The Heritage Society’s Legendary Houston gala series will relive a decade in Houston starting with a salute to artist David Adickes, famous for his the monumental 67-foot-tall statue of Sam Houston, and who had a unique psychedelic music club in the late 1960s. The gala is named after Adickes’ venue “Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine” and will be held on Friday, April 21, at The Ballroom at Bayou Place.
“Most Houstonians have seen his sculptures from the freeways leading into downtown such as the enormous head busts of our Presidents or the ‘We Heart Houston’ sculpture.” The Heritage Society’s executive director, Alison Bell said. “Well, we will take our guests down memory lane to his Love Street club was located on Commerce Street by Allen’s Landing at the edge of Buffalo Bayou in downtown Houston,”
“We will be recreating his hot spot for psychedelic nightlife,” The Heritage Society’s board president, Minnette Boesel said. “Adickes designed his club with an artsy Zonk Out lounge filled with pillows and famous bands, such as ZZ Top.”
“We will be recreating his hot spot for psychedelic nightlife,” The Heritage Society’s board president, Minnette Boesel said. “Adickes designed his club, Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine, with an artsy Zonk Out lounge filled with pillows.”
The club featured many local bands such as The Moving Sidewalks and 13th Floor Elevators. Both of these included Billy Gibbons before he founded the famous band, ZZ Top which played some of their earliest performances there in 1969.
n event honoring the artist who created a groovy club would not be complete without a dance contest and a brilliantly curated art auction with pieces donated from the collection of Lou and Christy Cushman as well as David Adickes.
Brandon Weinbrenner, the associate producer & casting director at Alley Theatre will be the Master of Ceremonies at the gala. Past gala honorees Jillian Jopling and Peter McGillivray are gala chairs and C. C. and Duke Ensell are honorary chairs. The transformation of the venue into Love Street is generously being underwritten by Kirksey Gregg Productions.
About David Adickes:
Adickes was born in Huntsville, Texas in 1927. His most famous work is the 67-foot tall A Tribute to Courage statue of Sam Houston in Huntsville, Texas in 1994. In 1967, Adickes opened the Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine, a music venue on Commerce Street. In 1983, after being a full-time painter and art instructor for more than two decades, Adickes was commissioned to make his first monumental sculpture. He created the Virtuoso, a 36-foot steel and concrete statue of a string trio. It is displayed in Houston. In 1986, he created Cornet as a stage prop for the New Orleans World Fair. In 2004, he created 43 large busts of American presidents at Presidents Park, Virginia. In 2006, he erected 60-foot statue of Stephen F. Austin in Brazoria County, Texas. In 2012, he turned his old high school in Huntsville into the Adickes Art Foundation Museum.
Photograph, Picture of the exterior of Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine. Courtesy of the University of Houston Libraries. Image available on the Internet and included in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107.
