MIDNIGHT RIDER JANUARY 2012 - For Music Lovers and Bike Enthusiasts!
by Steve Thompson
The most fun I had riding in December was on a
day during the week when I rode by myself. I don’t do that often, but it is good for my soul to do that once in
a while. I rode about 300 miles that day on all of my favorite roads north of FM 1488, with stops at Kruzzers, Dobbin
City Hall, Drifters, and Yankees.
The most fun I had with live music in December was at Kruzzers on December 10. Heated Frenzy
played for the Montgomery County Trail Riders who were camped there. The dance floor was packed all evening as Heated
Frenzy played country and Texas rock/blues with Jimmy Wilcox sitting in for a set. It was standing room only. They
will be back on January 14 for the premier of an all new Southern Rock & Country show by Heated Frenzy & Mike Maker.
Mike Maker was formerly with Heated Frenzy for 12 years, and left to pursue other musical interests about 2 years ago.
It should be fun listening to Mike and Mark do the Southern Rock anthems with dual guitar solos, and their 3 and 4 part harmony
country songs.
2011 has been an interesting year in a lot of different ways. We found ourselves outside listening to music or riding
in 100-degree weather much of the year. Funny how you adjust to things like that when your choices are simple: Ride
in the heat or don’t ride. I’ll take the heat and like it better than not riding any day. So I rode
early or late, and found a cool place to sit in the shade and drink beer during the middle of the day on the weekends, either
listening to live music or playing it. Then right when everyone was thinking, “it can’t get any hotter”,
there were the fires. Despite all this negative energy, a lot of good things happened north of the border in 2011. Texas
Thunder became a significant live music venue with bands like Soul to Soul, Red Dog & the Fleas, Heated Frenzy, Texas
Twister, Dan Golvach, Blue Flash, JB Bullion, and others. And before we knew it, Vince and Dorothy moved their business into
the old Ray’s place on FM 1774, and named it Kruzzers. With 2 stages, a kitchen, lots of space, bike parking, and live
music two or three times a week, they have provided us with an even better choice destination to stop and have some fun. Drifters
new owner, Eric has continued the Tom and Denise Albritton dream, and turned it into his own, with a steady flow of upgrades
and additions to the fun offering of live music every Saturday and Sunday, and a much improved kitchen operation. Shifters
opened on Treashwig in the old location of the Crown Club just off Cypresswood. Live music there has awakened a neighborhood
music lover crowd that developed a reputation for good times there and at the old Westfield’s by the Railroad down the
road, which is now Hardy Street Tavern. The Sunday Jam at the Jailhouse has become a more popular stop for bikers, as Charlie
Parker is moving into his third year hosting that. The old Beaches club on FM 249 has been remodeled and opened as Rock Bottom
with occasional live music on the weekend, plus a Thursday night Jam session hosted by James Henry and Edison Freeman. Cheers,
in Tomball has started having bands regularly, and the Lone Star Ice House continues to have Saturday night performances on
the deck, weather permitting. A number of other clubs have discontinued live music due to the economy, and we wish them good
luck and a speedy recovery so they can rejoin the rest of these great places as live music venues. Please take an opportunity
to stop at these places, and thank the proprietors for providing us with live music in these tough times. The Conroe
Catfish Festival provided a great live music lineup in 2011, and had a special, dedicated live music “BIKER SUNDAY”
in October. Watch for it next October. These are the people that are dedicated to live music, and several of them are excellent
motorcyclist destinations. I am looking forward to a great new year of music and motorcycling! HAPPY NEW YEAR!
