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Numbers Night Club At 300 Westheimer Rd.


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The owner of the lower Westheimer building that houses the Numbers night club is looking for a new tenant.

But the operator of the 32-year-old iconic music venue says it's not closing. And the property owner says Numbers isn't being kicked out.

Even so, the 9,000-square-foot building in the 300 block of Westheimer is for lease, according to a marketing brochure.

Davis Commercial's Mark Davis, the broker hired to market the space, says the owner would like to "retenant" the building if he can find the right operator.

http://blogs.chron.com/primeproperty/2010/09/iconic_montrose_club_building_1.html

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Wow, that brings back memories. It was originally Numbers and then became Babylon. It became Number #2 later on. The first two were primarily gay clubs. Dirty Sally's was right around the corner on Avondale and the Truck Stop was directly behind Numbers. If I remember correctly, you entered the Truck Stop through the grill of a Peterbilt truck.

I remember seeing Sylvester live at Numbers or Babylon, back in the day.

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this may signal the end of an era...................how significant is numbers? let's reminisce....who has played the numbers' stage?

siouxsie & the banshees, REM, grace jones, the village people, stray cats, english beat, grand master flash, the waitresses, katrina and the waves, bow wow wow, the pointer sisters, wall of voodoo, the call, madness, marianne faithful, romeo void, the fixx, thompson twins, book of love, the cure, the cult, the divinyls, skinny puppy, ministry, the judy's, general public, clann of xymox, revco, love and rockets, jane's addiction, thomas dolby, big pig, jesus and mary chain, the church, mighty lemon drops, erasure, tackhead, sugarcubes, suicidal tendencies, the bangles, skatenigs, edie brickell and the new bohemians, red flag, thrill kill kult, front 242, the replacements, the pogues, split second, the pixies, the hunger, public image limited, nine inch nails, soundgarden, flesh for lulu, kmfdm, violent femmes, meat beat manifesto, die warzau, front line assembly, loop guru, consolidated, severed heads...just a few from 1980-1990.

will be sad to see it go....maybe they will upgrade the property; bring it up to code.

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I think Numbers closing, come on we all know it is closing, is due on part to how the music industry sees Houston. Booking agents are skipping Houston and scheduling acts in San Antonio and Austin instead. Numbers needs live shows to survive and it is just not happening. The alternative rock/punk scene is in a state of flux as well. I am sure a wine bar or sushi hut will replace Houston music history.

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I never went there but I'm pretty sure that you are right. Just another fun, freaky thing about those days.

It burned down.

Remember the Chicken Coop, the Midnight Sun and QT's. All skank!

Baja Sam's at the corner of Taft and Lovett was really nice. They had a restaurant as well and a volleyball court too. It was the place for happy hour on Fridays. It later became Mother's - skank!

After Baja's closed, a piano bar and restaurant (name escapes me) opened on Kirby in the building that later became Jalapeno's. They had lot's of great, intimate live performances.

Flashback - this is all the West Ave. development now, but there used to be a tennis club and a Texaco station there. Hub Buick was on the northeast corner of Kirby & Westheimer.

(Edit: Rascal's)

Edited by rsb320
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Numbers closing would be a final nail in the coffin of Houston's hoppin' club days.

I never knew it until I went off to college, but Houston's music and club scene in the 1980s was cutting edge. Had a lot of firsts at Numbers and I am sure I am not the only one.

I'll forever miss Numbers/NRG/Power Tools/ EMOS-SOME/Red Square/ Record Rack/ etc...

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Don't forget the Roxie on Westheimer, near Highland Village.

Speaking of past performers at Numbers; I met Grace Jones at the Parade on Richmond after a show. However, this particular show was held a the Summit. It was cool, way back when we could sit up on the bar. She just sat up on the bar and held court.

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I also met Uncle Arthur of Bewitched and Dr. Bellows from I Dream of Jeanie and the Parade.

But, back to Numbers, I remember that one of their bartenders was a former Mr. Houston. I think his name was Robert. They don't have those contests anymore, to my knowledge. Also, Ms. Naomi Simms (Newman) was always in the house, either on or off stage.

Edit: Miss Naomi Sims or Neuman Braud.

Edited by rsb320
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i danced with (next to) andy bell on the stage at numbers one night. no concert, he wasn't with anyone. he was just dancing, little girl's barrettes in his hair, butterflies, bows......he said he loved dancing or something like that. we didn't realize who it was until later. erasure wasn't well known back then.

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It is said that history usually or often repeats itself. For the sake of Numbers and the general flavor of Montrose, I certainly hope so. Those were awesome times in the 80's and beyond: the good, the bad and the uglyall the rest. It was nine kinds of hot, maybe a little like a habanero pepper, o.k. maybe not that hot. But it was great. Wouldn't it be insane if there was really a way to transform the good old days into the great new days? One can only hope and think positive. If you know a couple of endowed investers, that doesn't hurt either. That's what Montrose needs: a gay party infrastructure endowment. Keep your ears to the ground for leads and ideas. :)

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and another:

And in perhaps the strangest news this year, rumblings are coming from reliable sources that Numbers (314 Westheimer) -- recently put up for lease -- is being eyed by the Pappas family. Yes, that Pappas family. But wait -- it gets weirder. The rumors also indicate that they plan to open either a chicken and rice or shrimp and rice joint in the spot where so many...unsavory...activities have taken place over the years. If the rumors prove to be true, would you eat at Numbers' Chicken & Rice?

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2010/09/openings_closings_4.php

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  • 2 months later...

Just depends. Does that come with an egg roll and fortune cookie . . . and then . . . and then . . . and then . . .

I just read this--I live close to Numbers and haven't really noticed anything different. . . . . .

but

when I read the blog about the Papa's .family being interested in Numbers , something clicked-

at the HEB meeting where the HEB guy said he would be open to building a 2 story store if he could find additional tenants-- there seemed to be a lot of talk among the people around, about the Papas family and how they might be a good prospect -- coincidence?

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  • 1 month later...

Numbers closing would be a final nail in the coffin of Houston's hoppin' club days.

I never knew it until I went off to college, but Houston's music and club scene in the 1980s was cutting edge. Had a lot of firsts at Numbers and I am sure I am not the only one.

I'll forever miss Numbers/NRG/Power Tools/ EMOS-SOME/Red Square/ Record Rack/ etc...

don't forget what was Hippo's that turned into 6400 (6400 Richmond) and then when it burned (a lot of 80s clubs in Houston seemed to burn huh) there was "The New 6400" that was further east on the north side of Richmond

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I thought the 'new 6400' was on the south side, and eventually became blue planet, amongst other random clubs.

I went to 80s night a few Fridays ago with a good friend who used to do photography for them, naturally I told him about the lease and all that, so he found some guy who assured us that the new lease holder has every intention of keeping numbers around.

he had mentioned building code from whenever numbers opened, and that any other business that would want to use that building (and what could it be used for?) would have to go through and completely gut it and redo everything. It's just a couple of cement walls anyway, so they would probably do better to just drop the building and start over from scratch. I don't know who the guy was, but it seems pretty sensible to me. That land has got to be worth something good though.

the same would be true if numbers were to move.

it would be sad if they closed up shop though, that is truly a unique club in today's world. especially when they have happy hour till 11.

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  • 6 years later...

What do well in that building?

 

I have to say- if this is just brainstorming- I'd like to revive a pipe organ pizza place at that location.

 

It might be just the thing-- the 300 block of westheimer is the  proposed cafe table and chairs "oasis" that the lower westheimer traffic study alludes to.The Montrose Management district Special Parking District speaks about "sharing" parking lots  with businesses that close at different times- so the parking at the Paint Store and the Mattress store could be shared.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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