Trout's & the Blackboard Stages

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  Rockwells, Trouts & the Blackboard Stages is located in the heart of Historic Oildale CA. It is one of the last & largest honky tonks in the San Joaquin Valley.  Rich in music history, the walls are lined with tons of Country Music memorabilia, autographed photos & guitars. Best of all, the place is opened 365 days a year! Dozens of activities are scheduled every week from concerts to karaoke, line dancing to pool & a mechanical bull!  "TROUTS" was founded in 1031 by Ralph Trout, and is lovingly operated by Rockwell, who is hands down more than just a club owner. Always looking sharp, this "renaissance" man takes a personal pride in the preservation of an unique Bakersfield landmark through muisic, stories and people.  
  
  For for over 13 years, Rockwell has provided more than just great service and entertainment. He is a promoter of upcoming local musicians & artists, providing a platform of encouragement. Classic artists of many genres have graced the "Blackboard Stages" at an affordable ticket value all thanks to this leader's keen business sense & networking know-how.  His friendly & generous personality allows him to become involved in many levels of activity in  Kern County & beyond. His motto? "Building and Bridging Bakersfield".  Every Friday at 8am, he hosts an early morning business forum complete with free food & drinks.  Many local business owners & others come together, along side the huge dance floor, creating a positive network of ideas.  Rockwell is also a strong supporter for many charities, local businesses & political causes and does so with the spirit of the Golden Empire (as Kern County is often referred) Too many projects to list!
  
  Rockwell wakes up at the crack of dawn and on many occasions does not get to sleep until the next morning because of one one project or another. His determination to help others through his business, is the driving source to his seemingly endless energy. His inspiration is contagious.  If you haven't ever been to "Trouts" stop on by soon, treat your self to a refreshing drink & meet some new friends. While you are enjoying the music and practicing your two-step, remember to ask for Rockwell.  Shake his hand & say "thanks" !  Just look for the slick dresser in the cowboy hat. =)

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  Posted on 04.15.13 Debbie B.

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  Trouts has it all, great music, people and you can learn to line dance.

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  Posted on 04.09.13 Kelly G.

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  I LOVE this bar...
  
  For the dancing! They have line-dancing lessons EVERY Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday from about 7-9PM. Tuesday starts pretty easy the dances get harder later in the week.
  
  It's very fun, especially if you're a country fan! Who doesn't love dancing to music they can also sing along to!
  
  I don't drink much here, but the couple times that I've ordered a beer, I've had no problems. I've never been here past 10PM or on the weekends so I can't comment on those nights.

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  Posted on 01.17.13 Angela D.

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  Rockwell continues the tradition of Bakersfield sound with a modern twist! Rockwell books great acts, supports local business and provides entertainment and options for all. Come out and enjoy the multitude of events and get involved in building Bakersfield. The place is an iconic honky tonk full of treasures from the pat and present - worth a trip!

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  Posted on 11.07.12 Randy M.

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  Most white trash bar I've ever been to in my life.  (And that's saying a lot.)

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  Posted on 07.27.12 Harlot C.

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  Trouts is a living piece of Bakersfield music history right in the heart of Oildale.  I've heard that it began as a jazz club and then became one of the homes of the Bakersfield country music sound, but I'm not really sure about all the details.  I'll have Rockwell school me on them one of these days and then rewrite this review to more accurately reflect the history.
  
  What I do know is that since Rockwell took it over some time ago (10-11 years?) it has become the place to go in Bakersfield for all types of activities.  There are over 130 activities and events going on there every month.  There are line dance lessons.  There is karaoke.  The Kern River Blues Association plays there all afternoon every second and third Saturday of the month.  The Blackboard Playboys, the house band, plays there several nights a week, and visiting bands take the stage periodically too.  There are two different sides to the bar, both with dance floors that will have different types of music playing at the same time.  There are a number of different music groups that meet and play downstairs.  There are pool tables on both sides of the bar and I'm pretty sure I've seen some league type billiards competitions there.  I've even been to birthday parties and wedding receptions there.  Within the last year, they've even added a mechanical bull several nights a week.  There are multiple things going on every night (and day) of the week!  
  
  Yes, I know it's in Oildale so some uninformed people think it must not be safe.  That couldn't be further from the truth.  I'm there at least once or twice a week, sometimes more, and I feel perfectly safe there.  There are surveillance cameras in the parking lot and around the building and bouncers in case of trouble, but in over eight years of coming here regularly I've never seen a fight or even a serious argument take place.  It may have been rough at sometime in the distant past, but since Rockwell took over that's all changed.  There is a $5 cover charge if you arrive after 8:00pm on Friday and Saturday evenings (keeps the riff raff out) but it's free the rest of the time.
  
  There is a family feel about this place; there are many different types of people who make this place their second home.  I went to a Catholic high school and a women's college back East and I feel that this little community has welcomed me just as much as they would have had I been an oilfield worker.  Nobody cares who you are, where you came from, how much money you have, or what your do for a living.  Around Christmas time last year, Rockwell started making dinners and handing out free food to anyone who showed up; we enjoyed homemade chili, baked potatoes with all the trimmings, frito boats smothered in chili and all kinds of good stuff.
  
  I started coming here for the dancing.  Rockwell has two of the best dance floors in all of Bakersfield, and he has bent over backwards to make them available to the dancers.  I am a dance instructor, and I've never hesitated to recommend this honky tonk as the best place in town for my students to practice.  Rockwell even gave us the floor for several hours a week and lets us play all our own music, even - gasp - rock, pop, blues, and hip-hop.  And now my friends and I will stop in just to hang out, listen to one of the bands, hear our friends sing karaoke or watch people ride the bull.  There is always so much going on here it's never boring!
  
  Here are some links to videos of dancing at Trouts 1) <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dkj0yS-4TufE&s=99fdaa5b3aed0092293e8f80c9d18ffecaa91be6b000677cb9c66bf9279df3ed" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>   2) <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DPk9aT0pk5io&s=e46860c5d35567bcfb7ebf5cf6287b8289694bfdd47073b029fc65618460f8d1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>  
  
  So get down off your high horse, drop those stereotypes you so love to label people with, and come on down and check this place out.
  
  Rockwell will leave the light on for you!

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  Posted on 05.06.12 Mimi J.

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  Was greeted by a dark hooded figure sunglasses, leather jacket. It was  Kind of scary if your not used to Bakersfield folk but we went in for Karaoke Sunday night. Not a big crowd but everyone was really nice there was a great selection of music to choose from and great sound. Don't let the looks of this place intimidate you. The people really are great and lots of fun!

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  Posted on 03.06.12 Margaret W.

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  Make sure you don't get CHEATED or SCAMMED.  Here's what happened at Trout's a few days ago: We parked in back and entered the back door. As we walked into the bar, a tough-looking but apparently friendly young man appeared and informed us that there was a $5 cover charge.  He said there was a band. We thought 5 was fine, and my companion pulled out his wallet. I looked to see what he paid with, in case he didn't have enough cash and I had to pull out my own wallet. He pulled out a 20 and gave it to the young man. In the meantime, the man was talking - would we dance? would we ride the bull?  would we... It was pushy, intrusive, and annoying, but we were just waiting for our change and for him to pull wrist bands off a page he seemed to have or give us whatever he had to give. Well, he pulled off two bands or whatever they were and was "done."  I thanked him and asked where our change was. He was quick: "You gave me a ten."  I was disgusted and shocked.  He was fleecing us.  It explained all that I had noticed: he had put the 20 in (what looked like) his back pocket. He had pulled out a wad of cash and had put a ten on the outside (but had not given us that ten - and I didn't say anything at that point, since he was talking so fast).  
  Conclusion: When we challenged him, he made a big show of not having a $20 on him and there being a 10 on the outside of his cash wad (in other words, the idea was that this 10 was what he had last received from patrons, us). He dramatically pulled out the lining of his two front pockets and one back pocket.  It doesn't matter that he didn't turn out the other back pocket (and it wasn't the one on the side to which his hand had gone, anyway): I now believed that he had tucked the $20 into his underwear - he was plump and his jeans were low.  What a disgusting thing!  I went to the bartender - a woman who's been working there for forever and who is always there.  She was cool and bland (read: didn't give a --- or else trained not to engage in these sorts of things): 'Talk to the owner,' she said, 'he's right there'.  And so he was (she said 'owner', but it's possible that he was only the manager).  My companion was talking to him.  I told the owner/manager that he really shouldn't have crooks working at his place.  He was cool and bland, too.  His attitude was that his employee was not lying, although he did not accuse us of lying.  He told the man to give us $20, and another great show was made of the young man getting two fives and a ten, since he didn't have a single 20 on him. Now, imagine that! We were early-ish to the bar but there were still a bunch of people there already. And not a single one of them had given him a 20?  Really? Obviously, in order to conduct his little scam, he has to make sure never to have a 20 on him (except the ones he's tucked into his underwear or whatever he does).  I'm sure he's more successful as the evening progresses - noise and crowds are great covers - and people will be confused and only "think" they gave him a 20. I've always had a soft spot for Trout's. No longer. What a sleazy experience.

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  Posted on 11.27.11 Cara D.

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  I had discovered Trouts by Facebook and discovered the owner Tom Rockwell had deep routes to my hometown in Sonora, CA. In addition I
  learned of the history that this honky tonk went back to the 40's and having the love of country music, I placed Trouts on my 2011 bucket list. Hopped on Amtrak in Modesto, took the local bus and spend my evening on 11-11-11 at Trouts.
  
  What a discovery, live music 7 day's per week, gifted musicians and a crowd from young to old that shared a evening of dancing, playing pool, singing and many regular patrons telling me their appreciation of Rockwell
  in his passion to deliver music, entertainment and share with the world
  the country sound from Bakersfield.
  
  Rockwell said it well. "The Country is What We Live"
  
  Do yourself a favor, jump of Amtrak, pull off 99, or put on your bucket list a visit to Trouts.
  
  You will be glad that you did.

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  Posted on 11.12.11 Jim W H.

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  Trouts & The Blackboard Stages is one of those places in North Bakersfield (Oildale) where you'll find out a lot about old country music days in the southern Central Valley.
  
  You'll hear stories about old time country music legends. You'll meet a few too if you time it right. And Tom Rockwell, who is the owner, will talk your ear off as he tells you the history of the place.
  
  It's an old honky tonk under constant renovation with big paintings of music legends, a huge wooden dance floor, and another bar with another stage in the original part of the bar.
  
  There's even a cable access TV show that Rockwell films out of Trouts. My kids were on the show busting out some fiddle, guitar and singing. That was fun.
  
  I wish they had food here, but they don't. They do have catered meals if you contact ahead of time and let them know the size of your group.
  
  If you go to Trouts, the old days are over. But the atmosphere and the storytelling you get from having a drink in such a historic bar is well worth a visit if you're passing through town.

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  Posted on 09.20.10 Nick B.

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  This is The LAST honky-tonk left in Bakersfield. And it's the BEST country bar BY FAR. For me its MY favorite. Disregard all the hub-bub people say about Trouts and Oildale. If you want a good place to dance, have a beer or shoot the bull, this is it. Best bartenders in town as well. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

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  Posted on 09.10.10 Bill C.

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  A good ol Okie bar.  The only thing preventing a 5 Star rating is the lack of Original Coors on tap. That addition would make this a GREAT ol Okie bar! Trout's is an Oildale landmark. Great place for a cold beer, some darts and general shenanigans.

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  Posted on 08.12.10 Jeff W.

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