Country Home
While I may be a high tech broad, I’m more comfortable with my redneck side. I love making websites, but I’m more at home listening to country music and watching NASCAR.
When it comes to music, nothing is better than a live show. I’ve been to quite a few concerts over the past couple of years … Love & Theft, Luke Bryan (twice), Jason Aldean, Jake Owen, Lady Antebellum. Those were fun and all, but I honestly would rather see a local or regional band at a bar.
Back in the day, my “country home” was Pistol Pete’s Saloon. It was in Moorhead by the Safari theater. It had a big dance floor and a big stage. The bathrooms left a lot to be desired, but other than that, I loved the place. I have so many memories of good times with friends there and meeting new friends. Playing air guitar on stage with Avalanche. Flashing Mona from the other side of the bar. Dancing. Darts. Drinks. Good times.
The bar moved a few times … 2 different locations in Moorhead and finally out by the fairgrounds in West Fargo. I spent a fair amount of time at 2 of those 3 locations. I still had fun but nothing like the original location. And then Pistol Pete’s closed its doors forever. That was a sad day for local country fans.
Since then, we haven’t had a real country bar in the Fargo area. Sure, there was Cadillac Ranch at the Hub, but as far as I’m concerned, that was just a bar that played country music. The Windbreak has country bands now and then, but when they play pop and other crap during set breaks … that’s not what I want. If I go to see a country band, I want to hear country during set breaks. Shotgun Sally’s has country bands too, but their setup is not very good if you go there specifically for the band, and they don’t play country during set breaks either. And don’t even get me started on No Bull Country Club.
We need another bar like the original Pistol Pete’s Saloon (but with nicer bathrooms LOL). A bar with a big dance floor … big enough for people to line dance in the middle and couples to 2-step around the outside. A bar with a big stage. A bar where the band plays Thursday through Saturday. A bar where friends can get together and have a few drinks and a lot of laughs. A bar where new friends can be made.
Friday night my friend Robin and I went to Shotgun Sally’s to see the Shane Martin band (Twitter, website). They didn’t start playing ’til 10pm, but we got there early so we could grab a spot at the bar by the dance floor (‘cuz there aren’t any other good spots to sit). When they went on their first break, one of the band members came over to talk to us. He actually remembered us from the last time we saw them there … which was February of LAST YEAR for Robin’s birthday. The lead singer remembered us too (or at least they remembered Robin LOL). Both guys talked to us for a while, and the bass player talked to us for a bit too. I bought 3 of their CDs (‘cuz I love their music), and the entire band signed the newest one for me. That’s why I love seeing bands at bars. They remember the people who come out to see them. But they only played Friday night. And they aren’t coming back to the Fargo area until February (just in time for Robin’s birthday again … heeheehee).
But since Fargo doesn’t have a real country bar, there aren’t very many places for these bands to come to play. There’s no where for them to build up a following (the regional ones anyway). This makes me sad.
And I KNOW that I’m not the only one that feels that way. Pistol Pete’s used to be PACKED. I don’t know where those people go these days. I miss seeing some of them.
I had more fun Friday night than I have in a long time. It makes me long for some place where I can go and feel like that more often. I miss the me that I used to be.
So … if anyone in the Fargo area that has the resources to open a new bar is reading this (or if anyone reading this knows of anyone who can do that), hear my plea … please, please, PLEASE open a real country bar somewhere. I don’t care if it’s Fargo, Moorhead, or West Fargo. I will show up. And so will a lot of other people. We need some place to call our country home.