Damn, damn damn. The Fabulous Satellite Lounge will soon close its doors.
Soon, for the first time since 1977, the storied 3600 block of Washington Avenue will be without a live music venue. Among others, Rockefeller’s and Club Hey Hey have come and gone, and now, after ten years as a mainstay on the Houston rock/roots/country scene, it’s the turn of the Fabulous Satellite Lounge. Landlords Hank and Marilyn Zwirek, who run nearby Star Pizza and own the buildings that house Rockefeller’s and the former Leo’s, have given Satellite manager Dickie Malone an April 15, 2003, deadline to vacate the premises, and Malone says he doubts he will stay open even that long.
I don’t go to the FabSat very often, as the lack of seating, concrete floor, and proximity of the speakers all play havoc on my old and decrepit self. But I do have some great memories there of seeing Brave Combo, where the lack of seating is mitigated by the fact that it’s un-American and damn near impossible to not get up and dance throughout one of their performances, and Marcia Ball there, and I just get depressed on general principles when a great old venue like that goes away. It was bad enough when neighboring Rockefeller’s (where I saw a performance by the Blue Oyster Cult that had my ears ringing for a week) closed down.
I hope a deal can be worked out that allows the FabSat to exist in some form somewhere. It won’t be the same, but at least the owners have no plans to tear it down. Meantime, I’d better check their schedule and look for a good last show to catch there.
The Sat did a really good job of attracting good acts, but I never could stand the layout of the place and lack of ventilation.
I’ll still miss it, though.
Whitlock