Since the earliest days of Red River City's gold camp fever, music has been an important and accessible part of the Red River Valley. Hard rock miners, weary from the aches and pains, the frustration of failure, and the spiritkilling effects of cabin fever during the long snowy winters, sought escape by dancing and singing to the sound of fiddles and banjos. Music brought comfort and a revival of hope for the fortunes and conditions of tomorrow. From the 1930s and such local favorites as Santa Fe Kate, the Bluebirds and the Oklahoma Playboys, to the golden days of the 60s and 70s with Michael Murphey, Three Faces West, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Rusty Weir, Steve Fromholtz, and Bill & Bonnie Hearne, live music has filled the valley with energy and delighted visitors and locals. Today the sounds of amplified electric guitars and pianos have replaced the gentle tones of acoustic instruments, but their purpose is still the same: to have some fun and help folks forget the woes of daily life for a little while. The east end of town is unofficially known as "Dance Land" with the fabled Bull O' The Woods Saloon and the legendary Motherlode Saloon located across the street from each other. While it may not be Sixth Street in Austin, nightlife revelers do enjoy hopping back and forth. The Bull features a variety of entertainment, with live bands on weekends and special holidays, single and duet acts on weekdays and Sundays. Locals like David Michael Smith and the newly formed duet of Fagan-Davis (The Grateful Dudes) will be playing throughout the season. Mardi Gras time will see the Cajun/Zydeco group Flambeau jukin' the joint. Oh, don't forget the ever-popular, somewhat atonal Karaoke that lets you be the star for three minutes. There's also a large dance floor, pool tables, a shuffleboard lane, electric darts, a big screen TV and a wired-to-the-gills jukebox to keep the place from getting too quiet. Built as a dance hall and gambling establishment in the mid 1930s, the Motherlode Saloon is the classic Great American Honky Tonk. Long-time house band The Damn Band holds down the fort on stage with their unique brand of top-notch blues/country/rock/pop music designed to make you do the the two-step shimmy rumba slam boogie on the dance floor. No ice skating, please. Mardi Gras time will find the place hoppin' with Cajun/Zydeco/Creole sounds and the always slapstick Cajun Indoor Music Olympics. Located in the Lodge At Red River, next to "the Lode," is the Lodge Bar, an intimate venue which will host the acoustic artistry of Rick Fowler, Steve Howard, and a few special guests throughout the season. Come early because seating is limited but the music is great. New Year's Eve and Mardi Gras are special times for live music in Red River. There are also other venues which have live music on occasion: Red River Inn, Conference Center, Lonesome Pine Pub, Capo's Restaurant, the Lift House and Mountain Treasures.