RIP: The Longbranch

Bottom line from a dancer's viewpoint, where's the dance? We grieved several times over the years, when the Longbranch closed for floods, renovations, and fire code violations. While we made many friends at the Longbranch in over ten years of dancing, the "family atmosphere" started falling apart after Jack Batten left. There were times equipment disappeared, a strip club promoter showed up and claimed to be the new owner, owner/partners were accused of money diversions/skimming, stories of license deals with other clubs, and a growing disrespect by management for dancers, who would only buy the nonalcoholic drinks. While the Longbranch advertised the largest dance floor, the American Legion on Route 301 in Benson already had a larger solid wood dance floor that hasn't been cut up, moved around, patched, or regularly alcohol and occasionally water soaked. We've met some of the dancers, who have loyally supported Legion dances for over 60 years. The Legion members volunteer, which keeps the cover charge very reasonable. The Legion has relaxed its pre-1990s dress code from city suits and ties to permit us to wear our boots, jeans, belt buckles, and shirts, but not extremely short skirts for our gals. They still think men should take their hats off indoors! The Legion dancing expanded from spot dances like swing, cha-cha, and waltzes in the pre-1990's to two-stepping around the floor and line dancing in the center. We've even done a rowdy Texas Four Corners. Some nights everyone is a dancer and there's no one sitting around. The bands are casual and local, playing old and new country as well as traditional and beach, but not rap and hard rock. The Legion does not permit smoking in the dance area. Seating is limited to about 200. Although air conditioned, it can get hot. When you are done grieving for the Longbranch, bring a friend and try the Legion dance floor in Benson.

its too bad that the longbranch was shut down,i ve been going there for 10 yrs,and had a great time every time i went,where else can you go that had 4 different clubs in one,i will really miss that place

The Longbrach was once the highlight of the weekend, however new clubs open that have drink specials, cheaper to get into and take Debit Cards not just CASH!! Have to say City Limits 1, 2, 3 night did continue to get more people to come there and then just downtown in general was cheaper all around. It just hasn't been the same for a while. It used to be packed in there, but lately you might be in there with all of 10 to 20 other people CRAZY!

Well they let the good employees either leave or made them leave and then the brought back the old management that made the fire marshall mad and caused the fine. I understand friendship but this was crazy to bring him back after all the past troubles. Then they brought back his pitbull doorman who couldnt get a job at walmart. I will miss the branch in the old days the way it was years ago.

What a nasty hole. I can't think of a time I was forced to visit by friends or women that I enjoyed myself. If anything, the 65 year old plus bouncers enjoyed themselves by validating their life with the position they held there and by needlessly harrassing guests who they thought did not belong. Meanwhile some piece of trash is allowed to stumble in wearing a cut off and some mud-clogged jeans without even a glance. Good riddens to the place and the type of garbage that it attracted to the area.

I am very said to hear of the LB closing. It was absolutely my favorite place to go in the area. I don't care much for the bar scenes but going to the LB I was able to dance and my friends could do what they wanted. City Limits.....with their extra small club can not compare.

in the begining when I frequented the Long Branch; it was a fun place to go. Those who used it as a pick up place as they say; lost out in my opinion. The dancing was great; the music wonderful and a bunch of us looked forward to the nite out at the Branch.

Hi David, Thanks for passing along the news. I was the DJ at the Longbranch in the Top 40 room from 1996 (after Hurricane Fran) through July of 1999. I had a lot of good times there. The people I met were great and the people I worked with were even better. Fred W, Dan, and the entire staff there was always ready to throw a party. The days of the mega club have just passed by. With every little bar/pub opening taking 75-100 people at the time away from the dance music scene, there are just too many today to sustain a club of that magnitude. Contrary to the other posters ahead of me, I for the most part had a great time there. Yeah there were a couple of people who would get out of line occassionally but that was usually due to poor judgement and too much booze mixing together. It was certainly an institution for country, but it was also an institution for the top 40 side. I recall Nantucket, Firehouse, Mother's Finest, Chairmen of the Board, the Tony Elliott Band and many others gracing the stage there and enjoying every minute because it was the largest crowd in a club that most of them had ever played. I hate to see it go.

The Longbranch will never be gone as long as that foul odor remains. I'm pretty sure the stentch of Longbranch has a half-life of 30 years. Buh-bye

coming out of the bathroom a unknown guy mumbles/slurs something, i say excuse me and he says "and u r ugly too" i broke his nose and he bled like a stuck pig-my last visit to the l-b

It was a big place but the main thing I would think caused this demise was changing tastes (more sophisticated taste), people outgrew going to club to hook up and new generations would rather go downtown and you can continue to charge $8plus to get into a place and have security shake you down. (or give overgrown weightlifter guys the reason to feel important and try to throw around their power on paying customers) I don't know how it was lately but in the 90s, the security was overbearing, many times to shove around average guys who paid the bills I guess to try to impress the females. If you don't bring in new generations, a club will not stand. JMHO