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| Title | Connections, Vol. 2, No. 1, December 1979-January 1980 |
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| Publisher | Gay Community Services |
| Date | December 1979-January 1980 |
| Language | English |
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| Identifier | OCLC: 5962584 |
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| Rights | No Copyright - United States |
| Note | This item was digitized from materials loaned by the Gulf Coast Archive and Museum (GCAM). |
| Title | File 007 |
| Transcript | TEX'S COLORADO STREET BAR As I walked toward the newly painted two-tone gray building at Uo^ Colorado, I could hear the sounds of hammers, saws, j.^ckhammers and all kinds of power tools. They have been working day and night for months, transforming an old warehouse into Tex's Colorado Street Bar. Inside, it looked like I had stepped into an apartment complex under construction. Lumber, pipes, power tools, machines and workers were everywhere. The old warehouse has been gutted, leaving one cavernous two story space. A balcony around the entire perimeter is nearing completion. The raised platform beneath it, which will enclose the dance floor filling most of the room has been started, as have several bars. The finished double staircase taking up the south wall waits for a permanent stage to be built in front of it. The main entrance stands at the other end of the building, opening into a large courtyard off the . alley. A large patio is being built here. The stairway to the basement is blocked off. It will be renovated and opened later as "a surprise". The ceiling is a maze of electrical connections. But It will soon be hidden by a grid holding hundreds of lights. The club will boast a 6^-channel, computerized light system which offers more than 3000 different light combinations. It can respond to sound vibrations and is capable of being reprogrammed to change the light show at will. Disk jockeys are Kerry daggers of Dallas and Austin's own David Drake. They will be playing the latest disco and dance-rock from New York, California and everywhere. "If we think a song is ready for Austin, we'll play it as much as they want." Manager .Mark Williamson promises many weekly and nightly surprises and specials for Tex's patrons, such as bar drinks as low as 35 cents. Even though there will be no plans for regular drag shows, there will be a SPECIAL EVENT NIGHT once a month which is set aside for shows with "dazzle and brilliance." Mark says the philosophy behind Tex's Colorado Street Bar is simple: "We; don't intend to be the only gay disco in Austin. Just the best." —Ron Moss THANKS AUSTIN! TEX'S COLORADO STREET BAR WOULD LIKE TO THANK AUSTIN FOR COMING TO OUR OPENING. Please bear with us while we're finishing up! SEASON'S GREETINGS from the Management and Staff 404 COLORADO STREET OPEN If you were there, you'll know what I mean when I tell you that all the studs in Austin and the surrounding country were there under the roof of Tex's Colorado Street Bar on opening night. I was still a block away when I started feeling it. There was an energy in the air you could cut with a knife. The very sidewalk was pulsating with it. Streams of hot men were converging on the newly gleaming gray building at UoU Colorado. The crowd sept vibrations, sweeping me into the alley, through a courtyard with trees decked with winking lights, past a sign saying, "Excuse the mess, it takes a little longer to be best", and I was THERE. Energy was at a fever pitch. Giant speakers pulsed every subtlety of bass through the room. A superb treble blended with excited shouts. Imaginative dances were already being performed on the floor. Strobes flashed to the beat. Racing spotlights and colored flashes mutated into a cooling rainlike haze, which suddenly changed to rythmically pulsing reds, whites and blues; seemingly endless variations, some spectacular, some subtle. All exciting. Tex's combines that distinctive Austin feel with the best of Los Angeles-Sunset Boulevard ambiance. Drinks were on the house and everybody was getting down on the dance floor, stripping themselves of restricting tight shirts and other clothes. Muscled bodies gleamed under the lights. Imaginative dancers rendered movements which revealed much skill. A cool heat attenuated each throbbing beat. This bar is definitely for those into heavy action, those who know the beat of LA streets, Sunset Boulevard stretched into the depth of imagination. It's for those who have sauntered down more than one dark boulevar* with full expectation that someone will answer their expectations. Tex's may also be for lovers—but beware. The mood may well capture you, and who knows where or with whom you'll be when it does? Houston—move over. Your bars are only imitations. Dallas—forget it. One hot bar and home of heavy action has moved to Austin—the heart of LA-TEXAS. CONNECTIONS December 1979/January 196 |
| File Name | uhlib_5962584_v002_n001_006_ac.jpg |