Reason #18 Why I Heart The Cactus Cafe

The Cactus Cafe (site) in UT's campus union building is one of the best places to see an acoustic show. I discovered a new reason to love them last night. Max Stalling (site, myspace) was performing with his guitar player, Bryce Clarke, in an intimate acoustic setting. There wasn't a packed house (they had the tables out instead of rows of chairs) and the crowd was laid back and appreciative of the performance. Half way through the first set, a pair of ladies took seats in the back of the house and immediately started yelling out requests (for some songs that had already been performed). The Cactus' acoustics are such that even a small noise gets amplified, let alone a yell. On top of the obnoxious requests, one of them decided to "whoooooooooooooot" her way through the next couple of songs which lead up to the set break. During the set break, my wife and I debated leaving due to the presence of the obnoxious ladies who don't know how to conduct themselves in an intimate setting such as last night. Fortunately, the Cactus' manager Chris took care of things and did not allow them back in for the second set. A thousand thanks to you, Chris, a thousand thanks.

I'm not against showing enthusiasm for an artist or a song but there is a time and place for everything. The Cactus is not Gruene Hall or Stubb's or Antone's. The Cactus is more like going to church.

And, yeah, Max's show was excellent. Check him out when you get a chance...band or no, you won't be disappointed.