buck owens and you - View this location on map short of nashville and austin, bakersfield may be the best place in the nation to hear country music, which makes the city an essential pilgrimage spot for any serious fan. merle haggard was born and raised in nearby oildale and performs in the region regularly. dwight yoakam has spent a fair amount of time here as well, and had a no. 1 hit a few years back with a song called ''a town south of bakersfield.'' buck owens, a member of the country music hall of fame, is the city's favorite son. in 1996, he opened buck owens' crystal palace ( 661-328-7560), a kind of hard rock cafe for country music, with a bandstand, a dance floor and owens memorabilia in glass display cases on the ground floor. mr. owens performs just about every weekend (there's a $6 to $12 cover charge) and mr. haggard, mr. yoakam and other stars perform all year. where else can you scuffle your tony lamas a few feet from the man who sang ''okie from muskogee''? New York Times 2800 buck owens boulevard, Bakersfield, CA Local spot, Cultural, Nightlife

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