By Peter Blackstock
Writing about the value of the Cactus Cafe in my previous entry got me to thinking back on some of the shows I've seen there, and so I dug out my trusty show-logs to help rekindle those memories. Since the fall of 1988, I've kept a list of every musical event that I've attended, which makes it possible to go back and compile lists such as the one below.
This isn't the complete record of my Cactus experience, since I saw quite a few shows there from 1985 to mid-1988 before I began keeping my logs. At 21 years, though, it's fairly extensive. Take a look; perhaps you were at some of these shows too.
I've listed them alphabetically by artist, with the date of each show attended following the artist's name. (The dates lean heavily toward the late-1980s and early-1990s, since I lived in Austin at that time.)
FROM 1988 TO 2009:
170 NIGHTS SPENT AT THE CACTUS CAFE
Abi Tapia -- sat mar 15, 2008
Abra Moore -- sat feb 17, 1996
Alejandro Escovedo -- thu nov 10, 1988; sun nov 20, 1988; sat dec 9, 1989; fri jan 19, 1990; sat july 14, 1990; fri nov 9, 1990; fri feb 8, 1991; fri mar 12, 1993; sat aug 28, 1993; sun feb 12, 2006
Alison Rogers -- sat dec 8, 1990
Amy Rigby -- sat mar 18, 2000
Andy Van Dyke -- fri oct 13, 1989; thu oct 25, 1990
Ani DiFranco -- sat jun 22, 1991
Ann Powell -- wed nov 30, 1988
Austin Lounge Lizards -- fri jan 11, 1991
Balloonatic -- sat july 7, 1990; wed may 8, 1991
Barbara K -- fri feb 21, 1997
Beaver Nelson -- fri apr 26, 1991; fri jun 28, 1991; fri sep 20, 1991; fri feb 19, 1993; thu feb 13, 1997
Bedlam Rovers -- tue apr 9, 1991
Beth Orton -- fri mar 17, 2006
Betty Elders -- wed sep 5, 1990
Big Blue Hearts -- fri mar 17, 2006
Bill Morrissey -- thu mar 15, 2001
Billy Joe Shaver -- thu mar 16, 2000
Black Francis (a.k.a. Frank Black) -- thu jan 11, 1990
Blackberry Winter Boys -- tue nov 7, 1989
Bob Neuwirth -- sat dec 16, 1989
Butch Hancock -- fri mar 3, 1989; wed jun 14, 1989; wed oct 4, 1989; wed jan 31, 1990; thu feb 1, 1990; fri feb 2, 1990; sat feb 3, 1990; sun feb 4, 1990; mon feb 5, 1990; thu sep 6, 1990; wed dec 5, 1990; sat apr 13, 1991; sat july 20, 1991; fri sep 20, 1991; fri nov 4, 1994; fri feb 24, 1995; sat feb 25, 1995; fri feb 16, 1996; sat mar 9, 2002; sat mar 8, 2003; sun feb 12, 2006
Butch Hancock & Jimmie Dale Gilmore -- wed feb 13, 1991
Cactus Cafe Orchestra -- tue oct 16, 1990; thu feb 27, 1992
Camp -- tue nov 1, 1988; tue feb 21, 1989
Chris Armstrong -- sat mar 18, 1995
Chris Burroughs -- sat mar 23, 1991
Chris Chandler -- tue sep 18, 1990
Christine De La Garza -- thu july 19, 1990
Cliff Eberhardt -- thu oct 11, 1990
Cowboy Junkies -- sat aug 18, 1990
Damon Bramblett -- sat feb 17, 1996
Daniel Johnston -- thu mar 17, 2005
Darden Smith -- fri jun 16, 1989; sat sep 9, 1989; sat nov 18, 1989; thu mar 5, 1992
David Garza -- sat july 6, 1991
David Halley -- thu nov 10, 1988; thu feb 16, 1989; fri apr 21, 1989; thu july 20, 1989; thu jan 11, 1990; fri may 4, 1990; sat aug 18, 1990; fri july 5, 1991; fri july 19, 1991; fri aug 27, 1993
David Rodriguez -- sat aug 17, 1991
Dick Siegel -- sat feb 25, 1995
Dirk Hamilton -- fri mar 12, 1993
Ed Miller & Rich Brotherton -- wed feb 22, 1995
Eliza Gilkyson -- sat dec 16, 1989
Eric Taylor -- sat aug 17, 1991
Graham Weber -- sat mar 15, 2008
Grains Of Faith -- wed feb 21, 1990; sat july 7, 1990; sat may 11, 1991
Grant McLennan -- sat mar 18, 1995
Grapes Of Wrath -- thu jan 18, 1990
Greg Brown -- thu jan 24, 1991
Gurf Morlix -- sat mar 15, 2008
Guy Clark -- fri mar 24, 1989; sat july 21, 1990; tue dec 12, 2006
Hal Ketchum -- sat july 29, 1989; thu aug 17, 1989; wed nov 28, 1990; wed aug 14, 1991
Harry Dean Stanton w/ Michael Been & members of The Call -- tue oct 4, 1988
Hey Zeus -- wed aug 7, 1991
Hudson & Franke -- thu jan 19, 1989
James McMurtry -- wed july 26, 1989
Javelin Boot -- wed apr 3, 1991; wed feb 26, 1992
Jennifer Cook -- thu aug 30, 1990
Jimmy LaFave -- sat oct 13, 1990
Joe Ely -- sun nov 20, 1988
John Gorka -- sat apr 6, 1991; fri aug 30, 1991
Jon Dee Graham -- sat mar 23, 1991; wed jun 26, 1991; sat sep 14, 1991
Josie Kuhn -- thu mar 4, 1993
Julian Dawson -- wed sep 5, 1990
Kathy McCarty -- wed feb 19, 1997
Kevin Carney -- thu aug 30, 1990
Kevin So -- sat nov 16, 1996
Kimmie Rhodes -- thu feb 20, 1997
Kris McKay -- tue may 9, 1989; thu july 5, 1990; sat may 11, 1991
Leatherbag -- sat mar 15, 2008
Lisa Colvin -- tue jun 25, 1991
Lisa Mednick -- tue feb 27, 1996
Loudon Wainwright III -- fri may 11, 1990
Lucinda Williams -- sat oct 15, 1988; fri apr 26, 1991
Lyle Lovett -- fri jun 2, 1989; sat july 22, 1989
Make Believers -- tue oct 4, 1988
Marlee MacLeod -- sat mar 23, 1991
Martin Zellar -- fri feb 21, 1997
Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives -- fri mar 17, 2006
Mary Gauthier -- fri feb 10, 2006
Matt The Electrician -- fri oct 9, 2009
MayDay -- fri feb 26, 1993
Meredith Louise Miller -- sat mar 18, 1995; thu feb 13, 1997
Michael Fracasso -- sat apr 13, 1991; sat sep 21, 1991; fri mar 20, 1998; fri mar 17, 2000
Michelle Solberg -- thu july 19, 1990
Mike Hall -- sat sep 30, 1989
Mike Nicolai -- fri sep 20, 2002
Milo Binder -- sat mar 23, 1991
Nanci Griffith -- thu jan 19, 1989
Open Mike -- mon feb 20, 1989; tue aug 7, 1990; mon nov 26, 1990; mon apr 15, 1991; mon may 13, 1991; mon mar 2, 1992; mon mar 9, 1992; mon mar 8, 1993
Paddy Moloney & Darren Casey -- sat aug 30, 2008
Patterson Hood -- fri mar 17, 2006
Pete Droge -- fri mar 12, 1993
Peter Case -- sat sep 9, 1989; fri jan 19, 1990; sat jan 20, 1990; thu oct 11, 1990; sat oct 13, 1990; fri sep 15, 1995; sat nov 16, 1996
Peter Himmelman -- tue nov 8, 1994; thu nov 14, 1996
Peter Rowan -- sat feb 2, 1991
Poi Dog Pondering -- wed feb 15, 1989
Randy Erwin -- wed oct 11, 1989
Ray Wylie Hubbard -- fri feb 17, 1995
Reeva Hunter -- sat july 20, 1991
Richard Buckner -- tue feb 27, 1996; fri sep 20, 2002
Robert Earl Keen -- fri feb 10, 1989; thu may 4, 1989; sat july 15, 1989
Roger Manning -- tue feb 7, 1989; sat mar 23, 1991
Rory Block -- wed feb 26, 1997
Rory McLeod -- tue jun 11, 1991
Sara Hickman -- wed jan 18, 1989; thu oct 25, 1990
Sarah Harmer -- fri mar 17, 2006
Sharon Shannon -- wed mar 1, 1995
Shawn Colvin -- sat dec 9, 1989
Ship Of Fools -- thu aug 16, 1990; fri oct 19, 1990; sat feb 9, 1991
Shoulders -- wed mar 29, 1989; wed nov 15, 1989; thu jan 18, 1990; fri oct 19, 1990
Steve Forbert -- fri oct 13, 1989; sat dec 8, 1990; sat sep 21, 1991; thu mar 4, 1993
Stick People -- wed nov 15, 1989
Storyville -- thu feb 18, 1993
Syd Straw -- thu nov 10, 1988; thu july 18, 1991
Teddy Thompson -- fri mar 17, 2006
Terry Allen -- sat mar 8, 1997
Timbuk 3 -- sat sep 30, 1989
Tiny Lights -- mon jun 25, 1990
Tommy Womack -- sat mar 15, 2008
Toni Price -- fri feb 25, 1994
Toqui Amaru -- fri dec 1, 1989
Townes Van Zandt -- sat aug 19, 1989; thu jun 27, 1991; fri jun 28, 1991; sat mar 12, 1994
Townes Van Zandt Tribute with Butch Hancock & Friends -- thu mar 7, 2002; fri mar 7, 2003
Tres Chicas -- fri mar 17, 2006
Uncle Bonsai -- sat nov 12, 1988
Vic Chesnutt -- sat mar 23, 1991
Vince Bell -- wed feb 15, 1995
Will T. Massey -- fri mar 3, 1989; sat july 21, 1990; fri aug 10, 1990; thu feb 16, 1995
Woody Guthrie Tribute hosted by Greg Johnson -- wed july 17, 1991
Yolocamba I Ta -- fri nov 10, 1989