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Houston In The 1970s


cjlewis610

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I went there once.. in the mid-70's or so.. before '78.. and I considered it kind of a biker bar. Wasn't it on Alabama?

Can't remember where it was, my dad took me a few times before I was drinking age, had soda, played this game where you slide a metal puck thingie into what looked like bowling pins, instead falling down, they'd raise up when you struck below them.

I came across it once on a motorcycle ride and went in for grins, even saw one of my dad's friends, but they didn't recognize me.

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  • 1 month later...
Does anyone remember a place in Montrose where someone had built a sort-of beer garden in their yard. It had a sign that said "Frank's Radio Garden" and there were some picnic benches and , I believe, an old short wave or multiband radio. There was a soft drink machine that was loaded up with beer and you could walk up, or skate up, and put your money in the beer machine, get your beer and sit at the picnic tables, etc. I am sure it was short lived because of the obvious reasons...but only in Montrose could such a thing happen in the first place.

I know whereof you speak! LOL

I am really starting to love this. It brings up such memories!

The place you are talking about was a friend of mine's house. He lived at the corner of Bremond and Baldwin. It was a marvelous house.

The piece of equipment out front was some sort of projection equipment. He used to put a sheet up - hang it from the tree branches - and show movies on it.

He also brewed his own beer for a while. We dubbed it "Frank's Bird Blest Beer" because he would put it outside in 5 gallon jugs and the birds would bless it - repeatedly! LOL

He played an instrument called the Daddy Banjo which consisted of a snare drum body with a Fender guitar neck.

For a few short moments we had a small band called the Uni-sins, ah, but that is another story! We only played out two times. Once at Theodore's and then again the same night out in southwest Houston at the Napoleon Square apartments in a place called Bonaparte's Retreat. It was quite a night!

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Greetings y'all from a newbie to this group.

I partied hearty in Montrose in the 70's.. used to hang at Theodore's all the time.. and would walk from Theodore's (Mason and Westheimer) a few blocks down Westheimer to Houlihan's.. Was pretty wild and crazy back then.

Moved to Montrose shortly after Old Quarter closed (or was about to), November of '76.. and heard talk of Sand Mountain, but never went.. and am told it was probably near its end by the time I moved to the 'Trose. Am interested in hearing about Sand Mountain if anyone went.

Also... this guy I lived with back then for several years.. went to this funky little club called Rosewater's once or twice.. but I can't for the life of me remember where in Montrose it was located.

There was this funky little bar on Westheimer, I kept hearing about but never went to. There's a fabulous article in the archives of Texas Monthly that mentions this club, but I don't have access here at work. They mention Rice professors practically having classes there?

Went to Damian's maybe once.. can't remember location of that either.. for some reason I want to say somewhere near River Oaks Theater?

Biker bar called the Little Hut, I think on Alabama, went there a few times.

And.. being was also a regular "bar fly" at this progressive country live music venue called Diamond Head, I believe on Rice.. in the Village. And they had these Country Sunday shows that lasted all day, starting at 12 Noon. And went to 1 or 2 at this bar called the Beer Barn.

Anyone remember any of this?

later!

I do remember "Rosewaters", it was on California St. just north of UST. It was within walking distance from campus because several of us used to go there after class (1975). It was owned by this guy I went to high school with (Marian High School). I saw this guy later at a "halloween" party dressed in drag. He looked just like his older sister who was a cheeleader in high school. On second thought maybe his was his sister all along and we just didn't know it. :rolleyes:

Went to "The Old Quarter a few times before then (had to be early 1973) . We liked that place because if you acted right, they would serve you alcohol even before the drinking age was lowered to 18 on September 31, 1973. If you were a jack ass or didn't look the part (cool that is) you wouldn't be served. :closedeyes:

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Thanks for this info and the pics. They are, as we used to say in the 1970s, "far out."

Although I was pretty anti-hippy (born in 1961, I preferred punk) I still remember many of Houston's Hippy hangouts.

Anyone remember the Treehouse on Westheimer?

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Thanks for this info and the pics. They are, as we used to say in the 1970s, "far out."

Although I was pretty anti-hippy (born in 1961, I preferred punk) I still remember many of Houston's Hippy hangouts.

Anyone remember the Treehouse on Westheimer?

Retama:

Someone needs to start a topic on 80's Punk era in Houston. I dropped a few hints a few months ago and either everyone here was either too young or not into it during the late 70's early-mid 80's. I think everyone is tired of me starting topics but cant help if I'm native Hosutonian. Yikes! :wacko:

The places that were raging circa 80-82 was Consolidated Warehouse (where Chelsea Place now stands) and Major Madhouse - Cabaret Voltaire on Chenevert. I think I still have a cracked collar bone when some gal with liberty spikes landed on me during The Sluglords show.

We had some of the best hardcore bands pass through Houston.

Dead Kennedy's

Minutemen

Wendy O'Williams & the Plasmatics

Jodie Foster's Army

Suicidal Tendencies .....................all I wanted was a Pepsi!!!!

to name a few.

It was a somewhat short lived era but a real blast. (lived to tell about it) :ph34r:

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Don't forget Consolidated Arts Warehouse where Chelsea Market is now.

I thought Austin had more of a punk scene than Houston. Raul's lasted quite a while and the Continental Club had a lot of punk bands back then as well as Club Foot for some of the bigger names.

I saw The Ramones at Liberty Hall in 1977 and again at On the Border out Telephone Road (I saw Joan Jett there too)

Iggy Pop at Cardi's and at Club Foot in Austin (I saw U2 at Cardi's too believe it or not when they were unknown in the US)

X at Fitzgeralds

Big Boys and the Dicks - from Austin - several places

Really Red

Billy Idol

The Clash

I saw a many more bands that would be considered more New Wave more than Punk

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Eeep! I saw them in concert! Destroy that TV with a chainsaw! :D

Another place was the Island on Main.

You win the award! I don't know of anyone that knew of The Island on Main street. Boggles the mind.

As I suredid mentioned, I too was somewhat more of a New Waver when we didnt even know what it was.

and being from the East End of town we really stood out! Plenty of stares from old timers.

I was thinking of listing several clubs ie: Discos and New Wave Clubs later but what the heck. here they are by year 1978 to 1990ish

Lord Jim's Disco

Rocky's Disco - Downtown (got into both of these underage) :ph34r:

Why Not? Disco

Rich's (still going strong)

Confetti's - (big time New Wave Club) Used to have contests for best pop singing celebrities ie; Madonna, Moon Unit Zappa as a Valley Girl, Hall & Oats, Adam Ant, Peewee Herman? etc.

Cardi's

The Ocean Club - Another very futuristic layout. Like being inside a Star Wars spaceship. Not seen any other since. Had big rotating lights machine hovering above dance floor. Would tilt and move as party raged below & above! Real Bladerunner.

City Streets

Yucatan Liquor Stand - (major wild outdoor cabana club) Bus would drive around town picking up partiers and take back to club for more partying :wacko: (couldnt get away with that these days).

to name a few.

Note what made these places even more popular was the innovation of nightclubs at the time. Many were heavily influenced by the party scenes from Ferris Bueller's Day Off and especially the multiple TV monitors in Less Than Zero with our hero Robert Downey Jr.

PS, I'm glad I saved many items from that fun era and working in a record shop helped tremendously. Have all original posters Billy Idol, The Fixx, Siouxie & Banshees, Oingo Boingo, Bow Wow Wow, etc.

Best part is I managed to keep my good looks (and modesty) after all these years. Its in the blood I guess. :D

Edited by Vertigo58
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You win the award! I don't know of anyone that knew of The Island on Main street. Boggles the mind.

As I suredid mentioned, I too was somewhat more of a New Waver when we didnt even know what it was.

and being from the East End of town we really stood out! Plenty of stares from old timers.

I was thinking of listing several clubs ie: Discos and New Wave Clubs later but what the heck. here they are by year 1978 to 1990ish

Lord Jim's Disco

Rocky's Disco - Downtown (got into both of these underage) :ph34r:

Why Not? Disco

Rich's (still going strong)

Confetti's - (big time New Wave Club) Used to have contests for best pop singing celebrities ie; Madonna, Moon Unit Zappa as a Valley Girl, Hall & Oats, Adam Ant, Peewee Herman? etc.

Cardi's

The Ocean Club - Another very futuristic layout. Like being inside a Star Wars spaceship. Not seen any other since. Had big rotating lights machine hovering above dance floor. Would tilt and move as party raged below & above! Real Bladerunner.

City Streets

Yucatan Liquor Stand - (major wild outdoor cabana club) Bus would drive around town picking up partiers and take back to club for more partying :wacko: (couldnt get away with that these days).

to name a few.

Note what made these places even more popular was the innovation of nightclubs at the time. Many were heavily influenced by the party scenes from Ferris Bueller's Day Off and especially the multiple TV monitors in Less Than Zero with our hero Robert Downey Jr.

PS, I'm glad I saved many items from that fun era and working in a record shop helped tremendously. Have all original posters Billy Idol, The Fixx, Siouxie & Banshees, Oingo Boingo, Bow Wow Wow, etc.

Best part is I managed to keep my good looks (and modesty) after all these years. Its in the blood I guess. :D

I would add The Metropol to that list of dance places

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Don't forget Consolidated Arts Warehouse where Chelsea Market is now.

I used to live not too far away from the Consolidated Arts Warehouse - saw Stick Men with Rayguns (Dallas-area punk band) there. There's a music magazine called "Left of the Dial" which published an issue a couple of years ago filled with vintage photos of Texas punk venues, and there were quite a few photos of Houston institutions like the Island, CAW, etc. in it. I was blown away when I saw it - I'd seen lots of photos of California and New York clubs from back in the day, but never such a concentration of Houston photos. I even spotted a couple of photos of shows that I'm pretty sure I was at.

Anyone remember Paul Kittleson's Stegosaurus sculpture that was under 59 next to the CAW?

X at Fitzgeralds

I saw X on a later tour at Numbers - it remains one of the greatest live performances I've ever seen.

Really Red

I miss Real Records, which was located in the strip center on Shepherd where the Hot Bagel Shop is now and was run by Really Red's U-Ron. I used to haunt used record stores in my youth, and thought I'd hit the gold mine the first time I went to Real Records. Got a dead mint pressing of the Velvet Underground's first album there for ten bucks!

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I saw X on a later tour at Numbers - it remains one of the greatest live performances I've ever seen.

I tried in vain to see Xenene Chervenka and gang at The Whiskey A Go-Go on Sunset but it was sold out and killer just being outside of the place. I still have the tape of it live. Good days. You were (X) extremely lucky to see them live. Wonder what became of John Doe, etc?

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Maybe some of you oldtimers might remember a club downtown that had a Viking out front. He was a fully dressed version of a big Viking dude. I remember we sat on the floor on pillows. Can't remember the year.

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I miss Real Records, which was located in the strip center on Shepherd where the Hot Bagel Shop is now and was run by Really Red's U-Ron. I used to haunt used record stores in my youth, and thought I'd hit the gold mine the first time I went to Real Records. Got a dead mint pressing of the Velvet Underground's first album there for ten bucks!

That record store started at the corner of Greenbriar and Bissonet next to Alter-Alley (clothing alterations). Here is my one good Ronnie Bond story. I was in his record store one day, and since I was a regular, and we had talked about Bruce Springsteen at Liberty Hall, he told me that Bruce Springsteen tickets were going to go on sale the next day at Foley's downtown at 10:00 am. I asked how this could be true as I had heard nothing about it on the radio or in print. He said he got the information from a reliable source.

Well, the next day I show up at Foley's at 9:45 to wait at the door, and the only other person there was Ronnie. I told him he must have gotten some bad information, because there was no way only two people would know about such a big event. I could tell he was beginning to have his doubts too, but since we were already there, we waited until 10:00. As soon as the doors opened we went upstairs to the ticket booth. I walked up to the window and said "Do you have Bruce Springsteen tickets for sale" and the clerk replied "Yep, we sure do". I then asked which tickets they had left and was told that I could sit anywhere I wanted, I was the first customer. I bought 4 tickets on the first row center isle. The show was at the Coliseum. At one point in the concert Bruce jumped into the audience and stood on my chair for a minute or so playing Thunder Road. He always put on a great show.

There is a video of Really Red playing at the Isand on YouTube

Edited by isuredid
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Anybody remember a Houston band called Fever Tree that got a bit of radio play back in the late 60's?

Oh...and if we are talking record stores: Remember Evolution Records and Tapes? Or World Records over in the Montrose? World had EVERYTHING...that place was amazing! I remember the owners used to keep their cats in there though...so it smelled a bit like cat piss. Still, if you held your nose, the place was incredible...just a huge, huge selection....

Edited by Disastro
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A few assorted flashbacks.

Yes Fever Tree had a couple quasi-hits with San Fransisco Girls and 99-1/2.

I hung out at Upstairs on the Square (in the Old Market Square), visited The Cellar, Supermarket and the underground pub. (name escapes me)

Saw Jimi Hendrix & the Experience live Houston Colosseum, Aug. '69.

Was at the Milby Park bust. Had free concerts on Sundays (I believe) with lots drug activity (buy,sell, and trade). Boones Farm Wine..Joesephus (sic) usually played.

Danced on Larry Kane show and had after show concerts at the Catacombs. Also danced on the lesser know IT with Joe Ford.

Ahhh yes the Good 'Ole dayz

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A few assorted flashbacks.

Yes Fever Tree had a couple quasi-hits with San Fransisco Girls and 99-1/2.

I hung out at Upstairs on the Square (in the Old Market Square), visited The Cellar, Supermarket and the underground pub. (name escapes me)

Saw Jimi Hendrix & the Experience live Houston Colosseum, Aug. '69.

Was at the Milby Park bust. Had free concerts on Sundays (I believe) with lots drug activity (buy,sell, and trade). Boones Farm Wine..Joesephus (sic) usually played.

Danced on Larry Kane show and had after show concerts at the Catacombs. Also danced on the lesser know IT with Joe Ford.

Ahhh yes the Good 'Ole dayz

San Francisco Girls! That's the one I remember...

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Retama:

Someone needs to start a topic on 80's Punk era in Houston. I dropped a few hints a few months ago and either everyone here was either too young or not into it during the late 70's early-mid 80's. I think everyone is tired of me starting topics but cant help if I'm native Hosutonian. Yikes! :wacko:

The places that were raging circa 80-82 was Consolidated Warehouse (where Chelsea Place now stands) and Major Madhouse - Cabaret Voltaire on Chenevert. I think I still have a cracked collar bone when some gal with liberty spikes landed on me during The Sluglords show.

We had some of the best hardcore bands pass through Houston.

Dead Kennedy's

Minutemen

Wendy O'Williams & the Plasmatics

Jodie Foster's Army

Suicidal Tendencies .....................all I wanted was a Pepsi!!!!

to name a few.

It was a somewhat short lived era but a real blast. (lived to tell about it) :ph34r:

Oh yes - Institutionalized - one of the 1st songs I heard from Suicidal Tendencies "We decided!? My best interest?! How can you know what my best interest is?" lol I've seen them live a few times.

And the Plasmatics...I saw them with KISS in 1983 at the 83 Coliseum. That was a fun show. I used to see "the Judy's" (I wish they would do another reunion show) "the Hates" (still doin' shows) and and a few others but I was always more in to Metal. Sure I went to NRG, Numbers, Xcess and I can't forget Videocity but that was mainly for the chicks. My main hangouts (before Xcess or Energ) when I wasn't at Astroworld, Rocky Horror or hangin' out on Westheimer were Cardis at 5901 Westheimer and Corners at....I think it was 4321 Spencer Hwy?

I saw "Metallica" "Helstar" "Pantera (Glamtera)", "Anthrax" "Velvet Hamer" "Metal Church" "Anthrax" "Rok Brigade" "Misery" "Naked Zoo" "Testament" "Helloween" "The Judy's" "Twisting The Farm" "Fearless Leader" "Mercyful fate/King Diamond" "Filthy Rich" "W.A.S.P." "Oz Knozz" "Wurx" "Deadhorse" "Slayer" and yeah, I know not all of them are Metal. Oh and speaking of Slayer, my wife and I can be found on the floor at the up-coming "Slayer/Marilyn Hanson" show at the Astro Arena.

my wife would love this thread, as she is a lot more in to "Punk" than I am. We both like it - not the Greenday and Offspring stuff but Ramones, New York Dolls, Sex Pistols, Joan Jett/Runaways (okay so that's bublegum Punk) Iggy and the Stooges, etc and she likes Wendy O a lot too.

Yeah, a Punk thread might be cool but I'd also like to see a thread on past/present venues as well as past "Houston/Houston erea" bands - Rock, Punk, Metal, Country, Blues, Jazz - I like it all!

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Anybody remember a Houston band called Fever Tree that got a bit of radio play back in the late 60's?

Oh...and if we are talking record stores: Remember Evolution Records and Tapes? Or World Records over in the Montrose? World had EVERYTHING...that place was amazing! I remember the owners used to keep their cats in there though...so it smelled a bit like cat piss. Still, if you held your nose, the place was incredible...just a huge, huge selection....

I highly recommend getting Fever Tree's CD Another Time/Another Place. The only good song it's missing is Hey Mister, which was originally only released as a single. Fever Tree

Bought a lot of LP's at Evolution Records. Can't quite remember World Records.

Saw Jimi Hendrix & the Experience live Houston Colosseum, Aug. '69.

Actually it was April 1969.

Visit My Website

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I highly recommend getting Fever Tree's CD Another Time/Another Place. The only good song it's missing is Hey Mister, which was originally only released as a single. Fever Tree

Bought a lot of LP's at Evolution Records. Can't quite remember World Records.

Actually it was April 1969.

Visit My Website

Thanks man! I have GOT to get the Fever Tree CD...I just assumed that stuff was long out of print...

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There is a video of Really Red playing at the Isand on YouTube

OMG! I just joined this forum yesterday and posts about Really Red at the Island. I could have been at that show! Really Red, and don't forget Ronnie's girlfriend's band The Mydolls, Verbal Abuse, the Big Boys and the Dicks from Austin. Wow. I thought there were maybe 10 people in town who remember those days.

I was there the first time the Butthole Surfers rolled into town from San Antonio completely baked, I think cover was $2. When Black Flag came to town with a new singer named Henry Rollins. Wow. I was just a bored teenager from Katy and somehow I got wrapped up in that scene. Me and my friend used to drive into town on the weekends and hang out a Ronnie's shop, like all day. He'd mooch my cigarettes and make us go fetch his lunch. I had such a major crush on him. Anyone remmber the place for a while on the Westheimer curve call Joe Starr's Omni? What else... the Caribana, a reggae club in Rice Village, had 'new wave night' for a while. It was a hopping place for 3 for 1 happy hour. When the Clash played UH for the Combat Rock tour, they went to the Caribana after, so me and my girlfriend go racing across town to try and get up close and personal, LOL. Speaking of UH, the DKs played in a giant conference room in the student center. Years later I was there for a financial planners exam and had to laugh when I remembered being jammed up against the stage at that show. Cool memories!

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anyone remember this ice house in the Heights (on Shepherd, past 11th, near that vet clinic, maybe?) that I saw live music at, like once.. had a dart league..

saw this Australian guy perform this song called "My Boomerang Won't Come Back"

anyhoo... I believe this place was called High Noon..

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Fever Tree keyboardist, R Landis, still lives and makes a living playing in Houston...but now it's lounge music.

Interesting...I'll bet he's as old as my Dad now. LOL

Hey, anybody remember a Houston band called The Judy's? Whatever became of those guys?

They were kind of like the forerunners of Weird Al...except all their music was original.

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  • 4 weeks later...
When the Clash played UH for the Combat Rock tour

I had a roommate during that time who had a boyfriend that set up the electronics for various touring bands. Her boyfriend was working on the Clash's Combat Rock tour. When his bands came through Houston we could get in free and sometimes hang out with the bands after the shows. The next day the band would usually go to Austin and me and my roommate would take a road trip to see the band again in Austin. The bands always stayed at the same motel on South Congress, but I can't think of the name. It reminded me of the Allen Park Inn in Houston. Anyway. while we were there they were filming the "Rock the Casbah" video and we got to watch them making that video. I think the concert was at the Austin Coliseum.

I don't have my tickets anymore to the Clash show, but here's another ticket I have from that time:

Stray_Cats_Club_Foot.jpg

I thought The Stray Cats show was very good, but after the show we went to some Icehouse down the street when we heard some there were some blues guitarist playing. The blues guitarist were Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughn, Joe Ely, and "Little" Charlie Sexton. After listening to that group jam for a few hours, the Stray Cats show didn't seem quite so good anymore.

Edited by isuredid
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  • 5 months later...
I had a roommate during that time who had a boyfriend that set up the electronics for various touring bands. Her boyfriend was working on the Clash's Combat Rock tour. When his bands came through Houston we could get in free and sometimes hang out with the bands after the shows. The next day the band would usually go to Austin and me and my roommate would take a road trip to see the band again in Austin. The bands always stayed at the same motel on South Congress, but I can't think of the name. It reminded me of the Allen Park Inn in Houston. Anyway. while we were there they were filming the "Rock the Casbah" video and we got to watch them making that video. I think the concert was at the Austin Coliseum.

I don't have my tickets anymore to the Clash show, but here's another ticket I have from that time:

Stray_Cats_Club_Foot.jpg

I thought The Stray Cats show was very good, but after the show we went to some Icehouse down the street when we heard some there were some blues guitarist playing. The blues guitarist were Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughn, Joe Ely, and "Little" Charlie Sexton. After listening to that group jam for a few hours, the Stray Cats show didn't seem quite so good anymore.

Isuredid,

The motel on South Congress is called the Austin Motel. Here's a link:

http://www.austinmotel.com

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