I love dive bars. A finely aged neighborhood bar, open for decades — and one seasoned with a lineup of regular customers — is my cup of tea. I’ve researched dive bars for so many years and developed such genuine appreciation for the institution that I’m now hosting “Texas Dives Radio” on KZSM 104.1/KZSM.org Tuesdays from 2-3 p.m.
Yes — I believe dive bars are an “institution” and if you listen to the show, I’ll prove it. Without falling down any rabbit holes about what makes a bar a “dive,” and putting aside my personal standards for the number of years a bar has been around, its prices, and its attitude, it’s my professional opinion that a true dive has no agenda other than to open each day and serve its customers.
Yes — I called myself a “professional” and I have the bona fides to prove it: I’ve written about Texas dive bars for nearly 20 years. I composed a field guide to being a dive-bar regular for “Texas Monthly” and a bestselling book, Texas Dives: Enduring Neighborhood Bars of the Lone Star State, for myself. This is my fourth year as the dive bar columnist for Austin Monthly; and I give dive bar tours for — get this! — Airbnb.
Do you know who’s to blame for this fetish? You, my adopted hometown, which once boasted one of Texas’s greatest dive bars — the Triple Crown. Long gone now, the Crown felt familiar and comfortable. I made terrific friends there, some of whom I still have. We talked about everything including sex, politics, religion, and guns. We solved the world’s problems, although nobody asked us to, which is what made it so special. We shot pool. We played competitive Showcase Showdown
during “The Price is Right.” We gossiped about hyper-local news — even before this paper reported on it. And boy! The best jukebox ever.
My radio show is kind of like that. Sure, KZSM doesn’t have a pool table, but I squeeze the rest of that stuff and everything else, in no particular order, into about 55 minutes on Tuesdays at 2 p.m.
If that sounds unappealing then you’re exactly the kind of reader who should listen to my show. I love converting the unbelievers to the fellowship that’s found in these local businesses that also sponsor sports clubs, collect cash for charity, and open their doors during emergencies. Tune in and let’s keep the conversation going.
