XL cover story
Memories from some who played hard here
Wednesday, July 26, 2006JASON MCMASTER, DANGEROUS TOYS
More on the Back Room
- The Back Room was my back yard
- Search for another metal playground has a couple of options
- Photo gallery
Sung Park
AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Dangerous Toys was a legend at the Back Room. From left: Mark Geary, Paul Lidel, Mike Watson, Jason McMaster and Scott Dalhover.
Kelly West
AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Dave Derrick, left, and Shandon Sahm played together in the metal band Pariah.
More on the Back Room
"I remember when the stage was over in the corner. I had seen shows like Saxon, Armored Saint, Megadeth, Exciter, Nazareth and Cheap Trick. When Dangerous Toys did South by Southwest in March of 1988, Jim Ramsey was booking at the time and got us to reluctantly play Sunday night, which is the last night of the conference. After our set of cover tunes and spitting and drinking and cursing, we were blinded by someone with a record contract. Next thing you know, our shows are sold out, and a year later we were on MTV and opening for our idols in arenas. We wore Back Room swag on the road, and we mentioned the club in interviews. It's an honor to be suggested by the Back Room crew to be the last man standing on that stage, but I'll be on tour with Broken Teeth. I hope I can get a brick of rubble after the bulldozers come. I'll set it next to my Liberty Lunch brick."
-----
SEAN MCCARTHY, BACK ROOM GENERAL MANAGER
"I remember getting reprimanded for an Ace Frehley concert one time. Ace had his nondrinking guys keeping an eye on him, and he slipped away and found me. He wanted gin and (Seagram's) Seven. He's Ace Frehley, baby, and if gin and Seven is what he wants, gin and Seven is what he gets. All of a sudden his handler comes around and says, 'What are you doing giving him alcohol?' I said, 'Man, he's a rock hero!' I got reprimanded that night and tore (the reprimand) up and threw it right in the trash can."
-----
BRIAN FAIR, SHADOWS FALL
"I have always been a huge fan of Dangerous Toys, and performing 'Teas'n Pleas'n' on stage with Jason (McMaster) at the Back Room was an absolute blast. I took a back seat and let Jason rip it up. All our beer-drinking friends at the bar were going nuts and singing along, while the younger kids up front got a great education on . . . Texan rock 'n' roll. The moment was captured on video and is included in the bonus features on our 'The Art Of Touring' DVD. A studio version of our cover of the song with Jason on vocals can be found on the 'Fallout From The War' EP. Sorry to hear the Back Room will be closing. It was a great rock bar with lots of history."
-----
VINNIE PAUL, PANTERA
"The Back Room was one of the coolest venues Pantera ever played. It just had a great vibe and sound. It's sentimental to me because I remember we did three warm-up shows for the 'Far Beyond Driven' tour, and they were not announced until the day of the show. One of them was at the Back Room and it was packed, hot, sweaty and intense. It was a great way to get warmed up for such a big tour. I have seen many of my favorite bands there and will really miss the Back Room when I'm in Austin."
-----
MARK OLIVAREZ, FORMER BACK ROOM MANAGER
"Dio performed here around 1990, when the stage was still in the corner. He hated that stage. He hated the shape, position and an infamous pole on the stage-left triangle corner. After the show, he didn't mince words to me about the conditions of the performing environment. Fast-forward a couple years later, and Dio announced another tour. The agent called and said Dio distinctly remembered our room and he'd rather not deal with that . . . pole. I said, "He won't have to deal with that pole, because we've moved the stage." Of course, I neglected the small detail of an all-new pole that was in the front and center of our beautiful new stage. Dio stayed in his room until minutes before the show. I met him at the back door and handed him his wireless mike. He smiled, walked up the stage and stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed the black-painted pole. He turned around and looked at me, laughed and winked. Then in the most Dio-like metal wail, he screamed 'Pooooooooooooooole!' and launched into 'Holy Diver.' "
-----
SHANDON SAHM, PARIAH
"We opened for Michael Monroe, Steve Stevens, Dangerous Toys, Bang Tango. Plus we got discovered by Tom Zutaut, who signed Guns N' Roses. My dad would come to the Back Room Pariah shows to look at all the metal hotties. That's also where we saw Renée Zellweger standing in the back. All of us were, like, 'Go say hi or talk to her.' Long story short, our bass player, Sims (Ellison), went up and said hello, and they dated for a couple of years."
-----
MAX FRITZ, BACK ROOM MANAGER
"I never knew how much of an impact a building held together with duct tape, rubber bands and hope could have. Everything I have learned here has made me the good man I am today. They're not customers, they are my friends. They're not employees, they're my family. It's not a job I'm losing, it's a way of life. I gave my blood, sweat and tears for this club, and it has given me so much more."
-----
CHRIS GATES, JUNKYARD
"The pure rock 'n' roll mayhem we encountered at the Back Room really blew my mind. Every time we came through, things were getting crazier. We came through in 1990 with the Black Crowes as our opening act. It was the fourth show of their very first tour. Around this time, our Austin friends had discovered Mexican pharmacies, so half of them had been thrown out before we even started. The Crowes never looked at us the same again, but from what I'm told, we had a ball."
-----
JIM RAMSEY, FORMER BACK ROOM PROMOTER AND TALENT BUYER
"One of the worst memories was Guns N' Roses. We had already printed tickets for the show and then had to cancel it so they could go on tour with Aerosmith. The best shows are too many to list, but I remember Flotsam and Jetsam, Salty Dog, Pantera, Suicidal Tendencies, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Body Count, Blur, Tool, Rage Against the Machine and Suzanne Vega, who said, 'Jim, why am I playing a heavy-metal club?' I said, 'Suzanne, tonight it's not a heavy metal club.' "
-----
WENDY WWAD, FORMER BACK ROOM BARTENDER
"I saw Marilyn Manson play there before he became a huge star. His bass player, Twiggy Ramirez, was copping my style so much so that he was wearing a purple version of a cheap green dress I bought at a thrift store in Houston. He was also wearing the same fishnets and boots as me and wearing more makeup. There couldn't have been more than 20 people at that show. I jumped on the tour bus after the show and told Twiggy he was copping my style. I could tell he was the same size as me, so my friend and I drove to my house, picked up the identical green dress and drove back to the bus to give it to Twiggy. He wore that dress for the rest of the tour, and you can see it on a live Manson DVD."
-----
BRADLEY BILLS, FORMER BACK ROOM SECURITY, CHANT DRUMMER
"I weigh a buck-o-five and had no business working security at the Back Room. You should have seen the look on Houston Ritcheson's face (former head of security) when the 'new guy' walked up. We became fast friends, and when his band Belligerent 86 broke up, he asked me to play drums and start a band, which became Brewtality Inc. One of my funniest Back Room memories was laughing our butts off at a Morbid Angel sound check, when I heard this Cookie Monster metal voice say to a quiet room, 'Could I have some more keyboards in the monitor pleeeeaase.' "
-----
JOHN MOYER, DISTURBED
"I happened into the Back Room on a Wednesday night because a friend wanted me to check out this band called Soak. There was maybe 15 people including the staff, but Soak played their (expletive) off. I loved them. Less than a month later, they put out an ad for a new bass player. I auditioned, got the gig and before I knew it, I was playing the Back Room with them. Since then, I have been fortunate enough to play in front of thousands of people all over the world, but I remember that 15-person Wednesday night like it was yesterday. Everyone has to start somewhere, and for me it was the Back Room."
-----
TAMMY MOORE, FORMER BACK ROOM BOOKING AGENT
"I stumbled on to the Back Room, probably literally, in the late 1980s or early 1990s, when it was gaining its worldwide notoriety. From the people that worked there to those that frequented the place, it glitzed with gorgeous rockers and reeked of glam and sleaze. I spent the next 15 years practically living there. I had a front-row seat to the inner workings of the music business, and it's where I met my son's father as well as my best friend. When I die and my life flashes before me, there will be countless scenes from the Back Room."
-----
BOBBY FUENTES, BELLIGERENT 86
"As a teenage musician in Austin, the Back Room stage was the ultimate goal. I remember standing outside at 17 being refused admission into the D.R.I. concert, not knowing that eight years later I would be on that same stage with my band opening for them. My first show with my first band, the Contradicks, was at the Back Room. I remember what a rush it was to see our name on that famous marquee and to see my drums go from my garage up onto that massive stage."
-----
JOHNNY VENOM, THE ENDS
"It was the fall of 1992, I believe, and I'm hanging out in the back breezeway smoking a cigarette and sporting my precious black L.A. Raiders jacket. As I stared at the ground, I heard a voice say, 'Thanks for coming to the show.' I look up, and there's Ice-T. I told him that the show was sold out, so he told me to hold tight. He went to his tour bus, came back within two minutes and gave me an all-access pass."
-----
PATRICK KENNISON, UNION UNDERGROUND
"I remember playing there many times with Union Underground. It was a true and rare thrill to be a San Antonio band that was accepted by the Austin music scene. My last show there was in 2000. The lineup was Union Underground, Linkin Park and Psycho Plague. I remember feeling bad for Linkin Park because they had no tour bus or dressing room. Somehow I don't feel bad for them anymore! The Back Room will live on in my memory, especially that stupid pole in the center of the stage."
-----
DONNIE VAN STAVERN (DVS), PITBULL DAYCARE
"I didn't think (Jason) McMaster and I would outlive the Back Room. I met lots of great friends and fans, and the place had an incredible staff. I'll take the leftover tequila!"
-----
STEVE FREEMAN, PUBLISHER OF EDGE MAGAZINE
"It's been an honor to support and to be supported by such a great venue and a great group of people. The Back Room has always treated me like family and made the Edge Magazine staff and fans feel right at home. My very first Austin gig was at the Back Room in 1992. I used to play in a San Antonio heavy metal band called Scythe. Although we had a huge presence in San Antonio, breaking into Austin was a hard thing to do. The Back Room was the only venue that was giving us a chance to play Austin."
-----
PHILLIP NITCH (AKA CAPTAIN PHLEABAG), JOLLY GAROGERS, BACK ROOM SOUND TECHNICIAN
"One of the best shows I ever saw here or anywhere was the Dan Reed Network on Aug. 19, 1988. I also worked for George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars. What an amazing show! I saw the Ramones, Cheap Trick, Sugarcubes, the Damned, Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, Blue Oyster Cult, UFO, Bad Company, Lindsey Buckingham, King's X and many other great and talented musicians during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ill Nino, KMFDM, Linkin Park and Kottonmouth Kings were great."
-----
MARTHA GUTHRIE, BACK ROOM 'DOORGIRL'
"I worked at the club for 18 years. I was into Texas rock, rockabilly and the blues when I first started working at the Back Room. I was working for Joe Ely and hung out at the Continental Club and Antone's mostly. The Back Room was so happening with road shows like the Ramones, the Black Crowes, Warren Zevon, Jeff Healy, Ice-T and all the metal bands that toured through. The local scene was really big. Pariah and Dangerous Toys were my all-time favorites, along with Chris Gates' bands, the Big Boys and Junkyard, and any band that Chris Didear was in."
-----
MATT FURY, FURY
"We opened for Pantera the first night of their 'Far Beyond Driven' tour on the very day their album came out at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. It was the biggest crowd ever packed in the club. The line for that show went from the front doors all the way around the corner down to Club Kaos. During my set, the crowd kicked in the side doors next to the bar and rushed the stage."
Your turn: The Back Room
Share your memories of the Back Room, Austin's soon-to-close, hard-rockin' headquarters. Post your comment.
Your CommentsAustinites love to be heard, and we're giving you a bullhorn. We just ask that you keep things civil. Leave out the personal attacks. Do not use profanity, ethnic or racial slurs, or take shots at anyone's sexual orientation or religion. If you can't be nice, we reserve the right to remove your material and ban users who violate our visitor's agreement |
Comments
By James
August 21, 2006 12:03 PM | Link to this
The SAN ANTONIO BACK ROOM at a club called Sneakers holds the exact memories for me. I mean the ORIGINAL SA BR, not the 2nd SA BR at the 2nd Sneakers - tho I’m sure all associated with the 2nd SA BR feel the same. My band, Jumbo played the SA BR many times opening for Nazareth, Great White, etc. We all miss the “musician” era. If you remember Jumbo send me an email. Anyone know how to contact Jim Ramsey?
By Troubadillo
August 20, 2006 03:53 PM | Link to this
Austin was my home until 1992 and memories of the Back Room will always be a part of my DilloHistory.
Lots of great music and fun! Those buckets of little beers were one of my favorite things. Still got the buckets.
Keep on rocking!!!
By James Carman
August 16, 2006 04:04 PM | Link to this
Thank you Back Room and Jim Ramsey for giving us (Maskerade) a chance to play there, to learn and grow and to have a great time. Over the years I lost count on how many gigs we did there but it was always a blast…and they can’t take that away!
By Kristin
August 11, 2006 10:11 AM | Link to this
Well, we just moved to Austin from NOLA in December and saw a couple of our first shows in town at the Backroom. I know we saw Oklahomos and we also saw Back Lit Revolver. Great times!
By DC
August 11, 2006 08:39 AM | Link to this
Rock is now officially dead in Austin. There are no true rock radio stations and now no true rock venues either.
By Manny
August 7, 2006 11:51 PM | Link to this
i remember going to the backroom because a friend of mine named Ernie invited me. i live in the rio grande valley and we didnt have a place like the backroom, so i would cruise up to austin just to go there. im going to miss it. i had alot of good times and lots of good memories. it was the best place in texas to listen to rock.
By Ernie
August 7, 2006 03:32 AM | Link to this
I moved to Austin in 1987 and one of the first clubs I went to was the Backroom. I moved into an apartment on Royal Crest and partied there all the time. I saw many touring and local bands and I always had a great time there. I remember the t-shirts on the cieling and nowhere to sit on the band side. Rock on and good bye old friend.
By Rick - MEYVN
August 1, 2006 03:47 PM | Link to this
TO see any live venue close its doors is sad, but to have a venue that meant so much to so many people in the Metal community is even sadder. It’s a sad day for Austin, a sad day for the scene and sad to think of the untold numbers of bands who’ve yet to form and make music that won’t be able to experience playing on that stage and cursing the center pole. For us it will be greatly missed. I think in time it’s loss will become felt even more.
By Lewis
July 30, 2006 10:23 AM | Link to this
Greetings to all, I am sad to see the end of a very long run for one of my favorite spots in Austin. On the nights that sixth street just wasn’t what you were looking for where did you go? Where did everybody go? Of course, the Back Room! I am saddend to say that I can not join all of you to wish a fond fairwell to a main staple of Austin as I am stuck in Hell. Otherwise known as Baghad Iraq. Good-bye old friend you are legendary.
By Kizzy
July 29, 2006 08:53 PM | Link to this
My one and only serenade happened at Wednesday night karaoke w/ a $5 pitcher of Lone Star . Life could not get any better than that!!
By Stevie
July 29, 2006 01:32 PM | Link to this
Read the Police reports from when the Back Room open up until now. I witness severe injuries and victims being bashed by security. Their a reason the Back Room is closing, and police records could speak for itself. Only if the public could be informed about the TRUTH about the BACK ROOM!!!!
By Marsha
July 29, 2006 11:31 AM | Link to this
I loved going to see bands like SkullDuggery, Outlaw Circus, Onyx and Wiked Wayz! The guys (and girls)like Jon Horton, Tim Medina, Tony Nobles, Richard Belisle, and Onyx were the best! And had the best HAIR!
By chris kinney
July 28, 2006 04:29 PM | Link to this
I remember seeing Dangerous Toys and the Sea Hags back in 89, I was in from California to see my folks. Just one show but still alot of cool memories. cjk in Colorado
By Nora Marasco
July 28, 2006 12:47 PM | Link to this
The mid to late 80’s there was Jim Ramsey as promoter and The Stray Cats, Charlie Sexton,Will and the Kill, Lou Ann Barton,Julie Burrell, Nazareth, and Dangerous Toy’s, they were so petite and cute! It was an endless parade of talent and lasting memories. All the nights of South By Southwest. And of course the huge pool room was always an adventure.
By CA
July 28, 2006 10:55 AM | Link to this
Big Audio Dynamite, Ramones, Richard Thompson, Adrian Belew, X, Wall of Voodoo, Love and Rockets (w/ opening band Jane’s Addiction), Sugarcubes (with the marvelously screeching Bjork), IceT and Body Count, School of Fish, Legendary Pink Dots…The backroom wasn’t just for metalheads. The late 80’s and early 90’s were eclectic, cutting edge and what a blast! Fonds memories forever, with my last few braincells!
By Scott
July 28, 2006 10:14 AM | Link to this
I always had a great time at the Back Room. Ace Frehley (!) Kiss tribute bands, and the FLAMING LIPS opening for Lush (who?). Everyone was friendly. A great place for a show.
Like Liberty Lunch, The Electric Lounge, Rauls, and Dukes Royal Coach, another fine bit of Austin bites the dust. Its sad. It will be missed.
By Mary
July 28, 2006 08:55 AM | Link to this
I remember the Back Room as the Copper Dollar (many moons ago), pardy ALL the time. Then they both merged into ONE, now my kids BANGED their heads @ the BACKROOM listening to DEICIDE, SEPULTURA, SOULFLY etc., Some of the greatest bands EVER! We also booked shows there (son booking agent) and booked some of the GREATEST HARD-CORE Metal Bands including DISFIGURED!
By Sherri
July 27, 2006 11:04 PM | Link to this
Used to go in the late 70s through the 80s. First we (the girls from SRD dorm) went EVERY Friday night to see Dan and Dave. That was some beer-drinking fun. Then I went most weekends with my now ex-husband to watch whoever was on stage while he played foosball for hours.
By Cindy Marabito
July 27, 2006 07:40 PM | Link to this
I worked at the Back Room summer of ‘79. I saw a ton of great bands when working/partying there. I remember an early Buddy and Julie Miller who always put on a good show. More boring was Kenneth Threadgill who would perform and then go around and collect all the tips to be had in his hat. My last night was when a frat guy pulled up my dress and I threw a pitcher of beer on him. His girlfriend stood up and told me I couldn’t do that, so I threw what was left in the pitcher on her. Waste of good beer. Those were the days.
By Amy
July 27, 2006 06:50 PM | Link to this
PARIAH!!! The best memories EVER!!
By ringo
July 27, 2006 06:38 PM | Link to this
I wasn’t a regular, but had a great time everytime I went.
Rock on.
By Amy
July 27, 2006 06:19 PM | Link to this
To everyone at The Backroom: Thanks for the memories and for all the support you have given to every musician that has came through your doors! Over the years many of us have called The Room home… There have been Girls night out, blind dates, was I blind when I agreed to this dates, Birthday Bash’s, CD Releases -for everyone you know and a lot that you didn’t, Local Lix, and Dangerous Toys! The absolute best times at the Backroom were the PARIAH shows!! Love you, always will! You guy ROCKED!
By stevear
July 27, 2006 06:09 PM | Link to this
I recall pantiless chicks in skirts, worn-in pool tables, good n cheap beer, good smelling smoke, videogames, and most of all, the crunch-grind-screech of guitars…it’s really a shame to lose it…i NEVER had a bad time there.
By Layne
July 27, 2006 05:39 PM | Link to this
Moved to Austin in 1991 and made numerous trips to the Back Room, including the Pantera Gig. Ended up in front of the club that nite smoking a Jay with other near rioters to mellow out. Also made it to the new years bash that year, don’t remember who was jammin, but I was! The Back Room ROCKS!
By Stacey
July 27, 2006 05:33 PM | Link to this
Ramones- 2 nights in a row - pics of me with Joey and Johnny are prominently displayed in my home (may they both RIP). MANY Pariah shows and Lindsey Buckingham’s solo tour. Good times. So was kicking my ex-bf’s butt on Final Lap. It’s been awhile, but the game side always had the best pinball machine selection. Such a shame that another fine Austin venue has to bite the bust. See everyone there on Saturday!
By Mando Tovar
July 27, 2006 04:37 PM | Link to this
The first time I hungout at the Backroom was January 30th 1988. Some friends asked if wanted to see The Ramones………c’mon…….nuff said……
By Paul
July 27, 2006 03:07 PM | Link to this
Ahh…the bouncing drum riser. It was tough at first, but you got used to it. Always sounded good though.
By Vic
July 27, 2006 02:31 PM | Link to this
Even though BR was THE metal mainstay, we saw some cool new wave shows there as well, ther most memorable being Xymox in ‘91 and A Flock of Seagulls in ‘89… I also remember seeing Stephen Pearcy on one of his solo tours… great times, great place.. we’ll miss it a lot…
By Cindy
July 27, 2006 02:22 PM | Link to this
The early 70’s were such good times!! And how lucky to have lived at The Arbor off Riverside, so close to the Back Room… can still hear “Aqua Lung” sung by a band with such cute guys!!!!
By Tim
July 27, 2006 01:39 PM | Link to this
Talk about a “phase 2” article. What about the days of free music, every night of the week. The back portion used to be the Copper Dollar, a pool bar. Kenneth Threadgill Sunday nights, Marcia Ball, Van Wilks, Willie walking on to do a set, brawls, $.65 long neck Buds. From 1978 to 1983, the Back Room was my bar. It is the only bar I have ever been a regular at and I’m am still sporting a scar I picked up there. The Back Room will live forever in my mind and on my body.
By Kerri
July 27, 2006 12:32 PM | Link to this
I remember throwing up in the Back Room bathroom in 1992. I think Great White played that night.
By Marcus
July 27, 2006 12:30 PM | Link to this
Public Enemy and Big Audio Dynamite blew me away back in early 90s. I got to practice twicew a week at the BR on the big stage with Cap’t Phleabag and the upstart Jolly Garagers several yrs ago. Too heavy for me! BR was fun and could kick your a*s if you weren’t firing on all cylinders. RIP, Back Room.YOu have filled my ears with tinnitus for years to come. Remember PocketFishrmen, et al, during SXSW. “The Black Doom”? \ Slash’s Blues Ball was the the rockin’est!!!!!!
By glenn benavides
July 27, 2006 12:29 PM | Link to this
From getting silly string sprayed all over my girlfriend and myself by Poison,(1986) Doing a KLBJ local licks live when I was in Doctors Mob,(1988) Playing with Pariah and Micheal Monroe,when I was in Buick Mackane…(1989) all seems like one ROCKING night…oh and there was the time Alejandro Escovedo and I were shooting pool against 2 of Iggy Pop’s backup band, and they asked ” if we win do we get your girlfriend’s?”…The Back Room DID rock!!
By Cindy
July 27, 2006 12:20 PM | Link to this
I remember going to the Back room after work. The place was always Rocking after 10pm.And does anybody remember the 10cent drinks?Or was that a secret? My girlfriend got barred for “LIFE” because she grabbed a bartenders jewels, hey she was drunk.We tried to sneak her after a couple of years, but we were all told to leave,AHHH!, thought it might have slipped his mind.Suffice to say my friend has now been Sober for 8 years. Yeah
By Jill
July 27, 2006 12:17 PM | Link to this
The best shows I ever saw, the best times I ever had, and the best friends I ever made! I will never forget the Back Room!!!
By Mike Watson
July 27, 2006 12:06 PM | Link to this
I moved to Austin with my friend/guitarist Scott Dalhover in 85. When I discovered the Back Room I knew I was home. I moved to an apartment right behind there so I was at “The Room” every spare moment. We started a band called Onyx and played there back when bands had to pass out tickets for people to come see you play. Later, when we formed Dangerous Toys, the Back Room became our base of operations. I will truly miss the place but I have tons of memories!
By claire
July 27, 2006 11:52 AM | Link to this
all i can say is, i don’t know how i would have gotten through those angsty teen years w/out the backroom. or all these drunken adult years without $0.50 wells. i’ll be there saturday with hard core bells on…
By susan
July 27, 2006 11:50 AM | Link to this
We’d go to the “BathRoom” in the early 90’s to see our friends Poe & Bobby of Soulgate everytime they played. Saw Aushiwitz46 a lot. One of my favorite shows that will always stick with me was the Genitorturers show. It made Ohms’ bondage nite look like day care! Mostly I recall standing as close to the pit as I dared so I could watch all my big guy friends go crazy around that damn pole. Amazing nobody cracked open their skull!!!!
By Judy
July 27, 2006 11:37 AM | Link to this
The one and only time I ever went to the Back Room was for an Al Stewart (yes, THAT Al Stewart…”Year of the Cat”)show in 1987. There was a metal band playing on one stage, and Al Stewart and his band on another. It was surreal, but it worked. Thanks for the memories.
By Charlotte Miller
July 27, 2006 10:34 AM | Link to this
Friends did indeed meet future spouses! I met my husband at a Dokken show at the BR, as well as made lifelong friends there. I spent countless nights in thelate eighties and early nineties there. The memories are often fuzzy around the edges, but I wouldn’t trade ‘em for anything.
By James
July 27, 2006 10:23 AM | Link to this
Sad to see it go. I posted about it today at:
http://coyotemercury.com/blog1/2006/07/27/so-long-back-room/
By Eric
July 27, 2006 10:23 AM | Link to this
Ah, the Back Room!! Motorhead, Dio, hangin’ with Zakk Wylde, Tracii Guns (whom I toured with) the late Ray Gillan (who sang with Sabbath and Jake E. Lee in Bad English) Of course, Mr. McMaster and Co. Seeing Dimebag bust the headstock off of his Dean guitar and then send a roadie out to retrieve it!! Many great memories, indeed. Goodnight, old girl…
By Rob the ex lawyer
July 27, 2006 10:17 AM | Link to this
After all these years I recognize this name! In 1975, I was a transplanted ex NYer in law school, living the new E. Riverside paradise. Every complex was new and had gorgeous swimming pools. You could test the waters on 80 degree Feb days! The Back Room was our corner bar, with 75-cent drinks at Happy hour or late night after studying at the Library. Funny, I don’t remember it as dirty at all. It was just cool. Now, it’s just a bar on the way to the Airport. May have to stop in this week!
By Lynn Hernandez
July 27, 2006 10:09 AM | Link to this
When I first moved to Austin in 1992 head of security Frank, hired me as a security guard out of the goodness of his heart and a favor to my brother-in-law Bob Fuller (who handled the tickets for Star Tickets). I’d never done that before so I was nervous as hell especially since it was THE BACK ROOM!!! Imagine my horror when I pulled up for work and saw on the marquee: ICE T & ICE CUBE.
By kevin
July 27, 2006 09:33 AM | Link to this
i will never forget the good ol days and the now days. It was so easy to hang out backstage. Sweet moments were hanging out with L.A. Guns, White Zombie before the fame. D.R.I and the hellacious daring mosh pits. And last chatting with the best, Ice T and all the Body Count memebers…..Austin come on!!
By Steve Hudson
July 27, 2006 09:08 AM | Link to this
I loved the street vibe of this place, both as a fan and as a performer. The best shows I saw there were The Four Horsemen, Public Enemy, and King’s X, but watching local acts rock the joint was what the “Black Womb” was all about. Hats off to the crew there for keeping it real for so long.
By Lynda
July 27, 2006 08:57 AM | Link to this
Jeff, Buffy, Tim, and Shawn are the Backroom! Love those Long Island Ice-Teas!
We will miss you guys!
By Sandy
July 27, 2006 08:56 AM | Link to this
The ‘80’s at the BackRoom were the best times of my life.
By John
July 27, 2006 07:56 AM | Link to this
I have plenty of good memories from the late 80s/early 90s at the Backroom…Big Audio Dynamite, Sugarcubes, Mr. Bungle, Faith No More, Ice-T & Body Count, Public Enemy, the Jim Rose Circus…really fun times in my early 20s.
By Walter
July 27, 2006 07:33 AM | Link to this
Does anybody know if their is such as thing as Backroom merchanise on-line?
By Jen
July 26, 2006 11:19 PM | Link to this
Hey I worked at the Back Room in ‘83 with Connie, I was the “other waitress”- met Charlie Sexton there, and lots of great people (Bill, Tommy, Gary, etc.), Clifford, Todd, the list goes on. The Back Room is going to be missed by a lot of people, but things are changing in Austin. Best of luck to all of you!! keepmguessing@aim.com
By Selena
July 26, 2006 04:07 PM | Link to this
Ladies night and .10 drinks. Ahhh, love them college years!