The El Madrid Bar and Lounge
I was at a recent memorial for my friend ‘Neal Langford’ at ‘Inside Out’ projecting Neal’s photographs, paintings, and videos. I was standing next to Ron Skrasek from ‘Scared of Chaka’ while we were looking at a monitor, and he pointed to the photo (above) of the ‘El Madrid’ bar I had on my desktop, and said, “I took that”! Even though it was slated for demolition, it’s still standing.
When I lived at the Broadway Market Building at Broadway and Coal in downtown Albuquerque, I lived on the second story in the back. I had a huge antique bathtub with a huge window that overlooked the downtown skyline and the train tracks. In the winter, when it was snowing, I’d take long baths, in the fog, watching the trains. The nearest package liquor store was Jack’s on Central - so I was happy to learn that the El Madrid Bar sold beer, on the down-low! I walked over the bridge. The inside of the bar was covered in curtains of gold mylar strips. It was early afternoon so the dance floor was abandoned - but I bought a six-pack of P.B.R. and left. On the weekends the place would be bumping with Ranchero music.
I always thought the mural on the left was Elvis Presley - but both murals are Madrid family members, the patriarch on the right.
The location has been featured in several films and T.V. shows including Beerfest, The Wave, and Sicario: Day of the Soldado.
If you don’t want to pay the Albuquerque Journal for a subscription - consider subscribing to www.newspapers.com. It’s an amazing resource, and the Journal used to cover some great stories.
Of note - Madrid was a retired police officer and also a criminal!
The ABQ Journal Classifieds
A film crew recently tore out the murals exposing fake glass block!
In the Aughts - Joe Anderson who owns the Launchpad downtown - launched ‘Low Spirits’ and I always thought the El Madrid would make an amazing Low Spirits - Part Deux - look at that patio area! It also would have made a great spot for the City Of Albuquerque’s ‘Albuquerque Community Safety’ headquarters, located on San Pedro. Why not have a place where the homeless can store belongings in lockers, sheds, access to showers, mail, computers, and a recharge?
PHOTO BY KRIS SHEPARD