Giddy Up, Albuquerque, And Get Yer Rawhide To The Saloon For A Puccini-Style Silver Anniversary

The “Best Of The Golden West” Kicks Off The Historic Venue'S Month-Long Birthday Party

\ Jan 12, 2006

2 min read

Grocery stores and movie theaters are pretty neat because you need food to live, and although you don’t really need movie theaters, they're cool, too. Music venues are mostly neater, though, because you can enjoy the soothing, and sometimes not-so-soothing, elixir of music while eating peanuts and getting juiced up.

That’s why you might want to help Puccini’s Golden West and the Historic El Rey Theater celebrate their 25^th anniversary. The Downtown venues became what they are today in the early '80s; the saloon transforming from a grocery store built in 1929 to a lamp store to a paint store to its current permutation, while the El Rey was built as a movie theater in 1941 and remained so until the '80s. Also attached to the El Rey is a space at the corner of Central and Seventh Street. It's currently being used as a movie set (supposedly; I think Richard Gere is in there).

The establishments will celebrate their 25^th birthdays beginning this Friday until the end of February with special performances by their musical staples, plus some special guests. Friday’s kickoff, titled the “Best of the Golden West,” is a saloon surf rock extravaganza featuring Surf Lords, Face Across the Floor, Captain Standish and Poor Man’s Ferrari. Cruise our Club Calendar or visit alibi.com for more events.

“Best of the Golden West” kicks off on Friday, Jan. 13, at Puccini's Golden West Saloon with Captain Standish, The Surf Lords and Face Across the Floor. Doors open at 9 p.m. Cost is $9.