Last Chance Dancehall, the second-oldest dancehall in Austin, has sat on U.S. Highway 290 between Oak Hill and Dripping Springs since 1946. But due to financial, structural and electrical issues, its owners are worried it might not be around for much longer.
Karl and Teresa Parker took over Last Chance Dancehall in August of 2019 in an effort to restore a traditional dancehall. Prior to that, the bar and dancehall had been known as The Little Wheel, I.V.’s and the 290 West Club, all drinking establishments with live music and dancing. The building itself dates back to a post office and general store in the late 1800s, which was originally located on Fitzhugh Road before the building was moved to its current location. Post-pandemic, both the business and the building have struggled to survive.
“When we started this venture, there were less than 200 dancehalls left in Texas,” Teresa said. “My dream was to find and resurrect a dancehall, keeping them alive for future generations. So, a little over two years ago, we purchased the dancehall. Then, we got hit with COVID-19, and that took away years of revenue.”
Money that could have been used for renovations and repairs was spent paying staff and performers during a time when profit for bars was scarce, Karl said.
“We took out loans, but they were small… by the time that we went for funding, we were told that most of the money had been given away already,” he explained. “A lot of the money we did get… we used loans to employ people. We tried to use that as a way to give back to the musicians.”
Focusing on helping their local community through the pandemic, neither Teresa nor Karl expected to be hit with additional, physical problems.
“Most of the infrastructure is 30 years old,” Karl said. “We took [the business] over knowing that. But we had a roof fire in January from the heating units that forced us to replace our entire roof, our three main air conditioning units are down and the outside siding has faded away in the Texas heat. Water and sewer systems haven’t even reached us yet, so we’re still having water delivered.”
“It takes money to make money, and this just depleted all of our resources,” Teresa said.
Operating Last Chance as both a bar and live music venue, the Parkers say they often feel as if they have been caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to pleasing and attracting customers.
“People don’t come out of their houses as much anymore,” Karl said. “Online, you see people complaining that live music’s gone away, and I try to remind them that we’re still here. But people want to pick their music; they don’t want music that’s brought in. It’s a weird dynamic, and sometimes, people hear the music start up and they walk out.”
The problem Last Chance faces is one reflected in many local, live music venues, Karl said.
“I don’t think anybody in our industry has really come back as strong as they were prior,” he continued. “We were doing four nights a week of live music before COVID-19; now, we’re down to Saturday nights. We used to have crowds that came in from 2 p.m to 2 a.m. ...Now, we’re reduced to three days a week, from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Like the rest of the industry, we’ve struggled to find staff and keep staff, even though we’re paying higher than the industry standard… we can’t sustain that forever.”
Karl said he and his wife have been reluctant to consider shutting down but said he sees alternative options dwindling.
“We’re trying to inch our way back, but all of the mechanical failures have made it really uncomfortable in the building,” he said. “It’s hard for us to even get people to pay a $5 cover charge… and then they turn around and complain about no live music. We just need people to listen to the music, appreciate the artist and tip them on the way out.”
“We’ve supported a lot of people, and they’re offering to support us back, but it’s going to take time,” he added. “Owning and running and trying to keep staff and pay the bills on an ever decreasing budget makes it pretty dire. Time’s just something we don’t have a lot of.”
For more information visit lastchancedancehall.com.
