By Dr. Curtis Varnell
While teaching, kids are always asking the question, “What in the world did you’ll do back then do keep from being bored to death in small towns. It certainly wasn’t possible for us to travel fifty or more miles to go to a movie or go out to eat but small towns had plenty going on to keep us occupied.
During the 60’s and 70’s, Saturday nights were cruise nights. Cars would line up, travel up and down main street with occasional stops to hang-out. Even bigger towns like Fort Smith and Conway got into the act; Conway’s becoming so large it had to be shut down because it brought all other traffic to a standstill. Most towns of any size had a skating roller-skating rink, a drive-in theater, or pool halls. The biggest events usually centered around high school athletics. You could have stolen everything in Booneville on any given fall night because the entire population was at the football game. The same could have been said of Fordyce, Barton, and Mena, all of who were athletic powers of the time.
In 1974, Larry Glass and John Paul Well decided the small town of Paris needed introduced to big time entertainment. Just out of school and not knowing their limitations, they decided to host some big time entertainment. With limited funds, a small venue, and off the beaten track, they had little success and were probably laughed at by the Rolling Stones, the Jackson Five, and Credence Clearwater. They finally located an up and coming band called STYX that just happened to be traveling through the region between shows. Early in the year, Larry was able to sign the group to a contract for the grand sum of $1,500. The concert was to occur at the local Logan Theater, a venue owned by his father.
A few weeks prior to the concert, STYX put out the single record Lady. A wonderful ballad, the song shot to the top of the rock and roll charts and reached top ten status. STYX rolled into town to fulfill their contract on August 27, 1974. Still unaccustomed to fame, they dined at the local dairy queen, a place known for its five for a dollar hamburgers.
KMAG, one of the biggest FM stations in western Arkansas really pushed the concert and the six-dollar tickets sold like hot cakes. Never mind the theater could only seat 800 people, just keep printing off those tickets! Thirty-minutes before the show, hundreds of kids were milling the streets outside. The concert opened to a standing-room crowd. Early on, some enterprising kid opened the backdoor and hundreds more poured in, breaking every fire code ever written. With a group estimated at 2,000 people, individuals crowed the aisles, filled the area in front of the stage, and overflowed to the lobby. Local rock group Whiz warmed up the crowd as the STYX prepared. One of the roadies, the one responsible for loading the pyro-technics, partook of a little too much of some of some item, and placed a full load in the cannon that opened the show. Whiz exited and excitement filled the air as the band prepared for the grand opening. The curtains opened, they pyrotechnics went off. The explosion was so great that chunks of the ceiling fell to the floor and a black cloud of smoke filled the theater. Every enterprising, John and Larry pulled the double front doors open and the smoke rolled out the door and down the street around the courthouse.
The crowd, deafened by the explosion, probably never heard the sound of the firetruck and voluntary crew who were frantically looking for the source of the fire. They may not have even heard the first song or two but STYX, by all accounts, put on one of the most incredible shows they ever performed. Sixty years later, people from all of the small towns in Logan, Franklin, and Yell county are still talking about the first and greatest concert they ever heard. Only in a small town and on a Saturday night!!!
