For the past year, Tuesday nights have been Honky Tonk nights at Empire. DJ Cheyenne McClanahan spins plenty of classic country and rockabilly vinyl all night, and there are $3 pork BBQ sandwiches and cheap drink specials available as well. It's always a good time, and it promises to be especially so tonight, on the one-year anniversary of this awesome event.
WHAT: Honky Tonk Night at Empire!
WHERE: Empire Dining & Lounge, 727 W. Broad St.
WHEN: Tuesday October 25, 10 PM
ADMISSION: Free!
In celebration of the past year of good times, we asked Cheyenne to give us a list of her Top 5 Honky Tonk records. See what she had to say after the jump:
I've been sitting in my bedroom, with records all over the place, deliberating over my top 5 Honky Tonk records. I'll preface this by saying I don't really play favorites with my records. So, these are the 5 albums I couldn't do Honky Tonk without. It was hard to whittle the list down to 5, and if you asked me to do it again tomorrow, I'd probably choose differently. It's no coincidence a lot of them are greatest hits albums--they cut down on the volume of records I have to haul. Here they are in no particular order:
1. The Greatest Hits of Hank Williams
I like to kick things off with a little Hank sometimes. Also, if it starts to get too rowdy (as it often does towards the end), he instantly calms everyone down.
2. Waylon Jennings - Greatest Hits
Duh.
3. Wanda Jackson -- In Person, Recorded Live at Mr. Lucky's
Straight rock n' roll peppered with some yodels. It just sounds right in a packed Empire.
4. Creedence Clearwater Revival -- Chronicle
Okay, so it's classic rock, but we all love CCR. We all know all the words to all their songs. It's just good ole' solidarity with your fellow Americans kind of music. Where else can you walk into a crowded bar in Richmond where everyone's singing "Lodi" in unison?
5. Willie Nelson -- Shotgun Willie
People loose their shit when I play "Whiskey River." I usually have some Evan Williams lined up before I play it. I always take a minute during this song to look around and see the dudes singing, embracing their bros with one arm, and hold their beers to the sky with the other.
So there you have it--that should give you a taste of just what you're in for if you head down to Empire tonight. Sounds like a great time, right? And with BBQ and beer thrown into the bargain, what more could you possibly want? We'll see you there!