It didn’t look like much at first’”another bar at the bottom of a hotel at best’”as I rounded the corner of the entryway into the Coachman Club (4205 S Bryant Blvd, San Angelo) Saturday night. On the outside it appeared to be no bigger than a one-bedroom apartment. Once inside, the room unfolded like a pop-up book where unforeseen people are revealed with the pull of a lever. Fooled by a strip of mirrors along the furthest wall, I initially perceived the club to be about twice its size.

I passed the back of the long wooden bar serving rows of round tables, past the well-lit dance floor, and set down my belongings on a picnic table at the side of the stage. The club had brought in Kelly Spinks to entertain the masses on this cold night, and I had come to assess the performance and conduct a little mini-interview. We would chat after the band played a set and took a break, it was quickly decided.

I situated myself at one of the tables alongside the dance floor, stage right, and quietly observed those who had come to drink and dance. There’s something to be said about country music in a club scene: The people who show up are there for the music. In smaller clubs, depending on the artist, live music is often more like background noise for pool-shooting and loquacious patrons.

With traditional country music, the people want to dance’”they don’t just laugh and cast an occasional glance at the stage. The band had come clad in pressed yellow shirts and matching black hats; Spinks was set apart by a yellow, black, and blue plaid that signaled he’”yes, Kelly’s a he’”was the frontman. I had read his bio and reviews online prior to the show; one journalist had commented on the Spinks band’s clean-cut image.