From The Ashes

Six years ago, in March 2010, the Phoenix rose out of the ashes and became a bar again.

Originally built in 1871 the building housed several bars and saloons as well as several department stores, especially after prohibition put a temporary end to the bar business in 1918.

According to their own history chapter on their Phoenix Saloon website, one of the owners, William Gebhardt invented chili powder on these premises. Supposedly it was also the first saloon in Texas that offered service to women. At that time a revolutionary thing as most women weren't allowed to attend bars, saloons and honky tonks for their own pleasure and could only meet men in dancehalls. "Hell's Half Acre" in Fort Worth with its establishments and bordellos only catered to men, who came through the area on their cattle drives on the Chisholm Trail. Originally a war term, where the most bloodied and dismembered bodies were, it became an expression for the devil's sins and temptations.

Beautifully restored, an old original brick wall was exposed, the venue now offers libations and serves Chili, which was featured in one of the cooking shows on TV. Besides offering a lively nightlife as a bar with music during the week and on weekends, you may also encounter some haunted spirits that are alleged to be meandering in the 145 year old building.

Sources: thephoenixsaloon.com
This shot and others are available for publication at Dispatch Press Images.

Made It Clean

"I told you, I made the shot, clean. No I did not touch the four ball on the way to the hole." The statement is imagined but it goes well with image. That said I feel comfortable and love to shoot in bars, there is something special about it.

And the only way to improve your aim and your shooting in pool, is HAMB - Hit a Million Balls. That said, I'm up to play next.

This and other shots of mine are available for publication through Dispatch Press Images.

Salud - En La Perla

This more than a moment in time. It probably soon will be in the very past. La Perla is one of the last Hispanic bars on the legendary East Side of Austin, Texas. With gentrification and condos came higher rent and a change in demographics. Rich kids, mostly working behind desks in the moving in, while families can't afford the raise in taxes anymore. House prices soar, what could have been bought below $100'000 a bit more than a decade ago, triple, quadrupled or even quintupled. And it's not unseen that an "old" 50-60 year old home is bought, torn down, razed and replaced with a "McMansion."

All this is called progress. Progress for what and whom. By destroying the dives and neighbourhood bars - well there aren't anymore customers anyway - part of the social fabric is gone. Replaced by anonymous sports and music bars. Don't get me wrong, where ever there is music, let's check it out. But no more families celebrating a quinceanera, where somebody would have brought fajitas or gabrito, where the six year-old would have made her first dance moves twirling with her dad, where a Mariachi or the jukebox were playing songs by Ramon Ayala, Vincente Fernandez, Juan Gabriel or local hero Flaco Jimenez. No more. No it's a battle of the bands. Loud, agressive - far, far away from the all encompassing family feel to the fake "you're-a-part-of-the-crowd-now"-illusion.

People move to the more affordable edges of town, into non-descript starter homes - as living in a family home for generations now demand that you start a new. "Little boxes" (Thank you Pete Seeger) in cookie-cutter neighbourhoods, where you don't know your neighbours anymore. No social life on the street or in the corner bar - well there are no corner bars.

It's a lament of the times. So next time walk across the tracks or as in Austin under the once dividing highway and soak in a different culture. And have a toast to the times that are gone.

This shot and other photography of mine are available through Dispatch Press Images for publication.