Musicians and Fans Give Ace's a Worthy Send-off

On Monday night, Ace’s Live in West Bradenton saw its storied existence come to a close. Owner Renee Bennett was forced to finally succumb to one of the most unforgiving elements of life: mathematics. Bearing witness to the final jam was a bittersweet experience, but one that I’m sure I’ll never forget.

Ace’s was more than a music venue. It was one of the last authentic Florida roadhouses, a place where over the last 46 years Manatee County’s most dedicated music fans united to see the very best local bands, along with an unthinkable array of regional acts, cult favorites and former superstars taking their final laps. Last March, fans got to see legendary Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre perform from the band’s catalog, while founding Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks would make frequent stops when on the road with his eponymously-named band prior to his passing last year.

Ace’s had Allman Brothers blood in its DNA. Former guitarist Dan Toler took the stage on many occasions, along with second generation musicians like Duane Betts, Devon Allman and Berry Duane Oakley. There were also frequent appearances by members of various incarnations of Dickey Betts’ Great Southern, including vocalist Mike Kach and bassist Pedro Arevalo, and Trucks’ band, like guitarists Damon Fowler and Thorson Moore, or even Gregg’s Band, in bassist Greg Voorhees and Hammond B-3 guru Bruce Katz.

Many a night I got to hear searing renditions of songs like Whipping Post and In Memory of Elizabeth Reed blare through the sweet acoustics of the old music barn, which had been dismantled in North Carolina to be hauled down to its present location, at which it will likely be demolished after the sale.

Bennett was a brave businesswoman, the sort who would routinely book risky gigs featuring stars who commanded big guarantees–not an easy thing to do when you can only fit 150 people in the venue. Sometimes it would work out, like the time she bet on the fact that fans would pack the barn for piano legend Marcia Ball at $40 a ticket or Barre for $35. Other times, she’d book an act like Texas blues man Mike Zito only to have a tropical storm blow through town and keep fans at bay. More often than not, however, she lost the bet, and like most small venue owners it was a love of the music and not a sound business model that kept her coming back for more.

GoTonight founder Don McKeon mused that according to his database, Ace's had booked exactly 3,000 shows, and that's just since he started the platform eight years ago. Extrapolate that for the other 38 and a conservative estimate would suggest at least 16,000 performances have taken place on its storied stage. I even got to see my own son blow trombone on it in 2016.

In addition to bringing in the big name acts, Ace’s was home base for the local music scene–the very best venue by far to hear your favorite band. Twinkle & Rock Soul Radio, Kettle of Fish, Rj Howson, Comeback Alice, Ari & the Alibis, Koko Ray, Lauren Mitchell, Betty Fox, Ship of Fools, Applebutter Express, and Have Gun Will Travel were all sort of house bands in one sense or another, their loyal fans mixing with the venue regulars to create one of the most mellow and welcoming crowds one could ever hope to find. Throw in a very reasonably-priced full bar, plus a solid kitchen, and a night at Ace’s was a guaranteed good time without exception.

For its Last Waltz, Mark Skey & the Frenzy, who ran the club’s regular Monday jam, hosted an epic session that was worthy of its historic cause. Joined by the club’s longtime Sunday jam host, Greg "Stretch“ Gerdes, a full horn section, and more guests than I can possibly remember, Skey and company kept things loosey goosey, yet fully-involved.

The highlight of the evening, in my opinion, was an appearance by Tony Tyler of Comeback Alice, who had played Ace’s consistently with his Tony Tyler Project after moving down from Macon. Tyler got help from local sax star Koko Ray, and then the pinnacle of the jam happened when Tyler and Howson brought down the house with a scorching rendition of Gregg Allman’s I’m no Angel. A close second was Mack Doss Sr. of the Classics IV getting up on stage to perform the band's Billboard #2 hit from 1967,Spooky.

The bands went way past the 11 p.m. scheduled ending, and as 2 a.m. set in, Steve Paradis could still be heard doing an amazing acoustic set on the porch of the Tiki Bar. No one wanted to leave, because we knew that once the lights went out, they weren’t coming back on. Melancholy was the only thing to soak in once the music finally stopped, forcing us to confront the reality that our favorite juke joint would forevermore exist only in our mind's eye.

My friend Rj Howson might have put it best when he reminded me the next day that "no matter what happens, the music never stops." Amen, brother. Ace’s is gone forever, but the bands who made it special will continue to fill other stages, while all of us music fans can count on running into each other once again soon.

Dennis Maley is a featured columnist and editor for The Bradenton Times. He is also the author of several works of fiction. His new novella, Sacred Hearts, is currently available in the Amazon Kindle store (clickhere). His other books can be foundhere.