This Ain’t No Disco

I’ve missed a lot of great bar and night club music performances in my 54 years.  But I’ve managed to see a few goodies.  I list the ten most memorable.

The Mills Brothers

1. The Mills Brothers, Fairmont Venetian Room, Dallas, c. 1977  This show was memorable because it was a chance to see legends (who’d been performing together for about 50 years at that point) shortly before they gave it up.  I don’t remember what songs they did, but I’ll never forget that I got to see them.
2. Ella Fitzgerald, Fairmont Venetian Room, c. 1978  Same comments as above.  A legend, late in life.
3. Randy Newman, Caravan of Dreams, Fort Worth, c. 1997  My friend Walker and I caught Mr. Newman at his alone-at-the-piano late show and it was like a dream.  And was the perfect way to see this guy: small club, no band, attentive audience.
4. Dallas Jazz Orchestra, Dallas, behind Popsicle Toes, many times in the 70s  The DJO used to perform their big-band jazz outdoors on hot Texas nights and it was always the perfect blend of sound and atmosphere.  OK, if it had been the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band it may have been a little more perfect.
5. King Sunny Ade, Hard Rock Cafe, Dallas, c. 1987  Non-stop juju music, with an undulating, enthusiastic crowd.  Unforgettable!
6. The Electromagnets, some bar in Austin, c. 1975  We got to see super-guitarist Eric Johnson in his fusion jazz band.  Even then everyone was predicting he would become a guitar legend.  Almost did.
7. Steve Reich, Dallas Museum of Art, c. 1986  OK, the DMA ain’t exactly a bar, but it ain’t a concert venue either.  We saw Reich and his cohorts do some amazing things with rhythms.
8. Ray Charles, The Western Place, Dallas, 1973  I took a date to see Ray Charles at this odd venue, kind of a dinner theatre for music acts.  He was great fun to watch, and, even if he wasn’t then at his peak, I am so thankful I got the chance to see him.
9. Terry Allen, Sons of Hermann Hall, 2007  How did I go so many years without knowing anything about this guy (except the Little Feat cover of his song “New Delhi Freight Train”)?  Walker dragged me out to see him, and I wouldn’t have thought about going otherwise, because he’s a West Texas progressive country guy.  But he’s much more than that, and I now listen to his 1978 album Lubbock on Everything often.
10. Elton John, Harrah’s in Vegas, 1979  It was Halloween, the casts and dancers and crews of all the shows were there in some of the wildest costumes (and nastiest) you can imagine.  Judy Tzuke, who never “broke out,” opened, and Elton did his Elton thang. 

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