In the summer of 2004, the Continental Club came under fire from the Texas Lottery Commission for violating a class-three felony: hosting Monday-night bingo games without a license. The weekly events were popular with regulars, who came out to win worthless prizes and listen to perennial retro favorites the El Orbits cover Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. But when the bingo left the building, the El Orbits went with it.
“They were hoping to get that law revised and pass the legislature at the end of the summer session, but that didn’t happen,” says the Continental’s Pete Gray. “We still werent able to do bingo, so the El Orbits decided to start playing again anyway.”
So the band has revived its weekly residency, with the same swankiness as before, just without those little cardboard-and-plastic cards or the sound of balls twirling in a cage. But show up for the rockin’ tunes and the complimentary soul food buffet ย you’ll still come out a winner.
Mondays, 9 p.m., 2005
This article appears in Dec 8-14, 2005.