The Good Son

My 40-something mother wanted to find a decent Dallas nightclub, so she found a tour guide: me

A A A Comments (0) By Sam Machkovech Thursday, Apr 7 2005

Sambuca Mom loved the spaciousness of this Uptown jazz restaurant, and we sat close to Shanghai 5 while the group performed near the long, accommodating bar. At this point, Mom and her martini transformed into music critics.

"Sam, this is... retro jazz!"

Sam Machkovech

All in a good night out: making new friends, below, and finding a shotgun shell, above

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"What does that mean?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I have no idea."

Didn't matter. Mom held up her hands to snap and dance in place while the rest of the crowd sat for dinner.

"I can't wait to come back," she told me. Twice. Adair´s By the time we reached this small, rowdy country bar in Deep Ellum, the clock struck 11, which meant Mom's energy carriage had turned into a pumpkin. The punk-inspired takes on country classics turned her off, as did the young crowd and smoke, and we left after only one beer, though a few ladies grabbed her on the way out and forced her into a final dance, in which they taught my dear mother how to "raise the roof."

During our long walk to our parking space, Mom reviewed the clubs we visited. "If you hadn't dragged me out, I would've been clueless about these places," Mom said. "And the best part was, I got to spend time with you." At that point, she actually pinched my cheek. Sheez.

Really, the big question--"Where can older people go out and dance?"--didn't matter in the end. No club we visited suited her tastes perfectly, but the experimentation of our two evenings made up for any lulls. So if you're an older reader and feel trapped by Dallas music spots that skew too young, Mom says stop worrying. Try something new. And, if you're lucky, bring a son along.