Basically Houston's version of CBGB. Most likely with the same fate, it seems. I played my first gig ever at Zelda's before I was old enough to drive. Probably freshman year of high school. We piled all our gear into our bass player's Dad's blue van and he dropped us off at the door. We felt like we'd really "made it" because they even printed tickets to sell and they had our band name on them! Bunch of 15-year olds trudging through covers by The Police, REM and The Cult. Good times.... Saw a few bands there in the 90's, but always made the trip from Huntsville to see one band in particular called Ten Hands. Those guys were so good.....kind of a mix between Frank Zappa and James Brown. Spent many a night in the front row upstairs watching those guys, singing along to those crazy songs, marveling at their amazing drummer and percussionist (Earl Harvin and Mike Dillon) and of course slam-dancing to Amoeba.
I saw Dr La Soul there and it was one of the craziest shows I've seen - the crowd was so hyped and was going nuts for the DJ spinning records. DLS was amazed by the energy of the audience and kept saying 'y'all some hyped MFers' - I swear the whole place was shaking.
It probably was LOL. It's a rickety 100 year old building. Intimate venues like Fitzgeralds provide decidedly more hype than nice venues do. They aren't as comfortable (undertstatement), and aren't built to maximize income, but good shows get absolutely crazy with a fairly small number of people. One small passionate group of fans and the electricity gets contagious.
My memory is a little fuzzy from that period...was Walter's the one that was the old movie theater? I spent a lot of time on Washington but it was mostly at Rockefeller's (one of my best friends ran the box office) and Satellite Lounge. Urban Art Bar was a great downtown venue, too.
Man never forget the amazing times I had with an ex fwb of mine there circa 2005-2006. A pair breasts like you would believe @Jontro
The band I was with used to pack that place out in the early 90’s - did a Texas Funk Syndicate concert or two upstairs. Those were great times. I haven’t been there in almost 15 years but still sad to see it go.
THIS Digable Planets at the Alabama Theater opening for Gang Starr and solo Q-Tip, same full jazz band was on stage all night.
RIP - the first show I saw there was Pain Teens. Bliss Blood whipping a guy onstage..oh the fun. great memories for a teenager in high school.
I had to dig up my old concert log, and apparently I've only been there twice. Once to see Superchunk on November 13, 1999. And once to see Guided by Voices on November 19, 1999.
Great band, great song. There's so much stuff I just don't remember. What else is in your concert log?
