Lubbock’s Best Things Ever: New West

Let's take another stroll down memory lane.

The club scene in Lubbock has taken some interesting twists and turns, and if there was ever a drinkin', pre-baby makin', dancin' hot spot, then it was New West. It was located where "34th and Slide Collide," a saying I started using after hearing a similar address in Dallas.

There was a very weird period in Lubbock in the early 80s where live rock kind of died out for a hot minute. Everyone saw that they could pack more people onto a dance floor with less hassle than booking a band for the night. New West took advantage of this trend by being a dance club of working class folks while the trendsetters were across town.

New West offered up something for us hardcore party people, and that was an open bar. It seems a little hard to visualize, but back in the day you could drink all you wanted for a pretty light cover charge. That's right, from 7 to 10 p.m. you could actually stand in line and pour tons of alcohol into your face. Of course, the bartenders seem to drag their heels a bit during this time, which may or may not have had anything to do with slowing down the MASSIVE alcohol consumption.

I remember being that guy at the club and requesting the only thing I could dance to, yes, The Go-Go's. Yes, my giant uncoordinated ass was confident (and often drunk enough) to skank along to The Go-Go's on the dance floor.

I have to also shout out one of the most epic events I've ever been a part of was The FMX Beach Party, where we fenced in the property, filled it with sand, and partied like a son of a gun. I guess I should also mention that the very first FMX Birthday Bashes happened at New West.

The club did have a few shows here and there, but basically opened another club called The Backroom right behind it that hosted everyone from Steppenwolf to Slayer.

It appears that most images of New West are lost to time, but it was a pretty legendary hotspot that took up a lot of real estate at the time. Here's to endless gin and tonic's and let's salute New West as one of Lubbock's Best Things Ever.