Day Trips

"Wrecks" Bell

The Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe in Galveston doesn't look like the kind of place that would appear on most international corporations' radar screens, much less draw the attention of a squadron of Starbucks Coffee's button-down corporate lawyers, but it has. At the center of the David and Goliath struggle are the rights to the name Star Bock, a draft beer sold at the cafe and nowhere else.

"Somebody asked for a Lone Star and then changed to a Shiner Bock," says Rex "Wrecks" Bell, owner of the Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe. The combination of the two names struck him as a good name for a beer. "I stewed on it for a few weeks and then decided to try a trademark search," he said.

Much to his surprise, no one had claimed the name. "One thing led to another, and now I'm being sued," Bell says. Technically, Bell isn't actually being sued. He's being requested to stop using the name, and his trademark is being challenged by the Seattle-based coffee company even though a team of lawyers at the patent office approved the application. "If you have to hire a lawyer, it might as well be sued," he says emphatically.

The coffee chain claims the name Star Bock Beer might cause confusion among shoppers. On a recent Wednesday night, consumers crowding into the Starbucks a few blocks from Bell's bar didn't seem to be having much trouble distinguishing between the two beverages.

To a large degree, the company's legal challenge seems to have blown up in its face. Since the legal papers were filed, every television network, several national radio networks, and some of the largest newspapers in the country have featured Bell and his beer that is brewed in Brenham, Texas.

On a cool weekday night, all of the publicity didn't seem to be helping Bell's business much. Four to six patrons filtered in and out of the small room with an old-fashioned bar along one wall, one wall covered with Townes Van Zandt posters, eight tables, and a small stage wedged into a corner.

Because no one had signed up for the regular open mic night, Bell, his wife LeAnne, and a friend took the stage. "Welcome to rehearsal," Bell told the appreciative audience of friends.

Bell is no stranger to the stage or to the limelight. Raised in nearby Texas City, he started in the music business as the owner of the original Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe in Dallas. Then he moved on to play bass guitar with Van Zandt, Lucinda Williams, and other top acts.

In 1966, Van Zandt was playing a coffeehouse in Dallas where Bell was the opening act. "He had a bottle of wine hanging out the window on a rope and offered me a drink. We were friends ever since," Bell says. On New Year's Eve the Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe hosts a tribute night when the musicians only play Townes songs. "The place is always packed, even with the tables taken out," Bell says.

Since he opened in Galveston in 1996, the tiny stage has seen many of Bell's old friends and some new friends. Steve Fromholz played there for his comeback performance after a heart attack. Sisters Morales, Trish Murphy, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and Harlem Slim are regulars. Townes' son, J.T. Van Zandt, recorded a CD with Bell at the club. "People come ask me to play here," he says, "and we're booked through July."

Bell gave up the life of a traveling musician to open a club that would showcase a variety of music. "I wanted to fish during the day and play music at night," he says.

The Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe opens at 7pm Wednesday through Sunday. Touring acts are booked on most Saturday nights with local musicians filling the stage the other nights. At the southern end of the Post Office Avenue District in downtown Galveston, the music venue is hidden behind bushes at 413 20th St. For information, call 409/762-9199 or go to www.galvestontexas.com/oldquarter. The cafe doesn't serve food but does offer cold beverages and is the only place in the world that you can buy a Star Bock Beer. For now.

669th in a series. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of Day Trips 101-200, is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.