Bamboo Club
Status: Closed
Parish: Calcasieu
Location: Lake Charles
1000 Highway 14: 1970 Polk Directory: Fats Domino & Little Alfred played there, mentioned in Today’s Cajuns, Philip Gould.
From http://www.hechicero.com/louisiana/sundownplayboys.html:
“Lionel Cormier died onstage June 5, 1971, at the Bamboo Club in Lake Charles. The occasion was the city’s annual Cajun Day, one of several events held each year to celebrate with hours of non-stop French music and hundreds of cases of beer. According to stories, Mr. Cormier’s band, the Sundown Playboys, were in the middle of “La dernière valse (The Last Waltz)” when his time came. Contrary to the sometimes-encountered belief, however, he had just finished pumping out the Church Point Two-Step when he had his heart attack.”
From http://library.mcneese.edu/depts/archive/SWLAMusicians/encycloaj.htm: “The Bamboo Club was located on Ryan Street near Court Street in the 1950s. Later, the club moved to Highway 14. The annual Contraband Days festival was first held at the Bamboo Club, but later moved to the Lake Charles Civic Center.”
john cahill
used to go there in 68 & 69 while atteding mcneese always had a good time even if fights with soldiers from fort polk no places like that any more.
Stew Gotz
Went there in ‘67 when stationed at fort Polk – (no fights). Met a beautiful girl named Patti.
Jack Ware
BAMBOO CLUB was probably the largest night club in southwest Louisiana. Yes there were many fights there and many of them were with soldiers from Fort Polk.
I was going to see Otis Redding there is 1965 but he was a few hours late and I couldn’t stick around—-my loss. He did finally show up. It was just down the street from Freds Drive Inn where a lot of young people hung out, although Tom and Mac’s was THE hangout on Broad Street. Great times in Lake Charles back in those days.