|
photo courtesy Wanda Van Dyk
Kevin Conner and Doug Koempel, circa 1977
UPON CHECKING MY
Facebook News Feed a couple days ago I saw this old photo of Kevin and
me mugging for the camera in front of the now defunct Ashton Motel and
Cafe in Ashton, Iowa. It had been posted by Wanda Van Dyk of Las Vegas,
NV.
Wanda's parents used to own the motel back in the '70s. And back in the
day, I along with Kevin, Wanda and good friend Beanie Kruse used to
compete in some pretty serious chess tournaments in the cafe!
Down the road about a quarter mile from the Ashton Motel & Cafe
stood the venerable Cedar Cabin Club. And club owner Al Mataloni used to
book the Memory Brothers at his club for four to six weeks at a time -
five nights a week. (Click here for a quick tour of Ashton and a look at the now defunct Cedar Cabin Club.)
Today it's hard to imagine that live entertainment would be supported in
a tiny community such as Ashton, Iowa five nights a week - but the
place was packed virtually every night.
And weekends? Fuhgeddaboutit!
On a Friday and Saturday night, that place was wall-to-wall people with a
9:30 PM turnaround! That means everybody in the club had to leave at
9:30 PM to make room for the next wave of folks!
Them's the good old days! I miss 'em!
But those velveteen outfits? Hmmm, that was a '70s thing! That's one thing I definitely don't miss!
| 
Comments