Alvin Crow, Silverheels Band

Alvin Crow and the Silverheels Band are playing the Broken Spoke on Saturday, August 8. It's one of three dates they're doing together this summer, with the other two falling on Friday, July 31 and Friday, August 21. Crow is an Austin local, while the Silverheels Band is coming in from Portland, Maine, so this is a bit of a cross-country pairing on a dancehall floor.

The night is set up as a dinner and show from 6 to 8 PM, with the bands taking over at 9 PM. If you're planning to eat, that's when you'll want to be there; the music starts later, so you've got a few hours to settle in before the dancing really gets going. Crow's set is dancehall music, the kind of sound that fits the room and keeps people moving.

For those who haven't spent much time there, the Broken Spoke is a Texas institution. It opened in 1964, founded by James M. White, and it's known as the 'Last of the True Texas Dancehalls.' It's a live music venue that serves homestyle meals—the chicken fried steak is the one everyone talks about—and it's also a place to learn the two-step, with lessons led by instructor Terri White. It's the kind of spot where the food and the dancing are as much a part of the night as the music on stage.

There's no cover charge for the show, and the bands play for tips. Between the dinner and the music, it's a full evening. The bands start at 9 PM, and since it's a dancehall, the floor is usually the main event.