One of Dallas' most venerable live venues is closing: Poor David's Pub, currently located at 1313 Botham Jean Blvd., will close by the end of 2025, "if not sooner," according to eponymous owner David Card.
Card, a beloved music benefactor in Dallas' music scene who has hosted thousands of musical acts big and small, but specializing in singers, songwriters, bluegrass, folk, blues, soft rock, and country posted news of the closure, pointing to issues that included the pandemic, but also his advancing age.
"This year I turned 85 years of age," Card said. "Also today I am announcing the closing of Poor David's Pub at the end of this year, if not before."
"The fact that my bones are aching, my feet hurting, my knees creaking, my hips are barking, and my patience with putting up with TABC, fire inspections, fees on all city services, etc. & miscellania is wearing superthin!" he said.
"But, wait! I'm not complaining, I'm just getting older!" he said. "Old Father Time is speaking to me, telling me this is a young person's game. I fear he is correct. No longer am I in the loop of the "hip" acts that's required to stay keen and alert to the NEXT BIG THING!"
He then listed his own favorite shows, in no particular order, with special memories highlighted:
- Arlo Guthrie- solo in the '90's.-Greenville Ave.
- Delbert McClinton in the '80's.- Greenville Ave.
- Doc Watson w/ Jack Lawrence in 80's, 90's- Greenville Ave
- Gary P. Nunn & Bob Livingston - 1313 Botham Jean during our 40th anniversary.
- Gatemouth Brown. 90's- Greenville Ave.
- BluesBusters- 90's- Greenville Ave.
- Allen Damron & Bob Gibson- 2900 Mckinney Ave.
- Richie Havens- 80's - Greenville Ave.
- Bugs Henderson, 90's- Greenville Ave. It was the night before he was going in for heart surgery.
- Shake Russell / Dana Cooper/John Vandiver- 2900 McKinney ave.
- Trout Fishing in America -90's Greenville Ave. Ezra Idlet balanced a full picture of beer on his head on top of a beer bottle! We have a picture of it!
- Jimmy Lafave-90's- Greenville Ave.
- Guy Clark at the 25th anniversary show 90's Greenville Ave. He said, "I gotta quit; I don't know anymore songs!" He played forever and ever!
- Rusty Wier, 90's- 1924 Greenville ave. If you had that first shot of tequila with him, you stayed ALL NIGHT LONG!
- Willis Alan Ramsey 90's- Greenville ave. He sold out 2 shows vis a vis the Rolling Stones in town! Take that, Mick!
- The Killer Bees before we left for Jamaica where they played at Sunsplash in 1987. Greenville Ave.
- Gamble Rogers, 80's- Greenville Ave.
- Byrne & Kelly of Celtic Thunder-2010's with violinist. 1313 Botham Jean Blvd. It was ORCHESTRAL !
- Robert Earl Keen, 12/10/94, two sold out shows on Greenville Ave. Each show finished with Merry Christmas from the family w/ everyone in the house singing along!
- The show I did at the Arcadia theatre w/ Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Mickey Newbury, Rodney Crowell & Jerry Jeff Walker! Probably the greatest songwriters show in the history of the United States! I challenge anyone to show me one better!
- Sara Hickman, Jimmy Webb, KNON Bluesfests, Mary Travers, Noel Stookey
- And oh so many more!
He acknowledged it was a lot of shows, "but how can you squeeze half of a century of promoting shows into a list of 50, much less 10?" he asked. "It has been a wonderful ride! But after having had too many memorials at Poor David's for artists who have passed on to that great unbroken circle in the sky, I think it's time to move on."
As of August 18, the club will have been at 1313 Botham Jean Blvd as long as it was on lower Greenville, — 21 years at each location. "That plus six years on McKinney Ave. = 48 years and counting!" he said.
"I must admit that it has been very difficult to come to this decision," he said. "How to extricate myself from something that I have been doing most of my life is packed with uncertainty. However, I am reminded of the words of my Latin professor: Tempus Fugit, Memento Mori! Time flies, remember mortality!I will not go quietly into that good night! Clare & I have many things to do. See grandkids in San Antonio, visit daughter and son-in-law in Austin, ski again with Richard!"
