Arlington Music Hall is kinda like Fort Worth’s Ridglea Theater – a historic movie joint transformed into a premier, contemporary music venue. Arlington Music Hall is celebrating its 70th anniversary, and general manager Mark Joeckel tells us about the venue’s role in grooming future stars. For many years, the hall was home to the Johnnie High Country Music Revue, a live show similar to the Grand Ole Opry. The irrepressible High wore gaudy Nudie suits and a thick pompadour and introduced local audiences to future stars Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, LeAnn Rimes, and many others. High died in 2010. Joeckel has been managing the place for the past year and has been booking a wide range of acts, including jazz, R&B, and swing bands. On the day we shot this episode, we were being joined by Steven Van Zandt, the longtime guitarist for Bruce Springsteen and actor on The Sopranos. Van Zandt and his soul band were set to play the music hall that evening and scheduled for a sound check at the time we were shooting Toast & Jam. I was stoked about the opportunity to jam with Van Zandt on our little video show, but, unfortunately, he had to cancel his concert (and the final leg of his tour) due to illness. We wish Steven all the best. It takes more than a no-show to derail Toast & Jam, however! Mark surprises us all by pulling out an old blues harp he hasn’t played in forever, and we knock out a song from Stevie Ray Vaughan’s debut album Texas Flood. Thanks for showing us around the theater, feeding us good whiskey, and playing a mean harmonica, Mark! You rock!
