Check Out "Blues Night" At The

Viscount Ballroom

Elegant Venue Continues To
Host Blues Acts

Have you ever been to a real ballroom? How about a turn-of-the century ballroom with high ceilings, blown glass chandeliers and torch lighting? On any given day you can walk down East Burnside to the corner of 7^th. Next to a vacant lot which is used for parking, you will find a venue that is in an offsite location, even though it is on the main street. People hardly notice what is going on there as they pass the building. In fact, you wouldn't even know that the Viscount Ballroom is housed there unless you read the name on the glass door or caught a glimpse of the red and blue neon sign on the side of the building. The Viscount Ballroom is located in the Wesley Building, named after the son of Russ and Denise Ward, the owners of the building. Also located in the same building is a vintage store with the front piece of a pink Cadillac peeking through the window. Two dance studios where you can learn salsa, swing or tango are also located on the ground level. As you walk inside the ballroom you get a feeling of returning to the past.

"Your first foot in the door makes you feel like you've walked back in time a hundred years," said Jan Bisconer, former CBA Board member. "It's so spacious and elegant." "It's serene and comfortable." Those were a few of the comments made three weeks ago when the Viscount Ballroom held the Blues Night kickoff which attracted over a hundred people. Walker T. Ryan, from Eugene, opened with an acoustic act, singing Delta Blues. The band performing for the evening was Bill Rhoades & The Party Kings.

Built in 1909, the Viscount started out as a Masonic Temple. Over the years, it was sold and a couple of events were held there. It has only been in the last two and a half years that the Ballroom has taken on the mood of the 1940s since Eric Cila, the club manager, hires Big Band orchestras to perform on Fridays for Swing Night. Not only are the surroundings nice, but people actually want to dress up, although it is not a requirement. It is not uncommon to see men wearing fedoras and pinstripe suits, while you might see the ladies dressed in a more feminine vintage dress or skirt. The first thing to do is check in your coat and/or purse. You can feel relieved knowing you don't have to keep an eye on your personal belongings all night long. Continue into the main ballroom and you will see a roomy wooden dance floor. The thick velvety red drapes hanging on the wall look like they came straight from Scarlett O'Hara's plantation in Gone With the Wind. A silhouette of a big city is projected onto the wall. Since it is a ballroom, it is surprisingly nice to find that two bars and a restaurant are on the premises. At the end of the main bar you can enter a room where smokers congregate so it makes non-smokers feel like they are in a non-smoking venue. The second level is where more dance lessons are taught. Upstairs, called the Balcony, there is also a second bar. You may choose to enter an additional room which resembles a pool hall. You can play a game between the band's breaks because the pool is free and there are five pool tables. There is an exceptional view of the dance floor and stage from that location. On both levels the lights are dimly lit as small dining tables display candles.

The bands who performed on last month's Blues Night were former CBA Muddy Award winners. They included: Bill Rhoades & The Party Kings, Paul DeLay & Friends (the friends included Janice Scroggins, Peter Dammann, and Kelly Dunn), The Hudson Rocket Band and The Robbie Laws Band, as well as another acoustic act by Johnnie Ward.

An outstanding lineup is also included for the month of June: Margo Tufo on the 6^th, Lucky Devils, featuring Jimi Bott (of the Fabulous Thunderbirds) on the 13^th, a special show entitled "The Ladies Sing the Blues" on the 20^th with special guests Duffy Bishop and Lily Wilde, and after a year's absence from the Blues scene, Li'l Lynne & The Smokin' Soles on the 27^th.

The Viscount Ballroom, located at 7^th and Burnside, is for ages 21 and over. Zydeco dance lessons, which are included in the price of admission, begin at 7:00 p.m. The show begins at 9:00 p.m. Admission is $5.00. CBA members will receive a $1 discount with a current membership card, except on June 13^{th, when} they will be admitted FREE. For more information, call 503-233-7855 or visit the Viscount Ballroom Web site.