The Back Room

Nope. Dan & Dave, as in Dan Burke and David Henry. The Back Room hosted a lot of original music in the Seventies, but I often dreamed I could find two cowboys who couldn't sing in more than one key and could throw beer bottles back at the audience. I realized that dream one night while I was sitting at The Back Room with two great national championship Texas Longhorns, Eddie Philips and David Ballew. We were a little the worse for wear late late in the night when two guys walked up and said "We're here!" I said "Who are you?" They said "Dan and Dave." "Sing Hold On I'm Comin'" "We said DAN and Dave." "Means nothing to me." We settled it by asking Frank Zigal, who was on stage to allow a guest set. They sang "Truck Drivin' Man" and "Texas Trilogy." I wasted no time in booking them and even convinced them to add an acoustic bass player, Hans Langsjoen, one of my high school friends who was, at that time, an emergency room physician in Amarillo (He flew to Austin every Friday for years. Later he was at Scott and White, so he drove.) They played for several years, even retiring and coming back at least once. Last I heard, Dave was working at the Williamson County Appraisal District, Dan was administrator of a school for troubled youth, and Hans was on the faculty at John Sealy in Galveston.

Joel Gonzales and I were bouncing at the Back Room many years ago. Ther were some wild night there, lots of fun. I still have my signed copy of Dan & Dave at the Back Room!