The Lexington Scene
Hello all. This month I'm going to take a little step off the usual path of rock and metal and give ya a little info on one of the more popular "country" bars in town - The Cadillac Ranch. The Cadillac Ranch, opened four years ago by Brad Alford, a staple on the Lexington scene since 1987, has since hosted numerous local as well as national acts as they make their way across the country.
Thursday night is regional showcase night at The Ranch, with the bands playing for the door take, and Brad, along with his band Saddletramp, plays Wednesday through Saturday nights from 9 p.m. to 1 am with national acts filling in the schedule, depending on availability.
"Most national shows aren't scheduled for the weekends though," says Brad, "mostly due to the typically large crowd" already at the club.
Not wanting to be pigeonholed into just a "country" bar, The Ranch plays Top 40 and dance music in between bands' sets as well as bringing in many high energy local rock and national classic rock acts. Saddletramp's original music could be labeled "country" but they also dip into the rock well when needed. Bands such as Hank III, Starship and The Fabulous Thunderbirds play on the same stage where Confederate Railroad and John Michael Montgomery play.
The Cadillac Ranch has a complete in-house PA system and a large stage with a great lighting rig. If bands want to book a gig, you need to send your demo and promo pack to: Cadillac Ranch, 2320 Palumbo Drive Suite E, Lexington Kentucky, 40509, Attn: Brad Alford.
Brad is branching off into new territory with the upcoming opening of "The Sterling Saloon" in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, which will be a restaurant/bar that is acoustically oriented and also feature local and national acts. A songwriter night is planned as well.
Upcoming shows at Cadillac Ranch include Exile in October and Hank Williams III and Confederate Railroad in the months to follow. For more information you can visit http://www.cadillacranch.info, http://bradalfrod.com, or call the club at 859-335-8800.
On a little different note, Louisville's own Robbie Bartlett (http://robbiebartlett.net) has been tearin' it up down here in Lexington. Robbie recently appeared as the guest vocalist on the Kentucky Headhunters song "Everyday People" from their latest CD Soul and on August 9 she and her band played the Second Annual Lexington Family Reunion at the Red Mile. On September 26, Robbie will be bringing her brand of rock, blues and jazz to The Coach House here in Lexington from 7:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m..
That's all I've got for now. Check back next month when I'll be back into the rock scene with the release of the new CD by Psycho Bitch Magnet and more bands to see when visiting Lexington.