Venue notes: Crystal Pistol, Tulsa OK

Defunct (early 80s?) cowboy bar, located at 725 N. Sheridan. Booker's name was Greg Sewell, and the club was owned by his mother-in-law. (Thanks to Greg Sewell.)

David Caylor, writing in Jan 2006, adds: "It was run by a woman named Charlotte, probably mid 40s-50 at the time. The Crystal Pistol was an enclave for an almost otherwise hostile, redneck, jock etc. (this was the early 80s) kinda place. I was quite young but wanted to have a band and drink beer, and at age 15 I could get in and order drinks and get a gig for one of the upcoming 'punk nights.' We sucked, but many bands came through town, and there were quite a few local bands that were great.

"There was a period where the Tulsa punk scene was really fun. I don't know where I would've hung out if it weren't for places like the 'Pistol' and various other venues that came and went. People were cool then, sort of. They were just glad you showed up."

Greg Sewell, in a Mar 2013 Facebook note titled TULSA "PUNK ROCK" : the first five years 1978 to 1983, elaborates:

East of Sheridan on the north side of town, a rough rowdy country & western honky-tonk with a well deserved reputation. Every weekend night The Crystal Pistol was filled to the gills with rednecks, shitkickers, and real live cowboys. On the week nights though, it was deader than a door-nail. The perfect place for desperadoes to hide-out in plain sight. Most of T-towns lynch mob thought it'd never work, punks and cowboys was too darn of a volatile formula. And thus, the great mid-western curiosity began. Not only did the mixture succeed, this weird juxtaposition thrived! With a whole dilemma of how to pin down blame? Location? Timing? Indifference? The ambiguities of divergent cultures? It would be of more than one opinion, above all else, that the owner Charlotte's tolerance, acceptance, and understanding were truly mystical ingredients. The refugees of the cave would forever be indebted to her.

The Three Rules For Bands Wanting To Book A Gig At The Crystal Pistol:

Rule 1. NO COVER BANDS

Rule 2. If you're a cover band, obscure songs only
     NO LAME-ASSED RADIO TUNES

Rule 3. If you play lame-assed radio tunes
     YOU'D BETTER MANGLE IT UP SO BADLY
     THAT WE WON'T RECOGNIZE THEM.

[Do you have more information about this venue? Please email me.]

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