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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    inw
    Posts
    1,282

    RIP Ginny - Chicken Shit Bingo

    an Austin institution has passed.

    Ginny turned a small, unassuming bar with a church steeple in a non-nightlify part of town into one of Austin's great, if tiny, honky tonks.

    every Sunday 4-8pm Dale Watson and his band would wedge into the corner with the electrical outlets and the 8-track and play to a breathing room-only crowd and honeys spinning on the 8'x8' "dance floor".

    each hour on the hour Dale would slow lead in to the next bingo call and Ginny would sneak out the back to grab the chicken from its parking lot coop. for a few bucks a ticket the line stretched out the door.

    bottles of lone star were flying over the bar at $2 a pop.

    Ginny dropped the bird on the caged 4'x8' plywood sheet gridded and marked with numbers.

    Dale handled emcee duties until the bird carefully selected the winning digits. Ginny called out the number and Dale took it from there. Dude coulda been a game show host if he'd wanted - honky tonk Bob Barker announcing the winner, interviewing them a little, handing over the money, nice and slow.

    As the crowd refilled on lone star Dale snuck in a bathroom break and a swig of something and he was back on his stool ready for the next set.

    it was a show, a business. but, man, it was predictably and unfailingly fun and easy going. everyone - locals, newcomers, tourists, journalists, bikers, two-steppers - everyone was having fun and just being easy. i met a lady there once with a suitcase. "what's that for," i asked. "oh, we're heading straight to the airport from here."

    meeting Ginny one time was a kick. i was on a first date. it was a weekday - crickets inside. all suave, i eyed my table and drop-slid my keys down, letting em slide to the wall....and into a hole in the paneling. they dropped down into the fucking wall. and my date, who i hadn't even said hello to, saw the whole thing.

    Ginny was behind the bar so i went up and asked if i could borrow a screwdriver to take off the panel. nonplussed, she reached under the bar, handed me the tool and let me proceed to take off a piece of wall like it was a normal thing.

    meeting Dale was a life highlight. dude embodied all i loved about Austin.

    but maybe the best thing about Ginny's - i met my girl there. she danced with a friend that night. and i was actually hot for her sister. we all went out for bbq and closed out the joint. but she and i soon became dance buddies and a few years later it became more.

    my current life would be very different if Ginny didn't decide one day that a chicken shitting on plywood surrounded by buzzed people in a small space way out compliance with fire code was a good business idea. I'm grateful for Ginny. rest in honkey tonk.

    https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.aus...amp/4090569001

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
    Location
    in a freezer in Italy
    Posts
    7,183
    Cool writeup thanks. RIP Ginny.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    General Sherman's Favorite City
    Posts
    35,250
    That’s a fantastic tribute. The keys bit had me laughing out loud. RIP Ginny, sounds like a hell of a place.
    I still call it The Jake.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Posts
    3,581
    Good write-up. Damn, another Austin treasure bites the dust, and I’m sad to say I never even heard of it until now. Sounds like a hell of a joint!

    I’m a little more torn up over Threadgills closing this year, too. 2020 sucks!

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