Monday, March 8, 2010

170 Nights Spent At The Cactus Cafe



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



3 comments:

  1. I love lists. This is a really fun list. Thank you. Peace, Valerie

    ReplyDelete
  2. What an awesome list! The Cactus has been such a consistently inspiring part of Austin (and my) life.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "Townes Van Zandt -- fri jun 28, 1991"

    I was there that night. Mickey White was his usual excellent self, and Townes was in pretty good shape, for Townes. At least he lasted the entire night that time! :-)

    The very next morning I pointed my Harley west, and the following afternoon I was riding through Raton Pass with Towne's voice echoing in my head: "Snowing on Raton..."

    Cool memories. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete