The Brook - Now a restaurant, formerly a movie theatre, then a venue for the American Theatre Company. You could watch the show with coffee or a Foster's oil can-sized beer. Home of Joyce Martel and Stand-up comic night. 20th Century Electric Company - Out in the industrial district. It had a huge lighted disco floor that pre-dated disco. A DJ played rock and roll records over a good sound system and often a live drummer added his bit from a high platform up front. I remember hearing Eric Clapton's version of "Motherless Children" from the 461 Ocean Boulevard album ...perhaps on June 29, 1974. Tiki Nook Club - Maybe the readers out there will remember more about this one than I do. A remnant of the Exotica/Tiki culture of the early 60s? (see the Tulsa Tiki page for more). Duke's Country - Out at Admiral and 129th at the site of the old Horn Bros. furniture store. Home of urban cowboys. KMOD Long Live Rock card (The next four cards are not private club cards) - Issued to help foster solidarity in the anti-disco faction. Talking Heads at the Cain's - They had just released their third album, "Fear of Music". Great show. The opening act was Randy Ess and the Invisible Band (with my brother Alan on bass). NBT Weather Teller card - see the Weather page for comments about this.
At the time, I worked as a line pipe buyer for Whitney Supply, and was frequently taken out to lunch for a "mullet" (free lunch) by the vendors. It surely would have been a feather in my cap for the boss to note that I was an honoree. Whitney was sold off by Texaco for the value of its assets in August of '87. My bid for greatness (and another free meal) was cut tragically short. Today, Cowboy Sharkie's is at the old 60th & Memorial Garfield's location.
I saw the Talking Heads in Norman at the Boomer Theatre the next night, they were obviously swinging westward, and as an employee of the theatre I was privy to a few backstage goings-on. On this night, the band members, all of them, were absolutely stunned and amazed (and excited) to look out and see a Sold Out house. Everyone in their seats waiting for the show to start. In the T.Heads' minds, they were making a stop in the middle of nowhere and 'how in the hell could that many people be here to see them in the middle of Oklahoma?' I was also struck by Byrne's lively no-holds-barred, very animated stage act. He didn't appear to be shy in the slightest, but after the show during a dressing room interview, the guy could barely string two sentences together, he seemed so nervous. The contrast between his persona onstage and off was striking. I don't remember that many Sold Out Shows at the Boomer during this era, even tho' they brought in a lot of great breaking acts of the day. XTC for example, about a year later, a band that probably hasn't done a live show since that year. The Police sold out 2 shows one night in '79, but cancelled last minute. The Specials were opening - the theatre refunded all tickets and opened the doors for a free performance by The Specials. What a great venue that was for the time. I heard it's been turned into a book depository or something these days.
Channel Changer 2 Back to main
|