Rockefeller's on Washington Avenue to come roaring back to life again From the '80s until the late '90s it was a Houston rock staple

People line up to get into Rockefeller's at 3620 Washington Avenue in 1990. (Jerry Click / Houston Post) People line up to get into Rockefeller's at 3620 Washington Avenue in 1990. (Jerry Click / Houston Post) Image 1 of / 62 Caption Close Rockefeller's on Washington Avenue to come roaring back to life again 1 / 62 Back to Gallery

Soon Rockefeller’s on Washington Avenue will come humming back to life as a full-time music venue, according to word this week from one of its new bookers.

Rockefeller’s closed in 1997 but was reopened in 1999 as Rockefeller Hall with a tenant who focused on private events and weddings until late June 2014.

Opening in 1979, acts like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Roy Orbison, B.B. King, James Brown, Muddy Waters, Ray Charles, Warren Zevon, Dwight Yoakam, Bonnie Raitt, Widespread Panic, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds all played the venue near the corner of Washington Avenue and Heights Boulevard.

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It’s said that SRV’s "The House Is Rockin'” is about a killer night at the club, which was home to many, many Double Trouble gigs.

The neoclassical building was designed by Joseph Finger in 1925. The former bank’s vault served as the venue’s green room for artists. These days its neighbors are a hair salon and head shop.

At one point, Rockefeller’s was a part of a vibrant row of venues on Washington Avenue, which included The Vatican/The Abyss, Club Hey Hey, and the Fabulous Satellite Lounge. It fell victim to Houston getting larger, more high-tech concert venues.

In its heyday, artists would come and play multi-night stands, not just one-off gigs. By the late ‘90s acts could make just as much money playing one night at something like the Aerial Theater (the current Revention Center) than they could at Rockefeller’s. On to the next city…

No doubt many Houstonians have celebrated some great moments inside the former Heights State Bank, which was rumored to have been hit by the infamous bank-robbing couple Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1931. That was never proven, as most every bank robbery at the time was attributed to the deadly duo. It’s a fun story, though.

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One of those booking at the venue will be Jetspeed Production's John Escamilla. He’s long been a fixture in the Houston music scene and is excited to bring regular live music back to 3620 Washington.

It will still be available as a private event venue, Escamilla notes. A new stage is coming, along with a few other updates.

For now Escamilla and the management team are keeping future plans under wraps but the club's first big return show on Sept. 9 will be an SRV tribute act called Texas Flood, a heartfelt nod to the man who once made the walls quake and sweat.

Tickets went on sale this week on www.ticketfly.com.