Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Ode to the Arcadia

Historic theater building burns, taking out several Greenville Avenue staples

By John Clarke

LOWER GREENVILLE — As I write this, what once was the best place in Dallas to see a loud performance by a rock band on their way up the charts is now burning down to the ground. Apparently, a fire started either in or next door to the theater and it got way out of control. By the time the blaze reached 6 alarms, there wasn't much the 125 responding Dallas firefighters could do but keep the fire contained and watch the flames burn out.

The Arcadia Theater first opened in 1926 as the premier Vaudeville/Movie theater in Dallas. It was a destination spot for entertainment starved Dallasites for more reason than one --- it was the only air conditioned theater in a famously hot city.

My mom, who lived on Martel Street in the mid-50's, used to see movies at the Arcadia. In the late 60's and early 70's, I believe the Arcadia had been reduced to showing porn movies. I'm pretty sure my Mom was no longer an Arcadia patron by then.

By the time I entered Mom's favorite movie palace in 1985, it had entered into it's third phase as a rock and roll venue. The Arcadia was perfect for musical performances --- even better than the nearby Granada Theater which is now used for this purpose --- because it had gradually elevated seating which is now called "stadium seating". You could lounge on the seats with your friends on the seats and smoke Marlboroughs or walk to a fairly large open area near the Arcadia's stage and scare the band.

The first show I saw at the Arcadia was a fantastic double bill of Guadalcanal Diary and The Dream Syndicate. In 1987, I saw Love & Rockets play the Arcadia with some weird opening band that screamed a bunch of nonsense and gathered around a log on stage and beat it. They were called Jane's Addiction.

The theater hosted tons of metal shows during the hair metal days in the late 1980s and early 1990s. My friend Tara, a new mother, loves to tell anyone who will listen that she once saw Saxxon and Armored Saint at the Arcadia. New mother or not, attendance at that Arcadia show gives her metal credibility for life.

In the mid-1990's, I'd long stopped going to the Arcadia. It had became a Tejano dance club. But the place was still a source of entertainment. I used to sit outside at the now closed London Tavern next door to the Arcadia and drink a pint or four with my friends as we watched short Hispanic guys in pressed jeans and high-heeled cowboy boots escort their finely appointed ladies in and out of the theater. It was a collision of cultures for sure, but one I thought made Dallas a great place to be. Both the Hispanic cowboy and the North Dallas suburban punk had both laid claim to the Arcadia Theater. That made me proud.

The Arcadia, as the flames were licking it's roof, was some sort of bar. I believe it's the Milk Bar and I'm not sure it was even open anymore.

What made The Arcadia great was it was just big enough to hold an audience who would want to see a touring act, but small enough that anyone could move up close enough to the stage smell what the guitarist had on his breath. I'd always hoped that someone would return the Arcadia to a music venue because Dallas is sorely in need of more medium-sized venues for performances. Denver, for example, has at least three old movies houses (four if you count the Fox Theater in Boulder) that have been renovated into concert venues and every single one of them stays busy.

Sadly, because the Arcadia was currently underutilized, it's unlikely that it will be restored. It'll probably be torn down and a bank will be built over its ashes, just like what happened to the beloved John's Cafe down the street from the Arcadia.

Sweet dreams Arcadia Theater. Thanks for the great rock shows and the porn.

This originally appeared on John's blog, It's Smelling a Lot Like Tuesday.

See more stories in:

None

Comments