The remnants of a great gig
are shown at left, a matchbook
for Sam's Old Town Ballroom, in old-town Fort Collins,
Colorado.
Due to the fact that one of Cowboy Jazz's founders, Kate Bennett lived and performed in Fort Collins (a smallish college town about an hour north of Denver), Cowboy Jazz was quite popular there.
The band would use the town as a jumping off point, resting place, and ending gig for our Western tours.
In the 1970's and 80's, Sam's played host to the best class of mid-level touring acts. We were privileged to see such rising stars as Los Lobos, The Blasters and Joe Ely.
Like many of the great clubs from that era, Sam's closed in the late 80's, victim to stricter enforcement of drinking laws and new entertainment trends such as video, and DJ's.