Wow. It's been exactly one year since I posted a blog. And it was really just a coincidence that I decided to post something today.
I must have some kind of crazy accurate internal alarm clock, because last time I went to see my doctor, they told me it had been exactly one month to the day since my last visit.
Anyways, I wrote a little letter to the editor of Misprint magazine, which is an Austin zine that I just discovered earlier this week thanks to Nomad Bar and my friend Daniella.
And since I hardly ever write things these days, and there's no telling if they'll print it in their next issue, I thought I'd go ahead and use it as something to blog.
So here ya go...
Dear Misprint Magazine,
I would like to put in my two cents about a bar from back in the day (aka mid-90s) that definitely fits into the criteria of your article from October 2009 entitled "Unfondly Remembered Clubs of Yore."
This club would be the Bates Motel, which, if memory serves, was on 6th Street pretty close to the Black Cat.
Not only did they allow my underage self to get frequently trashed on PBR, I also witnessed one of the biggest bar brawls I've ever seen there. It involved REO Speedealer and some drunk cowboy-attired couples. It seems that one of the cowboy girlfriends was offended by Speedealer's cover of a Hank Williams Jr. song and started yelling, "Bocephus would be turning in his grave." Next thing I know they're all fighting on the stage (convenient!) and throwing mic stands around. Truly an adrenaline spiking-spectacle.
I also saw lots of punk bands there like the Motards and some crust-core bands like His Hero is Gone. One time I went in there and the whole floor was mushy. I'm not sure if the place flooded or if it was all the spilled beer and punk rock fluids, but it was a truly wonderful and disgusting venue. R.I.P. Bates Motel!
P.S. I think the old sign for Bates is up on the wall at Beerland, in case you want to pay your respects.
P.P.S. Here is a grainy video of people destroying The Bates Motel in 1999 that my friend Brandi posted on You Tube:
Bates Motel
Seems that the Kiss Offs were playing that night, and somebody brought an ax to the show! (And I don't mean a guitar!)
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