California Country Music Venue The Palomino Club To Ride Again For Benefit Concert

Revered California music venue The Palomino Club, which closed in 1995, will re-open on Oct. 8 for a one-night benefit concert.

The event aims to raise funds for the Valley Relics Museum, and will welcome artists including Palomino veterans Jim Lauderdale, Rosie Flores, James Intveld and his Honky Tonk Palominos, as well as members from the original Palomino Riders house band. Original Barn Dance founder Ronnie Mack, who hosted a monthly showcase there until it closed, will help to MC the event.

“The Palomino was the most important music venue for country music after the Ryman Auditorium,” Intveld says. “Country music stars from Buck Owens to Merle Haggard and Gram Parsons to Dwight Yoakam recognized the difference in the freedom, lifestyle and the California upbeat sound that originated out here where the Palomino was its headquarters.”

Located in a working class area of Los Angeles, The Palomino Club welcomed artists including Johnny Cash, Rose Maddox, Buck Owens, Glen Campbell, Emmylou Harris, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Linda Ronstadt. Other artists including Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, George Harrison, and John Fogerty also gave impromptu performances.

Flores adds, “The Palomino was an integral part of my social and musical life. I saw some of my biggest Honky Tonk influences there; owner Tommy Thomas gave me my first break after I won the talent contest four time in a row. I’m thrilled to be part of a special evening with my fellow songwriters and musicians from the best times in my life.”

In addition to the concert performances, the Palomino Rides Again fundraiser will feature a BBQ dinner, as well as numerous artifacts from the museum’s collection of country music and Hollywood history including original pieces from the Palomino, Nudie Cohen items, and one of the famous “Nudie Mobile” cars. Music memorabilia and specially donated items will also be available for auction.

“The roots of California’s country music scene were first planted in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley,” said museum founder Tommy Gelinas. “No place represented that more closely than the legendary Palomino Club so we’re thrilled to show off memorabilia that hasn’t been seen in almost 40 years.”

Other Palomino Club-themed events, to celebrate the venue’s 70th anniversary and California’s country music legacy, will be announced in the coming months including a panel discussion during AmericanaFest® 2018 with artists who played at The Palomino.

For more, visit thepalominoclub.com.