A few weeks ago, I shot Cheatham Street Warehouse for a publication new to San Marcos – Community Impact News.
I shot a portrait of the owner, Kent Finlay, that I thought turned out pretty nice. That’s the shot at the top of the post.
It was nice to meet Mr. Finlay because I’ve met a lot of people who know him and I’ve been to Cheatham St. for concerts, but I’d never actually had a conversation with him until that day.
Kent has been a bar owner since 1974 and has helped launch the careers of George Strait, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Terri Hendrix and others who have made Cheatham St. the legend that it is. He’s a business man and also owns a small recording studio across the street from the concert venue, but his first love has always been song writing.
That’s evident through a weekly songwriter’s circle that is run sort of like an open-mic night. Only original songs are allowed and there’s always constructive feedback. Because of the story’s deadline, I wasn’t able to photograph that, but after hearing Kent talk about it, I wish I had.
I photographed him with his guitar and I photographed him at the bar, but there was something about this shot that captured the ambiance.
If you haven’t been over to Cheatham St., it’s one of those places where you pull up and you walk in and you think, “what a dive.” The truth is, the building is around 100-years-old and has been used as everything from a cotton warehouse to a concert venue. It’s about 15 feet from active railroad tracks and the whole thing is made of sheet metal and wood. It’s in need of repair and Kent knows that, but he’s not willing to give up the magic that it holds.
Anyway, I thought you might enjoy the portrait and hearing a little bit about his story.