Historians remember Stephen Talkhouse as the last king of the Montaux Indians of Long Island.
Since 1987, however, music fans in the Northeast have known Stephen Talkhouse as one of the best small clubs on Long Island. Built in 1832, and reputed to be a brothel at one time, Stephen Talkhouse has hosted an eclectic group of artists ranging from John Lee Hooker, Los Lobos and Marshall Crenshaw to Jimmy Buffett, Billy Joel and Loudon Wainwright.
A couple of years ago, the folks who own Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett began looking to open a second club in South Florida. It took a while, but three weeks ago the club finally opened at 616 Collins Ave., Miami Beach.
The Talkhouse, operated by a close group of friends, is not looking “to be just another trendy South Beach nightclub,” partner Loren Gallo said. Instead, the Talkhouse is hoping to establish itself as an intimate (225 seats) club featuring the diverse roster of musical guests its club in Amagansett has become known for.
“The place in New York has been quite successful for us,” Gallo said. “But we were looking for another location to complement our business in the Hamptons. This seemed like the perfect location. Just when business is up in Miami, it begins to fall off in the Hamptons.”
The Talkhouse, designed specifically for music and christened by Dave Mason three weeks ago, has lined up an aggressive list of acts over the next two months. The schedule includes:
Aug. 22 Former Jefferson Airplane singer Marty Balin.
Sept. 4-5 Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen.
Sept. 6 John Sebastian, lead singer and writer of the Lovin Spoonful.
Sept. 17 Roger McGuinn.
Sept. 18 Jorma Kaukonen, former member of the Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna.
Looking ahead, Gallo said the club will host a music festival at the end of September and beginning of October, which will host a number of acts including the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. In early October, acts from the Benson & Hedges Blues Festival will be featured.
“We hope to mix things up,” Gallo said. “There are always a lot of different things happening at the club in New York, and we hope this place becomes pretty much the same way.”
Sunday night, Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band will take the stage for an evening of Zydeco music.
— Whole note: Because this is the week that Elvis Presley died an overweight, pill-popping caricature of himself, we bring you information about the former King you can’t live without.
For instance:
Frank Sinatra once reportedly called Elvis “a rancid-smelling aphrodisiac.”
Dick Clark said, “The king of rock ‘n’ roll was Elvis; the father was Chuck Berry.”
Priscilla Presley was given the first of the limited-edition and numbered box sets on Elvis recently released.
Elvis played a sock-hop in Cleveland in 1955, and the headliner was Pat Boone.
The best song written after Elvis’ death was Me and Elvis, by Human Radio. Lyrics included, Me and Elvis never worried ’bout the cops/he flashed that badge he got from Nixon everytime that we got stopped.
Elvis is dead … or working the sidelines at a Pop Warner game in Tupelo.
— Half note: George Lynch, the metal guitar wizard formerly of Dokken, will play at the Button South Monday evening with his Lynch Mob.
The Mob’s self-titled second album, a follow-up to 1990’s Wicked Sensation, debuted at No. 56 on Billboard’s Top 200, and includes Tangled in the Web and Dream Until Tomorrow.
Lynch Mob also includes former Dokken drummer Mick Brown.
The Button has several other shows of note lined up the next few weeks, including: tonight’s appearance by Tora Tora, Cycle Sluts From Hell (Sunday), Ace Frehley (Aug. 29), Sophie B. Hawkins (Aug. 30) and Dead Milkmen (Sept. 17).
— Quarter note: Because this is the week Elvis died an overweight, pill- popping … well, you get the picture.
In stores this week is the soundtrack to Honeymoon in Vegas, which features 12 artists doing covers of 13 different Elvis tunes. Included is Bono (Can’t Help Falling in Love), Billy Joel (All Shook Up, Heartbreak Hotel), Willie Nelson (Blue Hawaii), Dwight Yoakam (Suspicious Minds), Jeff Beck (Hound Dog), Bryan Ferry (Are You Lonesome Tonight), Vince Gill (That’s All Right) and John Mellencamp (Jailhouse Rock).
— Fade out: Bob Marley gets the boxed-set treatment Sept. 22 when Island releases a four-CD, limited-edition package on Marley. The set, which will include a 64-page booklet, will include classics as well as rarities … Best Tour Name: Brewer and Shipley’s More Tokes for Old Folks Tour … Former Cock Robin founder Peter Kingsbery has released A Different Man. Included is a cover of the Rascals’ How Can I Be Sure … David Soul, Donnie Most and Jack Wagner. Sorry, I just had a flashback of TV actors who recorded bad albums … Ottmar Liebert plays the Carefree Theatre Aug. 28 … The Sextants play The Ambassador Club in Deerfield Monday … Livingston Taylor (James’ brother) plays a solo concert Aug. 22 at the Duncan Theatre in Lake Worth … Richard Elliot will be at the Carefree Oct. 17 … Sinead O’Connor’s new album will include a cover of Tammy Wynette’s Success Has Made a Failure of Our Home … The folks at Rhino have reissued a couple of Dusty Springfield albums, including Dusty In Memphis (her first recordings with the Memphis Sound) and A Brand New Me, which features the previously unreleased I’ll Be Faithful and I Can’t Give Back the Love … The No. 1 selling album in Australia is the original cast recording of Jesus Christ, Superstar.
