Midland will revive the legendary Palomino in North Hollywood to its original honky-tonk glory on Tuesday, October 15th.
The iconic venue opened in 1949 and served as a launching pad for artists like Dwight Yoakam, Lucinda Williams, Jim Lauderdale, and Buddy Miller before closing in 1995. Artists who have headlined the Palomino, which would have celebrated its 70th anniversary this year, include Merle Haggard, Charlie Rich, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Emmylou Harris.
"Places like this are disappearing," explains lead singer Mark Wystrach in a statement from the trio's label. "So you want to remember, to grab the moments while you still can. We live for hardcore honky-tonks, and to bring that back to a place that's seen Gary Stewart, Freddy Fender, punk bands, Rick Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel, it's an honor to connect – even for one night – to that kind of past."
The Palomino's famous original neon sign will be on display the evening of the concert, courtesy of Valley Relics Museum.
"We are always looking to get to the roots," adds bassist/vocalist Cameron Duddy, "where the music seeps into every crack or corner, you never know what you're gonna feel. If the walls of the Palomino could talk, we'd probably camp out there. As it is, we're stoked to play on the stage where so many influences, heroes and hardcore punks have broken ground. For us, it's harvesting everything we love – and bringing the Palomino back to what it's known for."
"We believe in hanging onto the past," says Jess Carson. "Because there's an awful lot of wild, an awful lot of great and an awful lot of stuff you can't live down. We're hoping to make a little bit of all of that happen when they plug in the neon and open the doors for this! The idea we can bring an icon where so many of our heroes have played back – even for a night – is everything we try to do."
