Storytellers at The Kessler: Nirvana, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Eazy-E and More Untold Gems in Dallas Music History

Soon after the doors of The Kessler Theater opened on Saturday, July 5, the lobby bustled with a babel of music lore. Cottonmouth, Texas CDs lay next to a vessel for the “amount you wanted to pay.” The rumble of nostalgia and what is next lingered in the air.

The theater looped a montage of photos of late Dallas musicians and the famous who had crossed paths with Kessler Theater artistic director and Dallas music legend Jeffrey Liles, thrusting legacies from then into the now. Chadwick Murray, singer of Bastards of Soul, Dennis Gonzalez, Meat Loaf, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and David Bowie flashed on the screen; the images alone provoked conversation within the crowd that filled every space in the theater. A few minutes after 8 p.m., host Robert Wilonsky of The Dallas Morning News and Liles emerged and took their seats on stage. The two smiled, angled between two cameras set on stage to document the session as Liles reminded the crowd he was way too lazy to write a book. That’s why he decided to take the stage to share his stories in this reunion of what Wilonsky called the “Old Fuckers Club” to revel in their 35 years of shared shenanigans.

While the seats were filled with established creatives like Lee Parsons, bassist of Slobberbone and Josh Venable of the Edge 102.1, the impact of their contributions has not gone unnoticed by newer artists, including singer Remy Reilly up front at a reserved seat. Liles’ mother was also in the crowd. Many others came simply to support Liles, remember the days of Cottonmouth, Texas and bond with the music community. Not only were their decades of friendship to review, but the timeliness of the event did not go unnoticed. The event was held to celebrate the 40th anniversary of “the explosion of the scene.”

Around 1985, local music went from mostly cover bands to a sudden shift to original music. These groups, like the metal band Rigor Mortis, and a gallery of others from DFW suburbs, didn’t have the same sound, but they formed something revolutionary and unique.

Liles bounced rhythmically from one story to the next, sometimes chronologically, and other times on a tangent, but all resonated with the crowd. Liles’ resume is a lengthy one, having booked bands from all over DFW to play at a huge roster of venues like Nairobi, The Prophet Bar, Longhorn Ballroom and House of Blues Dallas. He brought music to new ears and looked back with an understanding that the fun and chaos of those times resulted in stories with depth and meaning.

In 1984, Greg Johnson burned a flag during a protest against the Republican National Convention in Dallas, where, ironically, the Dead Kennedys played just blocks from where John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Johnson was arrested but fought all the way up to the Supreme Court, arguing his First Amendment rights were being stifled. He won.

Other quips were lighter, like Eazy-E, who was part of N.W.A., being the first person he knew with a cell phone. Liles invited Eazy-E, whose name was Eric Wright, to eat Thai food and got the response, “I don’t have a tie.” Liles told him he meant food from Thailand, and it only got more hilarious from there.

Of course, the epic story of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, getting punched on stage by the stage manager at Trees was told in full detail. Many have heard this one but only what happened on stage. Liles filled in the gaps, starting with Cobain taking his time drawing on posters instead of autographing them for promo, actively showing his lack of excitement to be there. It was a slow and steady build that led to that infamous knuckle sandwich. Wilonsky masterfully connected the Cobain tale to wrap the night with one about Courtney Love. Love, at the time, was dating Edward Norton, who was occupying a corner in a house during Liles’ birthday party, not trying to draw attention to himself. Love, however, had other plans. She smashed her face into Liles’ birthday cake, knowing the spectacle it would create.

Liles had mentioned Screamin’ Jay Hawkins refusing to go on stage when he learned he’d be playing after Reverend Horton Heat because they had tried to upstage him once before. With a bone through his nose and wild wardrobe choices, it’s hard to imagine anyone upstaging Hawkins while singing “I Put a Spell on You.”

Attendees were asked to write a word on an index card before the show to inspire stories for the stage, but between Wilonsky and Liles, there was actually no need. These two friends could have filled hours more on their own. Around 9:30 p.m., Wilonsky announced the end of the show, holding onto the promise that there would be more another day.

As Liles said, we are lucky to be here today and to be here together. The applause at the end calls for a sequel, hopefully soon.