During the 1960s, Charlie Gabriel made a name for himself at the helm of the house band at the Desert Room, a nightclub on the very site of what is now the Crystal Hotel.
Now, forty years later, Gabriel is returning to his old stomping grounds, as a member of New Orleans' famous Preservation Hall Jazz Band, who take the stage at the Crystal Ballroom on Thursday, April 7.
Gabriel will return again for the grand three-day celebration of the opening of the Crystal Hotel. The jazzman will join the Mel Brown Band on May 3-5 in Al's Den, another historic venue located in the Hotel.
Gabriel's return isn't just a reunion; it's the bookend of a long and fascinating tale, a snapshot of history. Here's the story, courtesy of McMenamins historian Tim Hills:
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What’s the name of the Kennedy brewery? The Concordia Brewery, named for the surrounding neighborhood. “Wine is bottled poetry.” -- Robert Louis Stevenson What was the very first McMenamins pub, opened by Mike and Brian McMenamin? The Barley Mill on SE Hawthorne in Portland. “Give me a woman who truly loves beer and I will conquer the world.” – Kaiser Wilhelm II Give it up for St. Arnold, the patron saint of brewers! His miracle was a tankard of ale that never ran dry… Put him on the invite list. McMenamins has a full-time historian on staff. He collects stories, photos, anecdotes and more about McMenamins spots, past and present. At the Grand Lodge, the mosaics in the basement hallways were inspired by the work of Spanish artist Antonio Gaudi. “We borrowed golf from Scotland as we borrowed whiskey. Not because it is Scottish, but because it is good.” -- Horace Hutchinson “Wine is bottled poetry.” -- Robert Louis Stevenson Queen Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII, was said to be able to drink any man under the table. You show ‘em, Betsy! Which beer is our best-selling ale? Hammerhead, of course. Have a pint or two today! The Centzon-Totochtin (“Infinite Rabbits”) was an Aztec group that represented the ways humans are affected by intoxication. How many McMenamins are there in the Seattle area? Three – Mill Creek, Six Arms and Queen Anne. Does each McMenamins pub brew beer? Nope – only our brewpubs and breweries do. They supply our other spots.
