CrAzY DaYz
Huh? No, I wasn’t a punk rocker, but I was for one Halloween night when my friend Arly, King of Punks and pictured below, let me borrow his leather jacket that I think weighed about 100 pounds with all that metal and those doodads attached. Insane that he trusted me with it. It reminds me of the energy of the scene in the Deep Ellum Dallas world in the early 80s. Also brought back the memories of the sheer terror that night after having so much fun and at one point me and my friend almost getting beaten to death and then to top it off having my car towed to the worst part of town at 5 AM and nearly getting shot and torn apart by Dobermans. I was with my hot as hell blonde friend - that prob saved my life. Thanks Luanne! I also terrorized the Starck Club that night – (thanks Greg Mccone for your tolerance!) as well as my own place. A story in the book. Also speaking of Halloween -it’s almost upon us. My kids’ Favorite holiday - they started celebrating after Labor Day!
I had the good fortune to discover Deep Ellum, a neighborhood lost in time on the east side of downtown Dallas in the 80s. In the 20s and 30s, the area was a Freedman ‘s town somewhat lawless and the birthplace of what became a famous blues movement. Still has the same edge today. The 40s and 50s it became a light industrial area and then fell into abandonment in the 60s and 70s much like the downtown Detroit of my youth.
Working a corporate job, I discovered the area that sparked, with just a couple funky clubs and art galleries in the early 80’s, captivating me to bail on my corporate gig at Hewlett Packard company to start warehouse parties in the area. The 1980s Savings and Loan bust rendered the buildings vacant and dashed developers dreams that had bought up the properties envisioning a slick version of SoHo. This created a window of opportunity for artists, bands, and other misfits to populate the area. This was the gritty new reborn Deep Ellum.
I was fortunate this year to be one of the executive producers of a documentary capturing the energy of that time in my first discovery, and I encourage you to watch the 2-minute trailer here below and see the full film when it comes out and invite your friends.
I started out throwing warehouse parties with various partners in the area to dip my toe in. The warehouse parties grew and then eventually got busted by the authorities. Mark Cuban was my first partner, and he avoided the fire. He moved on and did pretty good for himself. Post bust I went on to start a semi legit club in the Clearview Louver window building an abandoned 90,000 square-foot factory in the area dubbed Club Clearview. That run lasted about two years before we were unceremoniously evicted by the Baptist foundation of Texas. It was a press feeding frenzy for the ages. Get the book and read that one! Whew!
I took crazy, stupid, outrageous risks during that time serving underage kids (no- don’t freak out! -which really meant 16- to 21-year-olds- no toddlers!). Also nearly electrocuted a band - The New Bohemians – they don’t know that- til now! -and an entire club full of 1000 patrons with our pirated electrical system.
The energy in the area was sick - just incredible juice, and the bands, artists and other searchers found many good times, as well as fortune and fame that sprung up for some. The flip side in those times marking the 80s and 90s is some people didn’t make it thru such as Jay Lavender of the Daylights (pictured) and another of his bandmates. RIP. Fortunately, no one was killed at the warehouse parties or our clubs in over 20 years, but there were a few incredibly close calls. There was excitement and mania in the street as well as club raids, a few shootings, and even a weekend in jail for me even though I was held and never charged. Yup that’s a story for sure!
Our club had a 20-year run just unheard of anywhere and was started with no money - and it wasn’t about money. Oddly enough though we ended up doing well financially after dragging the bottom and somehow there is the first dollar ever made. I think. The moral is follow your passion and persevere and the money will follow you.
The bands, patrons and artists made it all happen. A graffiti artist we caught spray painting walls late at night in the earliest weeks of the club by the name of Clay Austin became our artistic director. His bizarre, earthy, powerful art and designs, together with utilizing actual people in his displays with his famous black light painting work, was the signature of that time. Overtime, The Club Clearview birthed the Art Bar, which became a more civilized gathering place, as well as the incredibly popular bistro-pub and late night dancing venue the Blind Lemon. These three interconnected places became a hub of activity in the Deep Ellum area for many years.
In the 90s, we got a group of over 20 artists together and painted the entire outside of the club, including some adjoining area for an art competition that became the biggest mural in the state of Texas at that time. It was a bold venture and one of the most satisfying stunts in the club’s history and was a precursor to an even larger outdoor neighborhood art mural collaborative Project called Tunnel Visions, where a soon to be demolished bypass tunnel from the 30’s was adorned splendidly prior to the wrecking ball of progress.
Ellum in the 80’s and 90’s was certainly some of the most fun times of many of our lives and as captured in some of these stories here and there are more in greater detail as well as many stories from Ellum days and Life in the book. I encourage everyone to pre-order a copy and sign up and prepare for reunion parties in Dallas in June 2025. Thanks for reading and keep rocking. Everyday is a gift!