Down On The Corner

By Paul Moffett

While I've been working on early past issues - at this point, mid-1995 - preparing them for upload, I have been alternately floored and saddened by the number of music-related businesses that were in those issues that are now gone. Clubs, of course, come and go. Only the Palace Theatre, Stevie Ray's, Air Devils Inn and a neighborhood bar or two are still with us. How about this trip down Memory Lane: the Cherokee Blues Club, Tewligan's, Butchertown Pub, Dutch's Tavern, Twice Told Coffeehouse, Kelly's Lounge, the Colonial Gardens, Backstage Blues Cafe, The Flashback, Legends and Zena's.

The record stores from that period are all gone, including the venerable ear X-tacy, other than Underground Sounds and Better Days. Some music stores have held on but a number are now history, and a number are on life support. I've stopped trying to keep track, to be honest, as it is fairly depressing.

Interestingly enough, though, it seems that more current bands have scored some national reputation than those in 1995. Slint had broken up, leaving a small cult following and Will Oldham had released only three albums at that point, all under the "Palace Brothers" name — There Is No-One What Will Take Care of You (1993), Days in the Wake (1994), and Viva Last Blues (1995) — of which There Is No-One and Viva Last Blues appeared on Greatest Hits charts later. Johnny Edwards was still working with national groups, but mostly without a regular band; James Kottack, his former bandmate in Buster Brown, didn't join The Scorpions until 1996.

How well current bands taking a run at the national stage last remains to be seen, although Jim James and My Morning Jacket certainly have established themselves as major players, as has Oldham. The career track of both demonstrate what is needed to succeed: persistence, stamina and, of course, talent and luck.

In the meantime, I continue back into the past with older issues. It's interesting. You can find those issues back to September 1995 at www.louisvillemusicnews.net. Click the "Archives" button.

Grace Notes

Ralph Doaks died in Louisville on August 31, 2015. He was the lead singer for Tiffany.

Andrew M. Vititoe, 33, died in Louisville on August 12, 2015. He was co-founder and lead singer of the band Ultra Pulverize.