The Pussycat Lounge



AKA - The Pink Pussycat Lounge (although it doesn't seem very pink)
Located in downtown Fargo, ND, this establishment is just outside the Greyhound station. I first "rode the dog" from Nashville to Seattle back in 1987 to visit my friend Toni. This is an arduous trip, taking three days of butt numbing energy. When you arrive, you feel nasty, but it is one of the more interesting ways to see the countryside because you stop in every podunk town between here and Timbuktu. If you ever attempt a journey like this, pack food (unless you want to eat road slop which has to be prepared quickly since the bus in leaving in mere moments), a book (lots of quality time), and portable music (when you don't want to talk to the crazy person sitting next to you).

On this trip, I flew back having not yet gotten that road hardened feeling into my blood. Two years later I would take the bus back from Seattle to Nashville in order to pick up my car when moving to the Emerald City of the Northwest.

"Halloween"

I was listening to a cool comp tonight called New Wave Halloween with tracks by Roky Erickson (personal fav!), The Dream Syndicate, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dave Edmonds (?), Dead Kennedys, MX-80 (with a rockin’ Theme from Halloween cover) and a few others, not the least of which was Sonic Youth.

Flash backwards to the late 1980’s when I was working at Tower and used to cruise with a young woman named Kat. Hailing from Kentucky and heading towards Chicago (where she would hang with Al Jourgensen), Kat and I used to get off work at Tower (1 AM) and head down to Elliston Square (now The End) and drink beers and White Russians. Through her I was introduced to Sonic Youth and their song “Halloween”. She lived in some apartments just behind the Jackson Apartments off West End and had a huge poster for Sister (or maybe it was Daydream Nation) on her wall. Incredibly raucous, but lulling and rhythmic at the same time, Sonic Youth has continued to be a favorite of mine over the years. Perhaps I’ll recount my experiences seeing them live with Jesus Lizard opening for them some day, but not tonight.

My favorite memory of hanging with Kat was when we drove to Bowling Green to see The Church play. Part of that memory lingers with me today because it was the loudest show I’ve ever been to (outside of Dinosaur Jr.) and I believe part of my hearing loss was suffered at said show. By the way, the show was fantastic if you like that neo-psychedelic sound which they embodied oh-so-well. However, the kicker was driving her SAAB all the way back to Nashville on Highway 31E in the middle of the night through all the shit kicker towns between here and there while listening to great industrial and goth tracks.

OK. Second greatest memory of Kat was when she picked up Judge Reinhold (he was shooting a movie in Mississippi and staying in Nashville for the weekends) and we all went back to his suite at the Vanderbilt Plaza and got smashed.

Any way, I’ve lost track of Kat over the years, but those will always be great memories.