Stevie Ray Vaughan—Live in Arlington (1982)

One of my favorite guitarists is the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan (1954–1990), an influential bluesman from Dallas. But before he was famous, he played small clubs like everyone else—including, to my surprise, two right here in Arlington.

Back in the early 1980s, you could have seen Stevie Ray Vaughan live in Arlington. He played here in the winter and spring of 1982, and possibly on other occasions, maintaining a steady run of shows in the area during this period. Because this was before the release of his legendary debut album, Texas Flood in 1983, he was still playing the small clubs on the local circuit. I must admit, I’m not too familiar with Nu Blues or Sam’s Truck Stop—though these shows took place about a year before I was born.

It’s always fascinating to see where and how some of your favorite artists paid their dues and honed their material, and to remember how Arlington has long been a destination for entertainment and live music.

In these half-dozen ads from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, we can relive a part of Stevie Ray’s Arlington tour. There were other dates, but they were at these same two places—and really, how many grainy, 1982 ads featuring a saxophone-playing armadillo or a careening 18-wheeler do you need? Nonetheless, whether he was playing at Nu Blues on Division or Sam’s Truck Stop on Abram, music fans had many chances to see SRV live in an intimate venue before he made it big.

Now, if only there were a bootleg of one of these shows floating around…