It was the late 1970's, just out of college and working my first job. It was with General Mills in their grocery sales division and I was basically calling on Hy-Vee stores and at that time was a chain of just stores in Iowa and mainly in the southern tier of counties including Des Moines and Cedar Rapids.
I traveled from one side of the state to the other on a two week cycle. One week, I stayed a night in Burlington, Iowa before heading up the following day to Cedar Rapids. While in Burlington, I would usually check in to the motel, take a short nap, and proceed to a restaurant that served the best "steak: in town!
From there, I proceeded across the Mississippi River to the nearby town of Gulf Port. This little burg mainly consisted, at that time, of two clubs and/or bars called Woody's and Grandinetti's. These places were where the action was most of the time. They brought in top entertainment from Chicago and every night it was "showtime."
The late 1960's was a time when the entertainers wore suits all alike in some sleazy color like lime green or a pale blue-almost leisure suit like if you remember those. They would introduce themselves very formally as they stated to play. Most of the bands would remind you of groups like the Buckinghams! It was great entertainment and great to listen to. I could nurture a couple of beers for hours and just sit and enjoy.
Of course, the word was that these two clubs were owned or connected to the Chicago Mob and even the entertainment was furnished by the boys with the crooked noses! It didn't matter to me. I was in music heaven. About the time I had to leave, lots of people would be coming in because the local munitions plant's one shift was just getting off and the party would really get started. Illinois or that town, at the time, didn't have any kind of curfew. They could rock around the clock!
*** A footnote to this story is that traveling, calling on grocery stores, and being away from family, was not my cup of tea! I lasted less than a year.
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