Doing a bit of personal research on Albuquerque Downtown (‘New Town”) entrepreneur Joseph Barnett and the nightlife transition from saloons to movie houses that took place before and after New Mexico’s statehood. Instead of a single, comprehensive look, let’s “blog this thing” and keep 2024 attention spans in mind. Joseph “Joe” Barnett did a great… Read More Joseph Barnett and the St. Elmo Saloon

Remember back in 1975, when America was still great (i.e. before Jimmy Carter and solar panels on the White House roof) and attendees at a so-so rock band concert “rioted” at Albuquerque’s Civic Auditorium and police “threw smoke and gas bombs” at said attendees? Yeah, that happened… Here’s a short glossary regarding the story above:… Read More The Grand Funk Railroad Riot of 1975

When I moved here in 1993, age 31, my criteria for what makes for a great town was a little different than it is in 2024, at 62. I’d probably place it somewhat lower today, but upon arrival in ’93 I had my doubts about this place until I stumbled across (perhaps literally) the jukebox… Read More Jack’s Lounge Jukebox: One More For the Road

Albuquerque’s City Commission passed legislation on August 18, 1963 outlawing housing discrimination as outlined thus by the Journal the next morning: As emergency legislation, it went into effect only eight days after unamimous Commission passage. The story was front page news: Just as ABQ had done with passage of anti-discrimination legislation for public accommodations in… Read More Gap Between Civil Rights Law and Getting Civil Rights

As the nation enters into its 37th federally observed Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Weekend, it’s important, and often uncomfortable, to remember that something becoming a law or a person having a federal holiday named for them doesn’t mean everybody suddenly becomes enlightened into knowing it’s a good idea. That goes both at the time… Read More ABQ Housing Discrimination, Chapter .1 of Many

Today, a clock stands at pretty much the southwest corner of Albuquerque’s “Civic Plaza,” which I put in quotation marks primarily because it’s such a bland, uninformative title desperately calling out for some pizazz. Maybe “Stolen Tiwa Land Plaza” or “John Lewis Plaza,” given that the great jazz pianist grew up here in South Broadway… Read More Mystery of the Missing Sculpture