Naked City - Volume 1 Issue 3 - (Page 33)

THE GOOD OLE DAYS A black limo pulls up to the red carpet and a strikingly handsome gentleman dressed in a stunning tuxedo hastily opens the car door. Out steps a woman donning an astonishing black gown that reveals just the right amount of cleavage. The material swirls gracefully around her ankles as she takes the arm of her date. They walk inside a brand new building, where they know they’ll spend the entire evening dancing jauntily to the sounds of Ted Weems and his Orchestra. It is December 7, 1960, the grand opening of The CoTillion Ballroom, and nothing short of a glamorous affair. Since that historic December day, many famous entertainers have entered the doors of The CoTillion, performed for an eager audience, and left a legacy on WiChiTa. A few of the first were Louis Armstrong, who was a leader of the jazz era, Duke Ellington and Count Basie, who helped America transition from jazz to swing, and Stan Kenton, who is known for his “Innovation to Modern Music.” These artists have since gone down in history and, how ‘bout that: we hosted them right here in the ICT. The list of grand entertainers doesn’t stop at jazz and swing. A new generation spit out a new phase of music: rock ‘n roll. Gene Pitney and Bobby Goldsborough, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, and Freddy and the Dreamers are just a few who made the girls squeal. Some big country names of those who romped the stage include George Strait, Hank Williams Jr., Tim McGraw and Chris LeDoux. dome structure. It was actually designed by locals, not some big firm from neW York. They achieved quite a task: they designed and built something that, even though conceived in the 60’s, is still fully functional for the way concerts are run and held today. Kudos! A LITTLE HERE, A LITTLE THERE So much has happened here, the list goes on and on! What an honor to exist as the hometown of a venue that has chosen to remember its roots and not make radical changes. For the most part, only minor changes have been made since its construction, such as new signage, upgrades to the stage, and the addition of the lounge and personal bathroom. That lounge acts as a backstage, since there isn’t actually an area behind the state where performers get ready. There are, however, two dressing rooms on each side of the stage with old fashioned mirrored vanities. The mirrors feature light-bulb borders, taking you right back to old hollYWood. Another remarkable feature of The CoTillion is the “room of pictures.” Only the extremely lucky are allowed inside this room. Although while buying a ticket or entering for an event, you might get a glimpse of history while peering through the glass at one of the walls, which is visible from the main foyer. This room is located to the right of the entrance doors, and is lined wall to wall with photos of previous performers. Back in the day, the only shots entertainers handed out were black and white glossy photos, but recently that has evolved to full color shots. The true history of The CoTillion is exposed here, as you gaze into Guy Lombardo’s eyes and imagine what it must have been like to hear him, see him, smell him, and touch him. LEXICON MEANING… The word cotillion, by definition, means a formal ball given especially for debutantes. And as you may already know, a debutante is a young woman making a formal debut into society. Well, The CoTillion generally hosts entertainers who are not yet big; hence, they are making their debut to Wichita. This makes owner Richard Leslie’s job pretty important. He has to spot the talent, and then book the talent. For the past 30 years, he has done just that and deserves credit for the tantalizing shows held here. As a matter of fact, The CoTillion has held more musical events than any other venue in the city. Tim McGraw made an appearance sans wife Faith Hill and wooed the women of WiChiTa. But he made his impression on us and from here escalated to one of the biggest country moguls in history. 33 nakedcitymag.com > volume 1 issue 3 nakedcity TIMELESS MEMORIES Some of you may have fond memories of your experiences at The CoTillion. They host more than musical concerts- they do weddings, proms, and even cat shows. Cat shows? Yes, cat shows. Leslie says that’s one of the reasons they’ve remained so popular over the years; their versatility. Some people know The CoTillion as the place where they bring their prized Persian, but others cherish the memory of their black eye from that fabulous mosh pit in front of Pantera. Or what about the time they hosted a Girls Gone Wild tour? The newly formed band Hinder was there for that one, performing in front of hundreds of excited fans not long before they hit the big ticket. Got a mental picture yet? Try to picture an audience with a rowdy outlaw country attitude as Hank Williams Jr. takes the stage. Kick ass. Don’t forget about tossing those beer cans up into the chandelier when Molly Hatchet came to town. Remember when Stevie Ray Vaughan came to visit in the ‘80’s? Some out of control audience members were removed from the floor and shown the door. Not long after, a bomb threat was called in and the entire place had to be evacuated. Luckily, those bomb sniffing hounds from mCConnell cleared the area and the sold out show went on! IF WALLS COULD TALK However cliché the phrase is, it is so true in this case that mentioning those words is unavoidable. These walls have seen a lot in their time- from cheery dancing to a popular orchestra to manic jumping along with Metallica during the opening for W.A.S.P. The ballroom walls of The CoTillion have noticed one connection between the audiences of then and now: they all just want to be close to the entertainer! That’s the feature which attracts performers and fans alike; it is an up close and personal setup which allows the audience to get to know the performer, and for the performer to get to know their audience. So, a venue in WiChiTa is truly a piece of Americana in that it houses the memories of some of the greatest musical performers in history. Can’t ask for much more, can we? >>> WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? The building, located at 111th west and Kellogg, is only two and a half miles from the airport, which makes it an ideal and easy spot for entertainers to well, entertain when they visit Ta Town. The builders had “easy access” on the brain when they chose the location for this unique http://nakedcitymag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Naked City - Volume 1 Issue 3

Naked City - Volume 1 Issue 3 Contents Muse - A Walk Around the Block Terrain - Geocoaching Uncommon Threads - Stylin' in Doodah Iconology - Illustrated Man Babble - Reporter's Journal Noise - Hearts and Bondage Cake - Road Trip Grub Juiced - Death to Analog Muse - The Art of Emprise Muse - Vision for a Beautiful City Muse - Hand2Hand Uncommon Threads - Matt Egan Male Model Spin - It Never Came Here: Brick Street - A Piece of Americana Noise - Metal Engagement Spin - Road Trip 10 Noise - Jason Aldern Spin - The Need to Read Make Me Blush - Personal Landscaping Lip Service - Ask the Ass

Naked City - Volume 1 Issue 3

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