Whether it’s through sampling, or covering/adapting an older song, or if it’s a less tangible connection—how it makes you feel, the inspiration coming from within the artist and how they express it—it resonates in some way. To me, that is what matters when listening to music and booking bands. They’re setting the tone in the room, and we want to maintain an energy and tone that feels good. I think a lot of people who have never liked country music end up with a new opinion if they see some of the bands we book here. There is a stereotype that is unappealing to a lot of people, but that is not what we are building on here. 

I think collecting records and DJng for a lot of years gave me a broad perspective on how lines between genres are really blurred, and most genres have the same roots. There is so much cross influence, that it’s more about the quality of the songwriting, musicianship and delivery. 

So, there is definitely inclusivity in many of the artists who perform. The late Lavender Country was slated to play, and you recently booked Lawrence Rothman and Gruff Rhys. Essentially, the venue is as punk and indie as it comes—what has been some of the most positive feedback from artists who have performed regularly at Dirty Drummer and allow certain artists to return regularly?

It’s a different experience than seeing a band at a space that is strictly a venue. It’s a more organic environment; sometimes it feels like being in the band scenes in a movie like Roadhouse or Thelma & Louise. We do adapt the layout when needed, but it is a looser, more casual venue, and there is a dance floor. The room can be modified to suit intimate seated shows, full two-step dance floor, DJ dance nights, or standing room only punk/metal shows. We use our disco ball and fog machine indiscriminately for all events.

We might be kind of a stepping stone to a larger venue, since we have become a hub for authentic music and are willing and able to promote the shows locally in order to generate a Phoenix following for touring bands.  

We also turned the old office into a green room with a door to the stage. I have a lot of old posters I made for past events on the wall, so it’s kind of cool that bands can often see themselves or their friends on the posters from many years ago, it kind of helps to further solidify the community, locally and nationally. We are finally seeing the niche genre that we were all a part of become mainstream. We have most of these bands on our house playlists. There are so many more options to choose from than 20 years ago. 

We are an inclusive and diverse business in general, and that is echoed in our music booking. A lot of feedback we get is about the design of the bar, our attention to the artists, our ability to promote to a niche but growing audience, and the food. We book music that we enjoy and respect, so it makes it easy to support them. I’m really excited about the number of amazing new female country artists now.

What have been some of the most rewarding shows you’ve hosted from both a performance aspect and audience appreciation?

One of my favorite shows to host is our annual Norm Hamlet and Mario Carboni show. Norm was Merle Haggard’s pedal steel player and band leader for 58 years. Any time you hear pedal steel on a Merle Haggard song that is Norm—he is turning 90 soon. Mario is a young, accomplished honky-tonk piano player and is probably the most extraordinary musician we’ve had on The Drummer stage. The two of them travel around the country together in a 1963 tour bus. Norm is always gracious and willing to recount fascinating stories of being an integral part of one of the best times and best bands in country music history. Our tradition is to walk to IHOP after they play— that is the latest I stay up all year, but it doesn’t seem to faze them! It’s an honor and a thrill to have that kind of living legend here at The Drummer, and it’s really fun to see the audience grow each year, with an increasingly younger demographic singing along to old Merle songs. 

August Manley’s Waylon Jennings Tribute is also one of the most rewarding shows to host. It brings together a lot of old and new Arizonans, and more than any other night, it makes me feel like we’re really time-traveling. People love August Manley, and he really helps to transport the bar back to the days of Waylon at Mr. Lucky’s in the 70s. It’s magical, and I always imagine that my dad would have absolutely loved it, not just because it would bring back memories for him but because it’s always a rowdy packed house. 

Another special show featured two talented traditional country singer-songwriters Luke Bell and Matt Kinman. They played in March of 2022, six months before Luke passed away in Tucson. They played a daytime show at The Drummer and blew everyone away. Luke was well-known and respected in the country music scene. He had a true songwriting gift, and we’re grateful to have hosted him at The Drummer and will always miss not hearing what music would come next from him. Many of his songs are on our playlist. 

The country and Americana scene has exploded in recent years to the mainstream, although there has always been all types of people playing those sounds. What do you attribute that to?

I think the pendulum is just returning to more authentic and informed artistry. Mainstream country music got so artificial and silly in the 2000s. If people weren’t already savvy to the underground “real country” scene, they were shamed out of supporting the absolute nonsense that pop country had become. 

More than ever, people have access to previously obscure music and imagery from the past for inspiration and context. A lot of my musical and design taste was shaped heavily through record collecting, but no one has to do that anymore to be exposed to the most glorious images and music from all decades. What used to be hidden treasures are now what is shaping mainstream culture very quickly. 

I hope that it is more than a trend because there are so many excellent new country bands that either perfectly tap into a specific era from the past, meld more obscure parts of country music with other genres, or have a timeless traditional sound. I’m so excited about the direction of country music today. 

Has there been any learning curve going from being a restaurant with regional artists to booking national touring artists?

The Dirty Drummer was not a music venue before we bought it–we built the stage and added a dance floor.  I just continued booking the local and national bands that I had worked with while running Valley Fever Country Music Night, which I did for 10 years and was the real groundwork for booking The Drummer. But now, it feels like the venue part of The Dirty Drummer has become its own entity and has the intangible energy that is so important in putting Phoenix’s underground country scene more solidly on the map.  

But yes, there has been a learning curve in adapting an established 45-year-old bar & grill into a prosperous and ambitious music venue. I consider the three spheres of The Drummer to be 1. Bar 2. Restaurant 3. Venue. The venue includes not just live music but also sports and other events we host. Our goal is to have each sphere working efficiently and collaboratively. They often overlap, but not always. We have a broad customer base and try to maintain a welcoming and positive experience for everyone. 

Instagram can be tricky,  pivoting/toggling between pictures of grilled wings to good timin’ honky-tonkers and back to the Phoenix Suns. But I’m determined to make it work. Music, sports, food & drinks, all things intended to bring people together. It’s fulfilling to me to see such a diverse room of people hanging out together. It’s an Arizona bar. 

You do most of the graphic design and show posters on your own that nail the aesthetic of the music performed there and the restaurant’s 70s and early 80s period. How do you keep your creative fire going with your show promotional flyers and graphics?

I use design to convey the experience of the event. If the band sounds like a band from 1978, I’ll make the poster look like it was made in 1978. But we have so many events, sometimes bands will provide their own posters for us to use. I wish I had time to really design all the posters as well as I’d like to. Show posters definitely make a difference and can make or break the turnout of a show. We have to hook people right away, especialIy since we’re booking some bands that we totally believe in, but are relatively unknown in Phoenix. 

I should mention that with AI design apps, the fire is a little diminished because the skill it used to take to create or recreate a vintage-inspired poster is now moot. Many of my favorite poster styles are everywhere now, and the impact can feel diluted. But it’s kind of analogous to the music we’re promoting. If it’s done well, with skill and experience behind it, it will stand out. 

Can we expect to hear a Dirty Drummer live volume series or curate a music label or streaming station?

Absolutely. We plan to broadcast and record some of the live shows, with band interviews. We’ve also been talking about a record label. First, we are putting out a 45 with our theme song “The Beat Goes On” by Tony Martinez on the A side and TBD B side.

How come the great Ronnie Milsap, with his knack for pop and “yacht’ rock, never had his Johnny Cash moment?  Any other artists you feel never got their due moment?

Milsap is too complex for a mainstream explosion. He is kind of a musical chameleon, putting out albums with various genres within one album. He’ll go from straightforward country to disco, R&B, and funk, and he tends to lean heavily on ballads. If he had stuck to one sound, like Kenny Rogers did, or doubled down on one sound, like the mid-tempo soft rock bangers, and less on the bluesy ballads, he would have had more mass appeal. Also, I’m not sure why he never had a beard, but that probably would help as well. 

Some who deserved more recognition: Moe Bandy, Bonnie Owens, Gene Watson and John Conlee.

For those in Arizona or visiting, head on over to The Dirty Drummer website to see what’s going on!

The post Phoenix’ The Dirty Drummer Stands By Ideal: “Good Music Is Good Music” (THESE WALLS) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

Owned by renowned musician JesseLee Jones and fronted by his band, Brazilbilly, Robert’s has become a haven for those who want a sense of what Nashville used to be while discovering new artists from across the honky tonk world. From authentic cuisine to the nostalgic and pure music they put on stage, long-standing country fanatics find solace in Robert’s. 

Glide had the pleasure of speaking to Robert’s Western World about their upcoming 25th anniversary, their historic in-house band, and the venue’s dedication to honky tonk. Check out our entire conversation below. 

Can you tell me a little bit about your house band, Brazilbilly? How did JesseLee first take over Robert’s, and what makes this band so special? 

JesseLee came from very humble means in São Paulo, Brazil, before he arrived in the US in 1984, robbed of his belongings on a Greyhound bus on his first day in the USA, and unable to speak the language.  He made his way to Peoria, IL where he was taken in by a family associated with his church. He worked hard babysitting, cooking, doing household chores, and delivering newspapers in exchange for room and board. He began to learn English by watching “Sesame Street.”

JesseLee moved to Nashville in the early ’90s and worked hard to make a name for himself as a musician in “Music City,” and that included a job cleaning floors at Robert’s Western World. It was Robert Moore, founder of Robert’s Western World, who first recognized his potential and booked him to play there in the spring of 1995. A member of BR-549, which was the house band at the time, called JesseLee the “Brazilian Hillbilly.” He instantaneously became known as Brazilbilly.

On August 5, 1999, Robert Moore decided it was time to pass the torch and chose JesseLee Jones to take over. At that time, JesseLee and his band, Brazilbilly, had been playing as the house band since 1995 and are now arguably the longest-running house band in downtown Nashville!

The building that hosts Robert’s has been through many changes and was built decades ago.

What is it like working with a historic building like this, and what are some benefits to hosting a honky tonk in such a storied location? 

This building has seen it all!  It stands in the shadow of the Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman Auditorium, original home of the Grand Ole Opry, and is one of the oldest buildings in downtown. This building was once used as a warehouse and office space for river merchants. From the late 1950s to the early 1980s, our building served as the home of the Sho-Bud Steel Guitar Company, where Shot Jackson and Buddy Emmons, two of the greatest steel guitar players in history, manufactured and sold some of the best steel guitars and other musical instruments ever made for popular bands like The Monkees, Yes, and Poco. Even Willie Nelson purchased his now famous “Trigger” right here in 1969 after it was built by Shot Jackson himself. 

Booking shows at a honky tonk must be different from booking a regular venue. How do artists like Dave Cox become rotating regulars, and what are some benefits of being an all-day live music venue?  

We have live music playing in Robert’s 17 hours a day, seven days a week. Most of Robert’s house bands have been playing our stage for years. Dave Cox came as a recommendation by one of the BR5-49 members. He had been working at the Ernest Tubb Record Shop and wrote several letters to JesseLee requesting an audition. Now Dave is one of our longest-running bands! 

Your building once served as the home of Sho-Bud Steel Guitar Company – how do you pay homage to those guitars within your confines today, either musically or artifact-wise?

As it stands now on Broadway, Robert’s is the only pedal steel-friendly venue left and is the last of the TRUE Honky Tonks on Broadway, despite what others might proclaim.  It’s not a real honky tonk if you’re not playing REAL  honky tonk music, and in our case, “The music that made Music City.”

Our Balcony Bar is nicknamed the “Sho-Bud Balcony Bar.” On the wall, you’ll find old photos and even an old Sho-Bud sales receipt framed. And if you’re sitting at the bar on the balcony, you’ll notice a hand-painted steel guitar neck on the bar!  

You guys have had some legends perform at your venue. Who are some of your favorites, and what do you recall as some of the more memorable sit appearances at Robert’s?

What we say about Robert’s is, “You never know who’s going to show up!” and it’s so true. We have celebrities, athletes, politicians, and, of course, musicians popping into Robert’s all the time.  We’re often an after-Ryman hang-out spot for bands playing the Ryman Auditorium or the Bridgestone Arena, and many of those artists will jump up on stage and sing a couple with our bands.  Some of our memorable performances include everyone from Dolly Parton, Wanda Jackson, Lee Ann Womack, Robert Earl Keen, Wynonna Judd, and Dierks Bentley, to Don Helms, Chris Pratt, “Bubbles” from Trailer Park Boys, Kacey Musgraves, Sierra Ferrell, Billy Strings, Joe Walsh, The Black Keys, Gary Clark Jr., and many, many more. The list goes on forever… 

Nashville, especially Broadway, has changed a lot over the past few years. How has Robert’s Western World adapted to the new landscape of the city, and in what ways is it keeping the authenticity of Nashville alive? 

It hasn’t changed!  We’re committed to keeping the legacy of Robert’s Western World and all that it stands for in place despite all the changes going on around us.  It’s a combination of a lot of things that keep us authentic, but most of all, it’s the heart and soul of Robert’s…it’s just who we are and who we’ve always been. There’s a different air in here. It’s about the music first, the people second, ice cold drinks, good food, and reasonable prices here at Robert’s, and it always will be.  We ain’t changin’. “Where the music is old, and the beer is ice cold” ~Emily Ann Jones*

*(Emily Ann is JesseLee’s wife and runs Robert’s with him)

For sign lovers- can you tell us about your neon sign and its history?

Our sign is the original Hank Snow School of Music sign, which was repurposed as the “Sho-Bud” steel guitar sign and what is now Robert’s Western World sign. About seven years ago, it needing an overhaul, and the city wouldn’t let it slide any longer due to safety concerns, so we saved as much of the original sign as possible to implement what you see now. 

What was it like putting together the lineup for your 25th Anniversary party? Is there any connective tissue that strings all of these bands together? 

We have so much talent that plays the Robert’s stage on any given night of the week. Members of the Robert’s house bands have toured with the best of the best, like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Travis Tritt, Josh Turner, Porter Wagoner, The Judds, Raul Malo & The Mavericks, Jim Lauderdale, American Aquarium, Lynda Carter, Asleep at The Wheel, Carrie Underwood, Ernest Tubb, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Tanya Tucker, Sierra Ferrell, and the list goes on and on. Others are members of the Grand Ole Opry house band,  have recorded on major labels, and are highly sought-after studio musicians, so programming an event like our 25th is the easy part – the hard part is finding enough time in the schedule to get all that great talent on stage.

Can you tell us a little bit more about the 25th anniversary? Besides some great bands, what else does Robert’s have planned?

Besides two outdoor stages of live music all day, consuming the 400 block of Lower Broadway, we’ll have some very special guests in attendance. The Honky Tonk grill will be serving our world-famous “Recession Special” – a fried bologna sandwich, bag of Lay’s Potato Chips, a Moon Pie, and a cold PBR, still just $6. We will have two outdoor bars set up, as well as a few local vendors, that include;  “Ranger Stitch,” “Ellie Monster” vintage designs, “Goodbuy Girls” vintage, and even the famous tattoo artist “Adam the Kid” of Kustom Thrills Tattoo Studio on site doing the one and only famous  Robert’s “R” door stamp tattoos!!!

The post Robert’s Western World In Nashville: You Never Know Who’s Going To Show Up! (THESE WALLS) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

Glide had the pleasure of speaking with Matt Hansen of The Camel about the venue’s growth over the years, the Richmond arts scene, and the future of independent venues. You can read our full interview below. 

You guys have an extensive beer selection. What is your favorite beer to pair with a live show? What food options would you recommend for a first-timer?

It’s hard to pick a specific beer (or cider) because my taste changes from day to day, but I’d typically go for something local that’s lighter, like Ardent’s Pilsner or a Bold Rock seasonal Cider. We try to keep the majority of the draft options local to Richmond and the surrounding areas. As far as food, our Sausage Stars are a fan favorite and have been around forever. If you’re looking for more of a meal and like spicy food, I’d go with our Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich.  

The Camel keeps its ticket prices low compared to other venues. Is this a conscious effort on your part? Why do you think it is important to keep live music accessible to everyone? 

We deal with mostly local and regional acts, a lot of which are newer or younger bands. This typically means they command a lower ticket price, but even with some of the more veteran bands we book, we try to keep our tickets at or below $15. We definitely want music to be accessible to everyone because that’s what helps grow the bands and, in turn, our local scene. Everyone has to start somewhere, and The Camel is that place for a lot of local bands. Eventually, these bands get bigger and better and move on, or they dissolve and sometimes form new bands that go through the same process. Ease of access for fans helps keep this cycle rolling.  

When did The Camel first open? What was your initial vision for the venue, and how has that vision changed over the years? 

We first opened in the late 90s under a different name and owner, but it was a much different place back then. We’re currently under the 4th rendition of The Camel, and it only gets better and better with each change. It started out as a gathering space to discuss arts and culture and, over the course of its first decade, turned into a live music space that would evolve into what we are today. I’ve been a part of the three most recent versions of it and can tell you that it’s a well-oiled machine at this point. We have been branching out slightly beyond strictly booking locals lately, but again, I think that will help grow the scene here even more.  

Is there a genre/style you would consider the sound of The Camel? Are there any local bands that got their start performing at your venue that you saw blossom into big names? 

We book live music every day of the week, so the “sound” of the Camel is what you’d come and find on any particular day. We book everything from metal and bluegrass to EDM and hip hop. I don’t want to say The Camel can take credit for anyone’s start, but there are definitely some bigger names that have graced our stage, like No BS! Brass Band, Lucy Dacus (Boygenius), Illiterate Light, and some more recent up-and-comers like Celler Dwellers, Destructo Disk, and Drook.  

How do you balance community-driven events with national touring acts? What is your overall booking process like? 

As I mentioned previously, local and regional acts are our bread and butter, but we definitely sprinkle in touring acts from all over. Touring acts typically work months and months in advance, whereas most of our locals tend to cap out at about three months of advance planning. This gives us some wiggle room to squeeze in those bands routing tours through RVA (Richmond, VA) in peak seasons. A lot of the time, we’ll pair up locals with these touring acts if they can’t find bands to add to the bill on their own.  

Is there any connective tissue between all of the acts you host? What do you look for when booking artists?

Again, by booking live music every night, we pull from all genres in the surrounding area. I’d say what they all have in common is the drive to get on the stage and show the world (or at least The Camel, haha) what they have to offer. When booking bands, we typically look for any previous history of ticket sales, a press kit or similar, social media accounts, music on Spotify, Bandcamp, or SoundCloud, and a few other criteria to determine the best placement for a band.  

I saw somewhere that you guys are an employee-owned venue. What sort of freedoms does this give you and what is it like running a venue like this? 

This was sort of misleading as all owners were employees, but not all employees were owners. I came into the Camel as a bartender with a degree in business who also happened to be in a band that played shows there. After a few years, my coworkers at the time and I saw an opportunity and took a chance that ended up with us owning and running the business. It definitely gave me perspective being in the trenches day to day, showing me the difference between owning the place and running the place. All that has since changed as of last year when I took over 100% ownership in October, and as you can imagine, having one person in charge instead of many leads to all the freedoms lol.  

What is the Richmond music scene overall, and what type of local bands have helped lay a musical foundation there?

The scene here is so diverse that, at times, it’s hard to keep up with, but in my opinion, at least in the last couple of decades, jazz and music students coming out of VCU, as well as jam bands from around a decade ago, laid the foundation for the current scene. We’re definitely noticing the focus shift to a more eclectic mix of indie, surf, and psych rock—even synth-pop and disco-punk! It’s all over the place now!

As music fans yourselves, what venues have you always admired and taken some hints from?

CBGBs inspired me growing up, and I dreamt of playing there as a kid, but I only ever got to read about it. Nowadays, I feel like I’m always analyzing any place I go to that has live music. Be it a 1500-person venue or a small coffee shop, I’m always taking notes, haha.  

Small venues have taken a hit over the past few years. How has The Camel adapted to the changing landscape, and how do you see the future of independent venues? 

We definitely took a hit, both internally and the local scene as a whole. A lot of bands that frequented The Camel broke up, moved, or left the industry, leaving a huge gap in our booking cycle rotation. On top of that, labor and the cost of goods have skyrocketed. We’ve just been rolling with the punches and adapting any way we can. We have noticed more bands booking gigs and more people coming out to shows, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that we’ve finally reached the tipping point from the post-Covid era of the music scene. I’m optimistic and think that any venues that survived this long after COVID will be sticking around for a while.  

What does The Camel have planned for the rest of 2024? Can you give us some hints at anything exciting happening with you guys? 

We just finished up a menu overhaul, which was our first big project of the year. We’re currently working on revamping our social media and marketing and have a few things in the works for the latter part of the year, but I don’t want to ruin any surprises, haha. 

The post Richmond, Virginia’s The Camel Keeps It Artist-Driven & Creatively Spirited (These Walls) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

Glide had the pleasure of speaking with The Orange Peel about their history, future, and how they achieved such purposeful longevity. You can read the whole conversation below. 

Most people might not know that the original Orange Peel was a popular venue for young African Americans during the 1970s. It played recorded disco and funk, featuring DJs from one of the few Black-owned radio stations in the country, WBMU-FM. Have you heard any tapes or seen photos of this era of the building, and can you share with our readers what it might have been like?

Never heard any tapes, but we may have some photos we share. They also hosted live shows with artists like The Commodores and The Chi-Lites for $5. (Photos of ads we found are attached)  The Jade Club existed for a short period of time in this building prior to the original Orange Peel.  They also hosted DJ nights and some live shows with artists like Percy Sledge, Dixie Cups, and Ronnie Milsap. This building has a great deal of musical history. We actually have a small history museum in our front room where guests can read up on some of this history and see photographs.

Does The Orange Peel associate the venue with a certain genre/sound? What bands from Asheville have you helped foster and allowed to grow musically on your stage? 

Today’s Orange Peel covers all genres.  We have experienced certain cycles over the years where certain genres seemed to be at the forefront.  The jam scene was big when I arrived here in February 2007. So, there are musical trends that we experience industry-wide, which will cycle through the years. Some artists we’ve hosted before they were known nationally are The Avett Brothers, Alabama Shakes, Steep Canyon Rangers, Luke Combs, and Wednesday.

What type of synergy does The Orange Peel play with the Asheville arts scene, and what is your role in making Asheville such an important musical outpost?  

The Orange Peel also hosts local showcases, where we highlight the different musical styles percolating in our little city. These experiences help prep some local artists for support slots for nationals that come through. We also love alternative programming, with events like ABS Fest (Asheville Burlesque and Sideshow Festival), Trail Running Film Fest, 24-hour Film Fest, and comedy nights. 

The list of bands that have played at The Orange Peel is endless- Bob Dylan, Beastie Boys, Megadeth, Queen of the Stone Age, and more, to name a few. What are some of the most memorable nights that patrons or past employees recall? 

We hosted a residency with The Smashing Pumpkins in 2007.  They played nine shows, and we basically all lived together for two weeks. The tickets were in such high demand that it crashed the ticketing system, and we had people from all over the world come in for that. Billy Corgan would walk around town during the day and hand out guest passes, too. Having Chris Cornell play an acoustic solo show was extremely special as well. Method Man & Redman and Digable Planets were a couple of our favorite Hip Hop shows. I can probably go on and on. 

Why do bands like playing at the Orange Peel so much? What are the compliments you usually hear?

 It’s a combination of running a tight ship with production while offering the kind of hospitality that makes artists comfortable.  We also take pride in providing a safe environment for them.  Tour Managers let us know they circle our date on their tour schedule as a date they won’t have to worry about.  But it’s not just about us. It’s about the fans that attend shows at our venue as well.  They bring a great deal of passion that fills the room. Often, I heard “This is the band’s favorite night on this tour” from tour managers at the settlement.

If you could change one thing about the venue or incorporate something from another venue you like, what would it be? 

We’d love to find a way to build a seated balcony in the rear of the venue. Many of our regulars would also love that. 

What on the calendar for 2024 are you most excited about?

We’re stoked to have DJ Shadow back in the house this year. Also looking forward to shows from Cold War Kids, Jose Gonzalez, The Hives, and Gavin Adcock. 

The post Asheville’s Orange Peel Remains Indie Ripe, Atop Storied R&B Past (THESE WALLS) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

Glide had the pleasuring speaking with Lincoln Allen of The Drake to discuss the venue’s role in Amherst, their booking process, and the impact The Drake has had on its hometown. Check out their upcoming shows and read our full conversation below: 

What does an average open-mic night look like for you guys? What sort of sound/talent is coming out of the local scene recently?

Open mic is a true spectacle that varies from week to week. We are very pleasantly surprised when active local professional musicians come out and treat us to a song or two – on several occasions this has led to actual performances. It’s also a lot of amateurs looking to get on stage for the first time, spoken word, poets, etc. Part of the goal is just to interact w/ the community in a way that lets any individual feel a sense of mutual belonging w/ the venue.

The Pioneer Valley has had a history of iconic bands from The Pixies to Dinosaur Jr- is there any way that you pay homage to the area’s fertile indie rock scene?

Absolutely. For starters, Dinosaur Jr. blew the doors off the place as our opening night concert back in April of ’22. It was great to have a band that’s truly bigger than our room give us that kind of stamp of approval, it’s been huge for venue recognition and keeps other opportunities coming our way. J Mascis, Lou Barlow and others in that circle have also all done shows here with smaller side project bands or solo acts and it’s been really great to develop that relationship and weave together with the indie history in a current way.

The Drake Amherst has a strong connection to the local community of Amherst, how important is that relationship to The Drake and how did you all achieve that closeness? 

Yes well, this has been integral to the mission since day one. The Drake is really an extension of the Downtown Amherst Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to arts and culture in the area. This gives us a different bottom line than other venues that may operate as for-profit businesses, and it has always been important to us to connect with as many different pockets of the community as we can – the high schools and colleges, other non-profits like the Cinema, and many different cultural groups and individuals within that.

On your website, you guys state that The Drake filled a hole in the live performance culture of Amherst, what was the art scene like before you guys opened your doors? How do you all feel independent venues like yours play a role in local scenes?

There really was no “scene” or nightlife in Amherst to speak of. People went to Northampton, although many of those long-standing venues have sadly closed. Any music events all occurred on college campuses, which of course has its place, but can tend to be less accessible to those outside the academic world. We’re here to present live music but what that does is also bring out folks to the town before and after the shows to explore everything else Amherst has to offer.

You guys are a non-profit venue, what sort of freedom does that grant you compared to being owned by a bigger company? 

It certainly changes our approach, and mission, to allow us to pursue some angles with booking that we may not otherwise be able to. We’re super thankful to have received a lot of grants and funding that we likely would not have access to if we were an owner-run for-profit business.

You guys host a bunch of artists from so many different genres, is there any connective tissue between the artists you book?

A big part of this first year has been booking as many different genres as possible, exploring the scenes within each one, and seeing what works. You could argue it’s almost been to a fault in that you are correct, there may not be a big connection between the classical series we present on Sunday afternoon and the punk rock show that happens on a Saturday night. But this has been key in reaching out to a lot of different groups and in turn their fans and supporters, who grow into our fans and supporters.

How do you balance so many personalities and worlds coming together every week? What does an average day look like at The Drake Amherst?

That’s been a really fun part of it. Every day we meet different artists/musicians, creative individuals, and often of a really world-class caliber that strolls through our doors. A typical day starts with load-in, meeting and greeting the band, soundcheck, and then on to the show production and all that entails. Never a dull moment that’s for sure.

You guys pride yourselves on that diversity in your lineup, was that always in the plans for The Drake? How did you all come to be the main hub for live performances in Amherst?

Yes, diversity of both music genre, programming, and also supporting the diverse cultures and community has always been part of our mission statement. It’s taken us a year of doing an average of 4-6 concerts a week and word of mouth spreading and it does feel like we’re here now, happy to be part of the fabric of the town and greater Valley area.

Are there any dream acts you guys hope to see perform at The Drake one day?

You said it not us, but I’ll say it too… The Pixies.

There isn’t much history posted about your venue, can you tell us a little backstory on The Drake?  How has the venue evolved since you first opened up shop? 

Well, we’re just celebrating a year of being open so yes the history is young. The name comes from a legendary long defunct basement bar down the street also called the Drake. Local lore and some choice of prominent graffiti on the adjacent cinema building “Save the Drake, For Willy, For Humanity” inspired the idea to “save” something that never really existed, a live music venue downtown. Coming out of the ashes of the pandemic furthered this idea. It may be too soon to use the word “evolved” but we are certainly learning and growing every day and each show we do, improving and becoming a better venue.

What can people expect from The Drake in the future? What is the ultimate goal of your venue?

It’s our mission to continue to bring high-caliber programming to the Drake and the more we successfully do that, the more it enables us to do so better in the future. The ultimate goal is to uphold this mission and at the same time continue to connect with and be accessible to the many pockets of community and culture in our area.

The post Amherst’s The Drake Is Making New Musical History In The Pioneer Valley (THESE WALLS) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

Glide spoke with Justin Cucci and Talent Buyer Ross James to discuss Ophelia’s history, the diversity in their booking process, and much more. Read our full conversation below: 

Being that Colorado has its share of iconic venues- what was the process like for Ophelia’s to make inroads quickly in such a music-centric city? 

Justin Cucci: We really wanted to have a live music venue that had strong synergy with Food and Hospitality. We knew the music was the star of the show, but we really wanted to have as strong a supporting cast as possible, and food and hospitality just enhances the live music experience. We tried to create a space that honored the art and craft of live music and marry it with a sexy/sensual design, that would enhance the overall experiential effect and intimacy of seeing a band, in such a small comfortable space. We also wanted to have a strong independent music vibe, that balanced Nationally touring acts with up-and-coming homegrown Colorado music. I think it’s all of those facets that have kept us on the short list of excellent venues while connecting to music fans AND Foodies in Denver,

Is there a particular music scene or genre that you feel Ophelia’s has most taken in as its own? What range of artists have you booked at the venue in terms of loudest to most obscure to jazziest and most pop?

Ross James: I think part of what makes Ophelia’s so special is how diverse the programming is.  We’ve done everything from Bill Frisell to a Led Zeppelin Tribute act. In between those extremes, we’ve had some top-level Bluegrass acts, including members of String Cheese Incident, Leftover Salmon, & Sam Grisman, jam band mainstays like Eric Krasno & Stanton Moore, plus a wide variety of DJ nights and alternative nights ft. Drag & Burlesque shows and even live Podcast Recordings. 

Are there any musicians local or national that have played here often that got their breakthrough by playing here routinely?

James: Since O’s has only been reopened for a little over a year at this point, I’m not sure that anyone quite fits that mold.  But we have had a few folks come through last year that have grown significantly since then.  One that comes to mind is Kabaka Pyramid who actually won this year’s Grammy for Best Reggae Album.

Being that Ophelia’s is a restaurant and concert space, what is a thought that runs through your head often that other venues might not have to worry about? 

James: It can sometimes be a bit of a balancing act juggling the two spaces, but in general I think that they both feed off of each other in a very symbiotic way. The food elevates the music and vice versa. 

How do you feel food and music connect? Do the bands you bring in ever affect the menu or vice versa? 

Cucci: Music and food are often the ties that bind us. They are cultural, familial, and universal. As humans, we are connected to food and music in the deepest ways. They both feed the body and the soul. They are both universal languages that surprise and delight with infinite possibilities. I think it’s possible to crave both food and music equally.

What is your booking process like? Is there any connective tissue between the artists you bring in to perform – you do a great job of curating roots music and NOLA-based stuff that AXS/Live Nation venues in Denver wouldn’t necessarily seek out.

James: Thanks! I think that the space has a bit of a NOLA vibe to it and the music definitely fits very well there.  As far as my booking process, oftentimes I actually start with the relationships that I have with artists directly.  Sometimes we’re able to keep it completely independent that way from start to finish which is something I really enjoy.  Other times we’ll work together with agents and mgmt.  

I read that it took Ophelia’s almost a year to update and perfect their sound system, what was that process like? What elements did you have to consider during the process? 

Cucci: It was really a joy to collaborate with our former sound designer, Randall Frazier, and our current Production Manager, Will Umphrey, to evolve the sound system from great to greater. It takes a lot of data, opinions, and conjecture along with spec sheets, sound engineers, and audiophile sensibilities to arrive at the best possible place for live music sound. At the end of the day, it’s of course subjective, but we feel like excellence and quality are hard to argue with. We really tried to capture a full sound that fit the size of the room, while being aware of its limitations and weaknesses.

What was it like renovating an old brothel, and have you seen or heard anything supernatural in the building?

Cucci: While the experience of renovating a 100+-year-old building always has its unusual twists and turns, the process of discovery and archeology helps to uncover the layers of time and story that bring an adaptive reuse building to life. Coming across a more naive past of hypercharged sexuality (From the peep show to the brothel, to the Adult Video Bookstore) that was housed in that building, was something we wanted to pay homage to and honor, in a sex-positive way.

It was also unusual to discover that the building is also on the national historic register added another complex layer to the story.

How did you get the name Ophelia’s? It’s very distinctive in an old Americana way and says a lot in the name itself.

Cucci: Early on when we started kicking around names, Ophelais was one of, if not the first name that came to fruition. First off we had a muse (a picture of this turn-of-the-century woman with a headband, and a sheer fabric wrap) and we wanted to name her, and Ophelias felt like an old-world, turn of the century name, but I also loved The Band song, “Ophelia,” for so many reasons. That song just felt so apropos for the building’s rebirth, from its sordid past and how the song begins, “Boards on the window, Mail by the door What would anybody leave so quickly for? Ophelia” and how it ends “But I’m still waiting for the second coming of Ophelia”. However, as is often the case of the creative process, we were faced with nagging doubt and tried out another 20 names. Through surveys, brainstorming sessions, and constant dialogue.  All in all, years later when it came time to commit, we arrived back where we started. Ophelia’s.

How do you guys plan to grow? Does Ophelia’s have anything exciting planned for 2023? 

James: We definitely plan to keep growing at O’s and bringing more and more diversity with the programming.  I personally am really excited for what the rest of the year holds…you’ll definitely want to stay tuned to opheliasdenver.com for all the latest.

The post Ophelia’s In Denver Feeds Off Classic Tunes & Down Home Hospitality (THESE WALLS) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

Opening up in 1923, the historic Forest Hills Stadium once hosted tennis matches between the best players in the world. Now, the massive stadium located in Queens has brought in a slew of historic musical acts from multiple generations and continues to expand and reinvent its approach to live music. With the likes of everyone from Frank Sinatra to Drake gracing the stage at Forest Hills Stadium, their list of alumni is long and legendary. With 100 years under its belt, the venue added some touch-ups back in 2013 and is now heading into the summer of ‘23 with unwavering pride in its work. 

Glide had the pleasure of speaking with Forest Hills President Mike Luba, we discuss the venue’s history and its future while also giving us a closer look into New York City’s most historic stadium and check out their impressive summer line-up below:

Forest Hills Stadium has managed to book an eclectic list of artists over the years.  Brandi Carlile, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, The Smile, Jungle- what has the 13k capacity allowed you to do that the larger outdoor shed can not do?

Part of the magic of Forest Hills Stadium is that it was built to watch people play tennis. There is not a bad seat in the place. One of the truly crazy things about the stadium is that it looks like it should really be about a 7,000-cap type place but because of the horseshoe shape and the vertical nature of the bowl, it can fit twice as many yet still feel super intimate.

How do you think the culture of New York City has influenced Forest Hills Stadium the most? 

There is no Forest Hills Stadium without New York City but the real heart and soul of the place comes from being in Queens. Queens is the world’s most diverse place on the planet.  Forest Hills Stadium is the last of the first-generation buildings of this size left anywhere in NYC.  Yankee Stadium is on Yankee Stadium 2, Shea Stadium is now Citi Field, the polo grounds are gone, and Ebbets Field is gone…..We are the last ones left. The stadium was built in 1923 so this is the 100-year centennial anniversary.  Not a lot of things can make it for a full century here in NYC.

How do you guys balance major touring acts with booking independent artists? How many concerts do you typically try to book each year?

Part of the joy of working at the Stadium is that we get to truly curate the season.  When we started back in 2013, we had permission to do one show.  The next year we did five, then we 9, then we stopped at 16 shows per season to make sure that we weren’t overwhelming the tennis club or our neighbors. Coming out of the pandemic we did 25 shows and this year we capped it at 30 and for the first time had to actually turn away shows that I would have killed for previously. We work hard to try and program as diverse a schedule as we can. We work pretty hard on trying to avoid a season full of old white guys playing guitar. 

Who runs the sound at Forest Hills and what challenges does the venue provide for sound and lighting and what advantages does it have?

As I mentioned earlier, because the stadium was designed to watch unamplified tennis, the natural acoustics in the stadium are amazing. An artist can stand on the downstage edge of the stage and sing to someone in the top row and if everyone is quiet, the singing can be heard.  The technology of modern PA systems has advanced so much that we can have a band letting it rip at full stadium-level volume and yet due to the sound mitigation system we installed, it is almost dead silent on the streets outside of the stadium. Most of the artists who come through Forest Hills are traveling with their own full sound and light package so it’s our job to just make things as smooth and easy on them as possible. We do spend some time trying to explain to bands on their first time thru that although the stadium holds 13,000 folks it is so intimate that it is ok to leave some gear on the truck. Rarely is the advice heeded but we give it a shot and the truth is that if you are an artist playing at a place like Forest Hills it means that you truly have your shit together and don’t need to hear anything from us.

 How far ahead of a show do you guys start getting the stadium ready for concert-goers and what is concert day like? 

Our season runs from May to October.  Once the season ends and we pack everything up for the winter, it takes mother nature about 2 weeks to reclaim the stadium as we are truly an outdoor 100 yr old place. It seems that every year for the last ten years we have spent each off-season working on cap-ex projects to make each season better than the last from a facility production point of view.  This means that as soon as the weather allows it becomes a full-on sprint to get the place back up and running for opening day. As I write this, we are currently 17 days from the first show and there are 4 or 5 major projects all happening simultaneously.  If you took a walk around the site with me today, you would think that we were totally batshit crazy and there was no way that we would get it together in the next couple of weeks but Jason Brandt who is the general manager and his skeleton crew are the real deal miracle workers and we haven’t blown it yet…..We’ve come close but the show must go on as they say. I hope I’m not jinxing ourselves by typing this but I have faith. Once we are up and running, show days are really pretty smooth.  The load-in is easy, the load-out is usually the fastest that a band will have on a whole tour.  When we first started, there were no permanent systems in place.  No bathrooms, no stage, no power….Nothing, so each show was like a mini festival build. Over the last decade, we’ve managed to put all the basics in place so like I said, once we are up and running it’s pretty smooth. 

Considering the long list of legends that have played the venue, is there anyone left you hope to see play Forest Hill Stadium? They can be dead or alive for this one. 

Neil Young is on my bucket list. Tool is on my list.  Pearl Jam. The Foo Fighters. Phish. I realized I just typed a list of old white guys who play guitar! Jay-Z. Billy Joel. Mccartney. The Stones. Joni Mitchell. David Gilmour. Kendrick Lamar. Diana Ross has played the stadium 4 times in 4 different decades so I would love for her to come back sometime. I think if you put a gun to my head, I would say that Dolly Parton was the best show we’ve done although there truly have been a lot of great ones. There is something about this place that seems to bring out the best in the artists. There hasn’t really been a disappointing one yet. 

You guys have a great sense of pride in your acoustics, what was the process like perfecting that aspect of the stadium? Can you tell me a little about the architecture of the stadium as a whole after the 2013 update? 

It’s actually a pretty simple and elegant story. When we showed up, we thought that the issue with the sound was that it was blowing out over the top of the stadium which was definitely the case back in the 60s and 70s. As I mentioned before the new PAs are so sophisticated and tuneable that our acoustical engineer told us that the issue was not the sound going over the top of the stadium but down and out through the 10 stairwells.  He said that if we covered the stairs we would be able to trap 99% of the sound escaping from the stadium. And he was right.  It’s actually a pretty trippy experience because as someone walks up a stairwell on the 5th or 6th step it suddenly feels like someone has put earmuffs on your head and then when you get 5 or 6 steps from the top and enter the bowl it feels like the earmuffs come off and the sound is ripping at full volume. We actually had to put signs on the walls letting people know that they were standing in a bass trap that was specifically designed to keep the sound from reaching our neighbors across the street and there was nothing wrong with their ears. The flip side to the magic of the sound mitigation plan is that I now get calls from the neighbors who used to be able to sit out on their porch and hear the concerts and they are convinced that we are just trying to force them to buy tickets to the shows when in fact it is really because there are a couple of folks who year in and year out phone in complaints so we do everything we can to keep it as loud on the inside and quiet on the outside as possible. We have one neighbor who during the 3rd season called the cops to complain about the show but the problem was that it was 2 pm in the afternoon and the show hadn’t even started yet and the cops had the guy on the phone yelling at his wife “damn it, Anne, I told you we shouldn’t have called from France”. The cops saved the tape and played it for me later that night. Classic.

What sort of freedom comes with the venue being outdoors? Do you have any crazy weather stories where nature had the deciding factor on a show? 

We are a full rain-or-shine spot. We will stop if the wind hits a certain threshold and if there is lightning within a certain range. Other than that, hopefully, the band and their gear stay dry, the fans get wet and it kinda makes the whole thing even better somehow. Summers in NYC are not afraid to get hot so sometimes a little rain is a welcome addition. We have had shows where it has rained 5 inches in a single hour and the entire borough of Queens was flooding but we managed to power through. More luck than anything. We spend a considerable amount of time, energy, and karma praying to the weather gods. 

What can fans expect in 2023 that is different from past years? What do you guys have planned for the incoming warm weather in NYC?

We have a new deck installation called Heaven Hill that is being built right now which should be a nice addition. We have a new walk-thru security system at the front gate that should make things better for folks on their way in. We repaved and leveled out the whole backstage area.  We are going to dress the old lady up with some special bits of décor for her 100th birthday.  We are replacing two of the eagle statues that disappeared sometime in the 50s with a slightly updated and modern take on the sculptures that I think should be epic. Should be a great season.  Can’t wait to get it going.

The post Forest Hills Stadium Continually Brings Eclectric Artists Into 100 Year Old Venue (THESE WALLS) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

The Longhorn Ballroom is as Texas as barbeque and cowboy hats. The historic venue has been the cornerstone to the live music scene of Dallas and has provided the state with countless unforgettable concert moments. Originally opened back in 1950, 2023 promises to see the venue revived and better than ever. With an impressive lineup of acts already set to perform for the opening weeks, Longhorn Ballroom is already on track to carry the heavy load of the venue’s history. 

With opening day just around the corner, Glide had the pleasure of speaking with Diana Cox, the director of operations over at Kessler Presents, the team behind the Longhorn Ballroom reopening. We discussed Cox’s personal history with the venue, what people can expect from the grand opening, and much more. Check out the full conversation below: 

The Longhorn Ballroom kicks things off March 30th with Asleep at the Wheel, how did you decide to go with them and what has that band meant to you in the past and present?

The reopening had to feature a show that honored the past, but also looked to the future, and the current Asleep at the Wheel tour is a true representation of that.  As a band playing Western Swing for decades, we thought it was the perfect nod to the history of the venue, which was originally built for the King of Western Swing, Bob Wills. Obviously, Ray Benson and his band have a rightfully respected legacy–plus they’ve played the Ballroom before, and we have a relationship with them through Kessler Presents.  They’re bringing along Brennen Leigh and Joshua Hedley–both of which are great artists on their own as well–really creating a generational crossover. 

The history of the Longhorn Ballroom is vast and has hosted a range of artists that include Sex Pistols all the way to Merle Haggard. What are some of the stories you most hear about the venue and what are three of the most iconic performances there?

As a music fan, Texan, and self-proclaimed “punk rock kid” who listens to a lot of Americana these days, it’s easy to guess that there are a lot of stand-out shows that I wish I could have attended.

While it seems like the easiest answer, I think the contrast of artists on the 1978 marquee is just so amazing: Sex Pistols and Merle Haggard.  I would have happily gone to both shows! But I think it also illustrates the range of the legacy and independent spirit of the venue.

I did attend one show there: the Old 97s played New Year’s Eve (12/31/07).

The Rolling Stones once scheduled a Texas show on a Tuesday night so Mick Jagger could get to town early to see blues singer Bobby “Blue” Bland perform. 

There are so many cool stories. From Bob Wills riding his horse Punkin inside the Ballroom, to Loretta Lynn’s televised performance, to Aerosmith’s music video shoot and countless legacy artists’ performing, you can still feel the history and ambiance, a gravity, a vibe, that carries through today.

When did the Longhorn close exactly and what prompted its closing?  When the venue was closed were there ever talks of demolition or was it always a hope the venue would reopen?

The Ballroom has had several different owners since its opening in 1950, the most successful being Dewey Groom who ran it for over 25 years. Before the Kessler Presents Team got involved, it was bought in 2017, closing its doors in 2019 and remaining closed during the pandemic. It was once identified as one of the city’s most threatened historic properties by Preservation Dallas. Located on the edge of The Cedars, which is a neighborhood adjacent to downtown Dallas and being revitalized, the Ballroom was certainly at risk for being torn down.

What years were the heydey of the Longhorn exactly and are there any good Youtube videos out there of any performances you can recommend?

It would be difficult to determine a timeframe as the “heyday”–as each decade of its existence has showcased iconic artists–particularly from the 1950s through the 1990s.

Some performance videos do exist. The Country Gold TV show was shot there where Loretta Lynn was honored as Musician of the Decade and sang “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” There is amateur footage of the Red Hot Chili Peppers performance in the 1980s. The forty-minute Sex Pistols show is available in its entirety on Youtube.  We also captured some of our recent renovations and have a few videos up as well.

How much of the old building is still intact and can you tell us about the street sign out front if that is the original one?

Both the Ballroom building and the additional structure, originally built as a hotel for visiting artists, were in pretty good shape when we purchased it.  They both needed improvements but preserving as much of the original buildings was a priority. Anything we had to replace we tried to repurpose, and the lobby is basically the same as it was in 1950.  The iconic marquee was added by Dewey Groom in the 60’s and we worked with local sign specialists to restore it to its glory.

With acts like Sex Pistols and B.B. King performing at the venue in the past, are there any sort of cool artifacts you guys have laying around from the early days of Longhorn Ballroom?  Can you talk about the museum-style display cases?

We are really proud of our growing memorabilia collection and look forward to sharing it. Working with a specialized curator out of Nashville, we have a series of cases that will highlight the various artists and genres that graced the stage.  We have pieces from the early traditional country shows as well as outlaw and alt-country through the blues, punk, and rock eras.  The items range from instruments to wardrobe pieces, and more.

Bob Gruen traveled with the Sex Pistols on their U.S. tour and shot iconic images that we purchased and will hang in the venue.  Jack Ruby’s safe, and the original wooden chairs from the 1950s are still on-site. The collection enhances the historical component of the venue and helps bring those stories to life.

What artists have played a role in helping to get this project off the ground and contributing to its rebirth not just from the performance aspect but from a more creative-minded way?

Like a lot of folks in our industry, many members of our team have creative backgrounds, side projects, or are artists (of varying types) in their own right.  Other than the artists on our team, we didn’t have any specific musicians involved with the project, but the interest, support, and excitement from the music industry–locally and nationally–has been tremendous. 

How do you see the Longhorn Ballroom playing a role in the Texas music scene in the present and future?

The Longhorn Ballroom is proud to be an independently owned & operated venue, which means we have a dedicated team that thoughtfully curates the shows, with a focus on the patron and artist experience. Like previous operators of the Longhorn, we will present a variety of musicians with diverse sounds and cultures, embodying the independent spirit that is reflected in the venue’s history. The stage and space will celebrate established legacy artists and showcase those artists on the rise. It’s exactly what North Texas needs, and it’s been exciting–as a music lover–to develop artists from openers at The Kessler Theater, to headliners, and now onto this larger, historic stage at the Longhorn Ballroom. 

What kind of merchandise do you already have on tap for the venue and will you be serving any Texas-type drinks or food?

With a space as iconic as the Longhorn Ballroom, merchandise is definitely a component here.  Starting out we’ll be selling only on-site at the shows, with online sales coming soon after (see our website!).  We’ll definitely have shirts and hats, plus a few other fun items coming. 

In the future, we’ll have food vendors on-site–however the Ballroom itself does not operate a restaurant.  Of course, the bar will have Texas brand options available.

Answer if you wish – Do you think Dallas is as cool as Austin now or almost there with the reopening of The Longhorn?

That’s a dangerous question – ha!  Kessler Presents does present shows in Dallas, Houston, and Austin–in addition to other venues across the state and at boutique festivals across the country.  Dallas does have the benefit of location–with three cities (Dallas, Fort Worth, Denton) making up the metroplex, major interstates, and two international airports.

The common thread is Texas: whether that be music, venues, artists, experience.  Texas music is an international export, and the Longhorn Ballroom is a vessel to both capture and share it.    

The post Dallas’ Longhorn Ballroom Gets A Big Time Revival & Embellishes Texas Musical History appeared first on Glide Magazine.

In the latest edition of our exclusive feature series on independently-owned venues across the country, These Walls, Glide spoke with co-owner Abigail Janssens about The 8×10’s history, the importance of catering to a discerning fanbase and much more. 

The 8×10 is one of the smaller venues in the country with a balcony, was this space always a music venue?

For most of its life, the space has lived a life of music. In its earlier configuration, it was an art gallery that held shows occasionally, but soon the music took the center stage so to speak.

Can you give us a little history of the venue? When did it open and what have been the stages of growth for The 8×10?

The venue has gone through several identity changes and physical configurations in its long life.

The music started when it was Joe’s Organic Juice Bar, but only occasionally. When it became The Eight By Ten in 1980 is when the music really became the focus. The building was completely renovated before becoming The Funk Box in 2003. Prior to that, it had an even smaller balcony opening over just half the dance floor. If you can imagine a smaller stage than the one we currently have, picture it like this…the stage was a triangle pushed into a corner, with a 2 ½ foot drum riser that put the kick drum directly behind the lead singer’s head. When the room was renovated and renamed The Funk Box is when the room really opened and became what it is today.

How did you come up with the name for 8 x 10?

The venue was called The Eight By Ten for 25 years. When it was completely gutted and renovated it was renamed The Funk Box, as the owner wanted to highlight New Orleans funk as well as just being a great name. Everyone was really impressed with the renovation and saw the need for the new name, but almost everyone commented something to the effect of “Man, The Funk Box is cool and all, but this is The Eight By Ten!”  When that owner sold it, the name briefly changed to The Eight By Ten Club. Fortunately for us, that sale never went all the way to the settlement table, and we were given the opportunity to purchase. We wanted to honor the original venue, but make sure everyone knew it was something different, so we changed the name to The 8×10, numbers not letters, and dropped the word CLUB. By its definition, a club is based on exclusion…music shouldn’t be exclusionary. Music should include everyone. The 8×10 isn’t a club, it is a venue.

Have you heard of any stories about when Nirvana or Billy Joel have played there?

There are so many great bands that have played the room over the years. But the best stories are usually lost to the aftereffects of a good night!

What type of artists or genres does the venue attract the most and what band has played the 8×10 the most?

There are only two kinds of music. Good music and bad music…and we only book one kind. We really strive to keep The 8×10 as a blank palette for any artist to use. We get the culture but in order for us to be viable for all types of music, the venue has to maintain a certain level of neutral class. For sure we present as a rock-n-roll venue, but we try to maintain a little dignity while doing it.

That being said, we do curate to our liking and that shows a bias. But that is a good thing. In Baltimore, if you had to pigeonhole the venues it would probably read like this: The Ottobar is your indie/alt-rock venue. The Metro Gallery and The Depot are your avant-garde / art school bands. The Cat’s Eye Pub is the best spot for the blues. The Sidebar, the last true punk bar in the Mid-Atlantic is really struggling to renovate and are currently closed. People can help out by checking out their GoFundMe page at Fundraiser by Feed the Scene Foundation Inc : SAVE THE SIDEBAR (gofundme.com). 

Then you have The 8×10 which skews heavy on improvisational rock. We are old hippies. We like jam bands because there seems to be more exploration in the music and more chance for the room to really take off. We have been branching out with EDM shows and singer-songwriter shows but funky, old-school, slippery rock-n-roll is what we love. They are all great venues that do their own thing, but I don’t think any one venue lets itself get roped in by stereotypes.

What is the current music scene like in Baltimore and what bands have made the 8 x 10 their launching pad of sorts?

We really couldn’t tell you firsthand! Both of us work full-time at the venue and barely have any time to explore the scene at other venues. We can say that we are slowly recovering from the COVID shutdowns and the understandable resistance to gathering in large groups again. It has been really hard, but things are building back, and we had a lot of help from our customers when we all locked out. We never would have survived without it. There have been several bands that have come through The 8×10 and found a measure of national success. There are so many bands close to our hearts that started out at our open mic or 5 Bands for $5 Bucks program that has grown to headline and find regional success. The band with the most national success right now would be Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. Those guys are building their empire by concentrating on one fan at a time and absolutely deserve all the recognition they are getting. Proud to be part of their history and will hold them to their promise I can pick the actor who plays me in their rock epic biography musical.

Can you talk about your sound system and what makes it unique compared to other area venues?

I cannot say enough about our sound system. We are a Meyer house from monitors to mains. When the building became The Funk Box, the owner made the absolute right choice in spending the money on the best audio rig. Meyer Sound has built a reputation for crystal clear sound, and we strive every night to live up to that bar. We have been called the best-sounding room of our size east of the Mississippi by touring bands. They always talk about the sound and the energy from the crowd. One thing that we would say makes The 8×10 a little unique is the stage setup in relation to the crowd. Our stage sticks into the crowd, so the band is always enveloped by dancing people. Most stages are delineated from the crowd by the front of the stage, our stage is right out there so there is nowhere to hide. Go big or go home. But we will say this, The 8×10 audience has a pretty high standard for its other audience members. If you aren’t there for the music, and you are just talking over the music, you are going to get talked to or elbowed. We are really proud that our regulars are musically educated enough to know what it takes to provide an atmosphere where artists can elevate. At soundcheck, we always tell the bands that play The 8×10 to tell us whatever it is they need then and not hold back, because we don’t want them thinking about something on stage like needing a stool to sit, or a music stand, or that they still aren’t quite dialed in with their sound. We don’t want them thinking at all honestly, because when you aren’t thinking and you can just be there for the vibe in the room, the give and take, to be present….that is when the music flows through you from somewhere else and the real magic happens. It’s communal and just happens differently when it’s band AND audience and not band TO audience.

What’s the strangest/weirdest incident you’ve experienced at an 8×10 show?

Without fail it is the “Unbelievably Good Show” coupling with the ”Unbelievably Low Attendance Show”. Always the weirdest feeling when people’s jaws are on the floor from the level of musicianship and look around and see less than 30 people in the room. Is this really happening? No one is going to believe me! Where is everyone? Either that or when the new district police commander shut us down at 2:00 am on New Year’s Eve one night even though we told them the law was 5:00 am on December 31^st. We pleaded our case, to no avail. We were told if people were still in the building at 2:00 am we would be shut down, violation written, and fined. So, we ended the show. Half the people had left when they came back around, apologizing and saying, “Golly Gee, it turns out you were right!” Needless to say, NYE was not the big bar ring we were expecting that year.

How has the surrounding Federal Hill area evolved over your time as owner?

Federal Hill is definitely changing. Gentrification, urban sprawl, call it what you will. High-rise condos and no parking. We have a Starbucks now. That paints the picture better than anything I could say.

Are there any aspects of other venues that you like or dislike that you have applied to the 8 x 10?

Prior to purchasing The 8×10, we worked for Warren Haynes and Gov’t Mule. We toured with The Allman Brothers and The Dead the summer directly before purchasing The 8×10 and basically learned everything for watching how venues like MSG, Red Rocks, Merriweather, The Gorge, did things. We absorbed everything we could from places like The Beacon, The Fillmore, The Warfield, 9:30 Club, The Electric Factory. Together we spent two years actually working at these types of venues. When we had the opportunity to buy The 8×10 we traded that for the opportunity to have a real lasting impact on musicians’ careers. Warren Haynes was already Warren Haynes. But by running a local venue, we could take garage bands and make them bar bands, and take bar bands and make them into theater bands. So, we try to run The 8×10 like it was The Beacon or Red Rocks. We try to be as professional as we can, to be as educational as we can, and to just provide a safe space with fertile ground where bands can find their feet and grow. We know we are a little-no-place-nothing-hole-in-the-wall on the grand scheme….but we also know that we are The 8×10 and that has meant a lot to a lot of people over the last 40 years. We just have to live up to that.

Are there any bands that haven’t played at the venue that you would like to see perform there?

Phil Lesh and Friends.

The post For Forty Plus Years, Baltimore’s 8×10 Serves Up Rising Acts In Intimate Confines (THESE WALLS) appeared first on Glide Magazine.

Glide spoke with the El Club team about what’s next for the venue, their dream acts, and much more. Check out upcoming shows and grab tickets at El Club’s website below. 

 El Club opened in 2016, what have been some of the biggest triumphs for the venue since you opened? 

We are proud to have consistently provided an incredible safe space for artists and attendees alike. As far as our biggest triumphs… the Trip Metal Festival, a free avant-garde event is a big one, and watching our general manager begin her legendary party, Twerk and Tequila, are two of our personal highlights. We’re also proud to have booked artists like Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, Lizzo and so many others who have gone on from playing in our intimate club to full-on arena status. 

No venue owners were prepared for the pandemic- how did you navigate it to be able to survive today?

Through a lot of teamwork and communication, we were able to navigate through the extremely complicated times and I should add that we couldn’t have survived without the support of our community.

Have there been any local artists that have championed El Club since it opened and what artist has played the stage the most?

Lizzo, funny enough, has played 3 times since we opened. Also, ZeLooperz of Bruiser Brigade has been a champion of the space. It’s been awesome to watch him flourish because he’s a very talented young artist. Plenty of DJs like Killa $quid have also played the room multiple times and she credits us for opening a door for her to flourish even beyond our room.

Did being in Mexicantown have something to do with your choice of name El Club? Can you give people not familiar with Detroit what the Mexicantown vibe is like and how El Club fits in?

No, the name was actually passed down to us by the previous owner, Delores Sanchez. 

You guys have one of the cleanest and sharpest-looking logos.  Who designed the logo and how did you decide to go with that one?

Colin Fletcher designed the logo. The direction we gave him was “sexy Pink Flamingo” and that’s what we ended up with.

Any local legends you guys put up early that you have seen gone on to become national touring acts in their own right?

Lizzo

I see on your Facebook that you guys regularly host events with free food for the citizens of Detroit, how did these events come to be and why does El Club feel it’s important for venues like itself to give back to the city that hosts it?

It happened organically through our talent buyer Drew and we think it’s important to open our space for such events as community should always come first.

The list of artists who have played El Club is impressive. How did your venue become a must-stop to so many national touring acts and what separates you guys from the other venues in Detroit in terms of being able to attract such bands?

I think we took a lot of risks and really insisted that agents didn’t pass up Detroit while routing their tours… And we can’t forget the fact that our venue is always very clean and welcoming for everyone involved: staff, performers, and attendees. The green room is a very comfortable space for artists to relax before performing and that’s really important to us.

Alongside Philly, NOLA, Memphis and Nashville. Detroit has one of the greatest musical heritage of any U.S. city.  Does Detroit’s musical history play any part into the design or aesthetics or mission of the venue? 

Yes, I think we have tried to book local legends like Negative Approach who arguably were some of the earliest founders of hardcore punk as well as local techno DJs like DJ Stingray.

With your wide range of alumni, is there a dream act you hope graces El Club’s stage one day? 

Patti Smith

Additionally, if you had to pick on artists from the long list of classic acts that call Detroit home to play El Club, dead or alive, who would it be? 

The Stooges

Very prominently displayed on your website is the phrase “All ages, all the time”, why is it important for El Club to stay all ages for as many shows as possible, and was this one of the initial goals of the venue? 

Yes, it’s important for us to remain all-inclusive to not be driven by alcohol sales and that we don’t put a limit to the concert going experience. The younger you’re exposed to music and art the better.

Looking through your Google Reviews, everyone has high praise for the sound system at El Club. What sort of system are you working with and what was the process like for landing on a seemingly perfect fit for your venue? 

I’m a big fan of Bowery Ballroom (New York) and Teragram Ballroom (Los Angeles) and we modeled our venue’s sound system after theirs. DMB speakers are responsible for the huge sound.

With the new year just kicking off, what does El Club have in store for 2023? Any exciting plans your loyal customers have to look forward to? 

Hopefully we will be getting our kitchen ready as well as the list of shows in the pipeline such as Weyes Blood and many others soon to be announced.

The post Detroit’s El Club Keeps It Inclusive, Safe & Eclectic (THESE WALLS) appeared first on Glide Magazine.