"So Long Wong's" End of an Era All-Star Jam

A Valley institution closes its doors

Comments (0) By Mike Cryer Thursday, Apr 1 2004

Arguably one of the most vital and prolific live music venues in Arizona is closing for good. On Saturday, April 3, Long Wong's on Mill Avenue showcases twelve of the notable local bands that have gotten it attention over the years, including signature Tempe acts such as Dead Hot Workshop, Gloritone and rockabilly pickers Flathead, who will be celebrating -- or as the occasion warrants, consecrating -- the legendary club's closing. Other notable performers are the Piersons, Pistoleros and relative Tempe newcomers Fifteen Minutes Fast.

When the music's over: A dozen Valley bands jam Saturday for Long Wong's last show.
Emily Piraino
When the music's over: A dozen Valley bands jam Saturday for Long Wong's last show.

Details

Dead Hot Workshop, The Pistoleros, Gloritone, Flathead, The Piersons, Truckers on Speed, Ghetto Cowgirl, Fifteen Minutes Fast, Grave Danger, Steppchild, Los Guys and The Zen Lunatics are scheduled to perform Saturday, April 3. Gates open at noon, and admission is $12; proceeds benefit the Tempe Boys and Girls Club. The event also serves as the unofficial release party for the live "Scottistock" CD, featuring a number of participating bands that played at the benefit show for Piersons bassist Scott Moore in 2001. Call 480-946-3147 for details.
Long Wong's, 701 South Mill

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Local fiction writer MC Skittles, who's been a longtime regular at Wong's, quotes poet James Tate when he suggests that the final show at Wong's is "for the sake of all the great devout losers who've either played or frequented the club over the years."

The significance of the bar's closing extends beyond the local music scene. Long Wong's has stood vigil on the corner of Seventh Street and Mill for 20 years, and many of its patrons have watched as neighboring bars and businesses, such as the equally legendary Six East, have lost their spots on Mill to developers' greed. And when Wong's falls to the unyielding capitalistic nightmare that is the new Mill Avenue, it will not only be another blow to a suffering local music scene but could also accelerate the disappearance of downtown Tempe's fading authenticity.

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