Column 42 — An (Old Country) Buffet of Music News
Saddle Creek, Cursive, Ladyfinger and MavStock

This week, a few observations, rumors, suggestions and hyperbole — the stuff that make columns worth reading.

— In Saddle Creek news: Touched by the devastation and need coming out of the Gulf port states, Omaha’s premiere record label is putting together a compilation CD whose proceeds will go entirely to The Red Cross for Hurricane Relief. Among those signed up are a cadre of local superstars, including Bright Eyes, Cursive, The Faint, The Good Life, Mayday, Orenda Fink, Maria Taylor, Broken Spindles and Criteria. The Creek says the collection will be available on iTunes shortly, while the CD version will be available for order from saddle-creek.com in the coming days. It’s just another way to do your part to help get the Gulf and its people back on their feet.

— And speaking of getting back on their feet, so is Saddle Creek band Cursive. The scuttlebutt was that the band had been preparing to hit the road. Now in a move reserved for the likes of The Rolling Stones and U2, they’re performing as an opening act under assumed names for a mini-tour leading up to the CMJ Music Festival in NYC (where they’ll be a surprise “special guest” at the Saddle Creek showcase at the Bowery Ballroom Sept. 15). Cursiverarmy.com spilled the beans late last week with this post on its homepage:

“You should look for the following bands in the next week or two: Flippy and Hambone, T Lite & the Heavies, Jazz Hessian, Cursifix, Stuffy Dumbfuck, and Sgt. Snippy, in these cities: Chicago, Columbus, OH; Wilkes Barre, PA; New London, CT, North Manchester, IN, and Lansing, MI. Oh boy, if you like seeing Cursive you should really see these shows.”

— So who is the pseudo-Cursive opening for? None other Ladyfinger — Omaha’s current “It” band. I caught Ladyfinger’s pre-tour warm-up at O’Leaver’s last Friday with The Third Men — themselves a pop-rock gem the combines Matthew Sweet pop, Replacements bar, dB’s cool and a little bit of The Feelies irascibility thrown in for good measure.

Maybe Ladyfinger can do what another gutter-groove band from the past was unable to. That band was Ritual Device — one of the city’s Golden Age icons, the band that often gets left out of the who-influenced-Creek discussions though they, along with Mousetrap, undoubtedly laid the foundation for the label’s heavier acts (Beep Beep comes to mind). Ladyfinger is the Second Coming of Ritual Device except they’re faster, and in some respects, harder than RD ever was. But in spite of their fleetness, they bare RD’s unmistakable knack for finding a head-bobbing groove via their rhythm section and chop guitar. What they don’t have is a frontman like Ritual’s Tim Moss, who was not only a stage ham, but a real factor in RD’s overall sound. Not so with Ladyfinger’s vocalists Ethan Jones and Chris Machmuller. Blame the mix, blame the sheer volume of the band, but I could not hear their vocals all night, and when I did, they were mere wisps before a hurricane. They certainly have the vocal chops — by god they both can sing better than Moss (Hell, I can sing better than Moss).

— And finally, there is MavStock. As an alum, I feel compelled to talk about this one-day, six-band music festival to be held at UNO’s Milo Bail Student Center Sept. 17, if only for the charities involved. Proceeds reaped from your $5 attendance fee will be split between the American Red Cross and MavRadio. The student-run station has a transmitter on UNO’s North Campus broadcasting at 93.7 FM. It can only be heard, however, on campus. Their biggest potential audience comes from those who listen via the webstream at mavradio.org. As I type this, the station is playing Spoon “I Turn My Camera On,” leading into Aqualung, “Brighter Than Sunshine.” Imagine if this station ever got a real license and transmitter. Dare to dream…

MavStock begins at around 3 p.m. The all-local lineup includes Liquid Static, Endeavor, Dielated, Emphatic and Smilin Liar, and headliner Venaculas. Find out more at mavradio.org.

Just placed online, a nice story about a nice little band from Lawrence called The Pomonas (read it here). I saw these guys last winter at O’Leaver’s and was knocked out by their sloppy-yet-fun set, so much so that I told them afterward if they ever come through town again, let me know and we’ll do some press. Well here they come, this Saturday at O’Leaver’s with Fizzle Like a Flood and The Ointments. Among the stuff that didn’t make it into the article are comments about making of their EP, Jubilation, specifically the part about how it was recorded in 24 hours in the all-analog studio run by Tom Wagner of rock band Conner. “It was recorded on the same reel-to-reel machine that was used to record Jefferson Airplane’s Volunteers album,” said guitarist Andy Gassaway. “Tom collects vintage recording equipment.” The band recently acquired a practice space where they’ll record their next CD using conventional digital equipment — i.e., a computer and some microphones. “The sound quality won’t be what the EP was,” Gassaway said. “We all dig low-fi recordings. We really latched onto Guided by Voices.” He said the band loves Omaha, even though they didn’t like their performance the last time they were here. “Afterward we got invited to this fun house party. The next day we ate at this burger place called Big Daddy’s.” Big Daddy’s? What the hell is Big Daddy’s?

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No update yesterday (there rarely is one on Mondays anymore) because I was feverishly finishing a feature on The Pomonas, which will be online tomorrow, and a grab-bag column for Thursday. I hear from Mr. Whipkey of Anonymous American that his gig at Shag did well and he moved 50 copies of his AA/Whipkey split. Not bad. That said, here are a few interesting headlines/stories from the ‘net:

Brainy ‘geek rock’ is posting smart sales numbers — New York Daily News — There’s no question that indie rock needs a different name other than “indie rock,” but I don’t think “geek rock” or “dweeb rock” is it. Bright Eyes is mentioned, of course. Pompous quote from SPIN editor Doug Brod, who calls where-are-they-now star Chris Cornell “larger than life”: “Frankly, these guys are nerds in sweaters and polyester pants who sing sensitive songs. That can only take you so far.”

Onion’s A.V. Club gives Criteria a “buy it” rating — For whatever reason, Criteria is now being compared to Foo Fighters in reviews and interviews, a comparison that I don’t get.

For example, here’s one from U of Missouri-Columbia’s Maneater, except it’s actually Criteria’s Stephen Pedersen making the comparison. “We get a lot of people saying that we sound like the Foo Fighters, too,” Pedersen said. “I don’t really listen to much of their stuff. I just hear it on the radio. They’re a great band though, and we get compared to them sometimes.” Don’t encourage them, Steph-o.

311’s SA Martinez makes an off-hand remark about the Omaha music scene in this story from The Oklahoma Daily. The writer asks “How has it been being one of the bands that has really gotten a scene going?” referring to the Omaha scene. “It’s gone in cycles. When we were coming out, there was a scene goin’ on in early ’90s—late ’80s. Now there’s a new independent music scene centered around people like The Faint. It’s like every town. Scenes come and go. They’re the bee’s knees, you know? To each his own.” Not sure what that means…

Tonight’s show of note: Aqualung with The Perishers and Tracy Bonham at Sokol Underground. Aqualung has been herded into the Radiohead/Coldplay category. I think they sound something closer to a quiet Ben Folds, but who knows? The Perishers are equally laid back. $12, 8 p.m.

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It was a night of light and darkness at O’Leaver’s. Light in the form of The Third Men, who, by the way, now include a woman on keyboards (she doesn’t seem to mind the band’s moniker — hey, it was there before she joined, right?). By 10:30 or so O’Leaver’s was already elbow-to-elbow packed and not with people watching the Ohio-Pitt game on the plasma (which guitarist/vocalist Matt Rutledge turned off with 10 seconds left in regulation and Pitt driving — good thing I wasn’t paying attention). I’m not entirely sure the crowd was there to see 3rd Men either, but they were there nonetheless and got what they deserved — a scorching set of tightly wound pop rock from a group of laid-back veterans too cool to care if you don’t like their sunshine-vibe (One guy next to me kept saying “Come on, where’s Ladyfinger?” before he disappeared — his loss). I liken them to an groovy combination of Matthew Sweet pop, Replacements bar and dB’s cool with a little bit of The Feelies irascibility thrown in for good measure. These are songs with top-down hooks and lots of grins. And if their own pop ditties weren’t enough, the band threw in two covers — Mott the Hoople’s “All the Young Dudes” and McCartney/Wings’ “Jet” — that’s right, “Jet” — with bassist Mike Tulis barking out the dog’s name like a Midwestern Jerry Lewis. Gold.

Then came the darkness in the form of Ladyfinger. Has there been another band in the Omaha scene that bears their gutter-groove mark of the devil? The answer is yes. That band was Ritual Device — one of the city’s Golden Age icons, the band that often gets left out of the who-influence-Creek discussions though they, along with Mousetrap, undoubtedly laid the foundation (or at least provided the bad influence) for the label’s heavier acts (Beep Beep comes to mind). As I’ve said in this here blog a few times before, Ladyfinger is Ritual Device’s second coming, although it’s a thoroughly different revelation. Ladyfinger is faster, and in some respects, harder than RD ever was. But in spite of their fleetness, they have RD’s unmistakable knack for finding the head-bobbing groove in the rhythm section, bass and chop guitar, all blended into a very dark brew. The other huge diff — Ritual Device had a frontman in Tim Moss that was not only a stage ham, but a true factor in that band’s overall sound. Amidst the chaos there was always Moss’s throaty voice, mumbling, growling or yelling (not screaming) twisted, obscene lyrics about nightmare sex visions and John Wayne Gacy child molesters. When I think of Ritual Device, I can hear Moss’ voice like the memory of a bad dream. Not so with Ladyfinger’s vocals, shared by two frontmen. Blame the mix, blame the sheer volume of the band, but I could not hear Ethan’s or Chris’ vocals all night, and when I did, they were mere wisps before a hurricane. Those guys need to lean right in there and spit it out, over the band, over the crowd. Else they become another edgy instrumental band, of which there are too many already. They have the vocal chops — by god they both can sing better than Moss (who got by on intensity, not range). Their voices — and whatever ideas they convey — must be heard if this band is going to break through to our nightmares.

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Before we get into the weekend, a couple notable items that crossed my inbox. First, the Chicago Tribune interviewed me for a story about the new Saddle Creek DVD (the story is here, but you have to register to read it, which is free). Writer Patrick Sisson chatted with me over my lunch hour a couple weeks ago, mainly asking me about the history of the Omaha scene pre-Creek, and the nature of scene today. Not surprisingly, he didn’t mention anyone other than the Creek bands in the article (which I guess makes sense since the DVD only briefly discusses pre-Creek Omaha). Sisson called the DVD “a mosaic of old video footage, concert fliers and interviews with the production value of a ‘Real World’ confession.” I get a pitch in for ol’ Caulfield Records and make a nice comment about Creek bands’ lack of commercial interest when they write their songs. Sisson says that Digital Ash and Wide Awake have sold a combined 600,000 copies so far.

A friend sent a link to the myspace page for The Lodge Club, a Portland band that includes “4 Nebraskans and 1 Californian…no one under the age of 30.” One of the Nebraskans is former Frontier Trust and Darktown House Band drummer Joe Kobjerowski. The other members are “Dave, Nancy, Ben, and Alex.” I don’t know their last names but I’m sure someone reading this does. The band has four songs available on their MySpace account (which is here) and even list a gig tonight at Portland’s The Town Lounge. With four Nebraskans in the band, you’d think someone could lure them down here for a show one of these days.

Well, if you’re Omaha instead of Portland tonight, your best bet is catching The Third Men (ex-The Sons of…), and Ladyfinger tonight at O’Leaver’s. Ladyfinger now draws SRO shows at O’Leaver’s, so get there early if you want a seat. $5, 9:30 p.m.

As for the rest of the weekend: Tomorrow night (Saturday) the only show of merit is Shelterbelt and Papers at Knickerbockers in Lincoln. It’s Papers’ CD release show. $5, 9 p.m. Sunday night is Anonymous American and Matt Whipkey at Shag for their CD release show. Korey Anderson opens the early show, which starts at 7 p.m. ($6). Could be crowded, seeing as AA performed live on Z-92 yesterday morning. If you’re curious about Shag, here’s a review of the joint from a couple months ago.

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Column 41: Brother, Can You Spare $3.30?
Gas prices slowing down bands on the road

So I’m talking to rock guy Matt Whipkey and he tells me he’s flying to Chicago for his next gig. Flying? Since when did Whipkey become such a big-ass rock star? Who does he think he is? Springsteen?

“Flying will cost me half as much as driving to Chicago,” Whipkey said. What’s the matter? Hadn’t I seen the price of gas lately?

Ripples from the disaster known as Hurricane Katrina has made it all the way to the gas pumps, where for the first time we’re seeing $3 per gallon gasoline. As shocking as that is to drivers of gas-guzzling ego-machines like Escalades, Expeditions and Hummers, it’s a painful reality to touring bands. As if driving around the country in a metal furnace called a van isn’t bad enough, now bands will pay for the torture in something more substantial than sweat.

Whipkey gave me the easy numbers. Driving to Chicago for his gig would have cost him $170 if he rented a car. If he drove his van, it would have cost $270. Meanwhile, a round-trip ticket on Southwest was a mere $80. “When my band (Anonymous American) played Madison and Milwaukee, it cost us $180 in gas. Touring has never been a money-making prospect, but this is hilarious.”

It’s not just the little guy who’ll feel it says Eric Dimenstein of Ground Control Touring, the company that books fish both big and small, including Statistics, Bright Eyes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Sonic Youth. “I’ve heard some of the smaller bands mentioning it can be tough,” Dimenstein said of gas prices. “(I) would guess it hits them harder for the obvious reason there is less money coming in and more money going out. But it’s an added expense end of day for bus tours as well.”

Dimenstein, who deals with local promoters like Omaha’s One Percent Productions, says he hasn’t worked the cost of extra gas money into any bookings yet, “but who knows.”

One Percent Production’s Marc Leibowitz says he hasn’t seen the impact of high gas prices on his costs. “I think it would affect the smallest bands the most,” he said. “That means bands playing places like O’Leaver’s have an even harder time making it to the next town with $60 or whatever.”

So what can bands do to combat high gas prices? Not much, said Criteria frontman Stephen Pedersen. His band is poised to head out in their van on a 40-day tour in a few days realizing that they’re going to take the cost of touring right in the shorts.

“Our guarantees (the amount they’re paid for performances) are set in stone,” he said. “We’re not getting any extra money because the price of gas is going up. We just eat peanut butter more often.”

Passing on the extra expense to promoters in the form of a fuel surcharge isn’t even a consideration. “Promoters will just pass the cost onto the kids in the form of higher ticket prices,” he said. “As a band that’s looking to build a fan base, the last thing you want to do is increase the cost of shows.”

Pedersen says Criteria’s GMC Sierra 15-passenger van gets about five to six hours of travel time per 31-gallon tank — that’s about 13 miles per gallon. Their last tour — a brief five-day jaunt — cost them $200 in gas, and that was at pre-Katrina prices of around $2.29 per gallon. A dollar more per gallon equates to about $70 per day more for gas, which means Criteria will spend anywhere between $1,800 and $3,000 on gas for their upcoming tour, Pedersen said.

“Typically, for us, our guarantee is used for gas and food,” he said. “There’s also merch money, a percentage of which goes back to Saddle Creek (their record label). We use the remainder to pay rent and bills. Hopefully in a month, when we’re two weeks into the tour, gas prices will go down. I think we’ll be safe from operating at a loss, but beyond that, I don’t know what to expect.”

At the end of the day, however, Pedersen realizes the costs are nothing compared what New Orleans is facing. “The price of gas is relative to what’s happening in New Orleans,” he said. “One situation is a nuisance, the other is a tragedy.”

Just placed online, a profile of Anonymous American via an interview with Matt Whipkey (read it here), which is appropriate because the new EP for which they’ll be hosting a CD release party at Shag Sunday is credited as “Anonymous American / Matt Whipkey” — a combo of band and solo stuff, all on one disc. There was a ton of information that didn’t make it into this story because of the space limitations placed by The Reader. Stuff about what the songs are about (mostly an old girlfriend and the breakup); that the band doesn’t like the “alt-country” label (“It carries the same weight as the term ‘indie.’ Everyone has their own idea what it means, but you don’t really know. Anyone would get frustrated with being labeled”); their plans to line up a distro deal (“My goal is to sell 1,000 CDs; that should be enough to lure a distributor”) and the possibility of major labels (“I’m not going to quit chasing them”). And then there was Whipkey’s comments about gas prices and touring, which you’ll read tomorrow as I used them in this week’s column about gas prices and touring.

Tonight’s show de jour is The Terminals and Plastic Letters at O’Leaver’s. It should make for a night of hard, fast punk-ified fun. 9:30, $5.

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Not a lot to report from the weekend past. The only show I attended was One Mummy Case at The Pizza Shoppe in Benson on Sunday night. It was a nice turnout and good music (not to mention good pizza). Like I mentioned in an earlier review, these guys are the next generation of Omaha singer/songwriters (the youngest member is 15). It’s the band that Creek begot, so to speak, and is definitely worth keeping an eye on. The Pizza Shoppe isn’t a bad place to see a show, except that they made the band turn it down after their first song. I guess there are people living upstairs. That’ll put a damper on things.

Look for a new interview with Matt Whipkey in Lazy-i tomorrow morning as he prepares for his CD release show at Shag this Sunday…

The Fruit Bats, Spelled in Bones (Sub Pop) — More than a mere Elephant 6 retro rehash but still in the same category of Sub Pop soothers as The Shins. Sub Pop is riding this psychedelic throwback rock craze for all it’s worth. The Fruit Bats fit the bill. It’s trippy stuff with ’60s keys and a style that reminds me of Cat Stevens (“Traveler’s Song”) but without Cat’s wrenching personal take. I like it, though I think the arrangements are a bit too heavy handed at times. I would have preferred a more stripped-down approach, but that ain’t their style. Rating: Yes.

This is more of a review of The Goofy Foot than Eux Autres, but I’ll get to them in the course of things. I’d never been to “The Goofy” before. I knew that it was in the old Neon Goose building on 10th St. just before Pacific. I’d been in the Stork Club once back when fake swing was all the rage (If you missed Omaha’s “swing revival,” you missed nothing. Few things are more repulsive than fake swing). First off, where to park? There is no parking lot that I could find. That leaves 10th St. — not a bad option since traffic was sparse when I got there. I parked across the street from what I hoped was the bar. There was no sign on the outside, just a lot of brushed aluminum that stands out next to the gray of the darkened adjacent building (which, I guess, was actually the old Stork Club).

The “no-sign” policy was an indication of what lied within. I think The Goofy is going for that whole Manhattan-lounge thing, but on an extreme budget. The place was dark-dark but not pitch. I was told last night that the building is one of the oldest in the city, a throwback to the old rail station days. Despite the lighting, it still had plenty of Old World flavor. My recollection of things seen: oak floors, tin ceiling, oak paneling and exposed brick, ceiling fans, a Soundgarden concert poster, lots of draped cloth (sheets, Don’t Tread on Me flag, bolts of black cloth draped above the stage, etc.). Split down the middle, the south half of the bar is divided by an exposed-brick structured wall where there are a couple pool tables and booths. The north side has tall tables and the serving bar. The defining element, of course, is the second-hand furniture scattered all about — easy chairs and couches of dirty cloth and leather, no two matching, arranged haphazardly and used to fill in open corners.

Which brings us to the “stage,” because there is no real stage at The Goofy Foot. Instead, a space has been cleared in the back of the room where overhead hangs a couple amps. Directly in front of where the band plays sits a large square coffee table covered with ashtrays and candles surrounded by couches and crappy wingback chairs. This poor-man’s living room ensemble creates a natural barrier between the band and the bar tables further back.

The place was packed and I had no idea where to stand except behind the couch (but in front of the rest of the seated patrons). I saw a couple people I knew and asked if it was okay to stand there. “Sure,” they said. I don’t know if I was in the way or not — I suspect I was, though no one seemed to care. If there’s one quality about The Goofy that stands out, it’s the laid-back crowd: I felt like I was smack in the middle of the hipster/indie nation — a world that I know I’ll never really be cool enough to inhabit. But that’s okay, the citizens are willing to tolerate me even though I look like an off-duty cop.

A few other things before I get to Eux Autres: Though they have ceiling fans, there’s no ventilation. The Goofy is in the same league as The Brothers and O’Leaver’s in regards to smoke — you’ll be stripping down when you get home. My Rolling Rock set me back $3.25 — which puts it in the middle of a market where Rocks are $3 at O’Leaver’s and either $3.50 or $2.50 at Sokol Underground (depending on who’s behind the bar). I’m not sure why Omaha bars consider Rolling Rock a premium beer. It isn’t. Not by a long shot. On the East Coast it’s considered an Old Style / Olympia-type beer. Here it’s treated like Samuel Adams.

So I got there at a quarter to 11, just before the Larimers took up instruments. Heather in her retro dress looked like Parker Posey sitting behind the drum set, while brother Nick was dressed in a suit and tie, probably because their parents were crouched somewhere among the scenesters. They played most of the songs from their CD, along with a cover of B. Adams’ “Summer of ’65.” It was kicky fun, though most folks just seemed to slouch and stare at the band (a couple girls next to me were dancing). I’m not sold on guitar-and-drum-only combos. It was like sitting in a forest of shimmering midrange. I yearned for bass, though there was no bass to be had, and considering the style of music they play (K Records indie mixed with retro-Zombies garage rock) there really isn’t a reason not to have a bass except that they don’t want to deal with a third band member. A second guitar would also be cool, but not a deal-breaker. As a two-piece, they’re interesting and fun but unnecessarily minimal to the point of lacking. I asked the guy next to me if he missed not having a bass. “Who cares. I’m watching the drummer.” Nuff said.

What’s up this weekend?

Tonight it’s the newly named Virgasound (formerly known as The Philharmonic) with Ideal Cleaners and The Jealous Lovers at O’Leaver’s. $5, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday’s pick is Steve Bartolomei, Kyle Harvey and Brad Hoshaw at Mick’s. $5, 9 p.m.

Sunday it’s Of Montreal and The Management in what could end be a sold-out show at Sokol Underground. $10, 9 p.m. But if that doesn’t float your boat, check out One Mummy Case at The Pizza Shoppe in Benson. The 7 p.m. show is free. Might as well go to both.

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The 49’r Takes Five
You can’t stop the music at the midtown tavern.

Within the past few years, The 49’r has established itself as one of the city’s more important music venues, hosting a few national acts but mostly concentrating on providing a stage for up-and-coming local bands. It’s arguably the best place to see snarling, hard-ass rock and punk from bands like The Monroes, Anonymous American and Race for Titles.

So when word leaked out a few weeks ago that The Niner was cutting back on live music, it came as a disappointed both to the bands and the fans of those white-knuckle acts.

Rumor and conjecture did abound. Had The 49’r reached the end of the live music business cycle? A cycle that goes something like this: A bar suffers from a lull in business. A few bands that hang around the place ask if they can play some gigs there, and the owner figures why not, it could help drum up some business. More bands are booked and crowds grow like kudzu. Before long, folks start coming out just because they dig the bar, the staff and its jukebox, and before you know it, the live music becomes a nuisance for the regulars who just want to drink in peace. Seeing an opportunity to cut costs, the venue puts an end to the stage show.

That theory, in this case, is only partially correct, says Mark Samuelson, owner of The 49’r. During the height of his nightclub business, Samuelson ran four successful Omaha bars simultaneously: The Partners on 42nd and F, the legendary Howard St. Tavern in the Old Market, its “upstairs bar” called The White Rabbit, and the good ol’ 49’r at 49th & Dodge.

Today only The Niner remains, which Samuelson still operates along with his other businesses, Aksarben Fixture and Supply, an ATM business and some real estate ventures. The degree in which he operates The Niner, however, has changed. Samuelson says he’s somewhat removed from the bar’s day-to-day operations.

“I listen to my help,” he said when asked about the shift in the venue’s live music policy. “I think we got over-saturated, and every band wanted to play here. The staff was hearing that we were doing a little too much music. Now we’re only choosing the best bands that really draw people.”

He pointed out that The Niner’s live music policy differs from the way the Howard St. was run. Back then, Samuelson said he started booking new music acts because blues was such a tough sell. And it didn’t take long for the club to become a national tour stop for tomorrow’s superstars.

“We had the Smashing Pumpkins come in for a $140 guarantee and two vegetarian pizzas,” he said. “It’s crazy to think about that today.”

Unlike the Howard St, The 49’r doesn’t offer guarantees. Instead, bands take home whatever cover charge they can generate. “So if you’re just playing for the door, it doesn’t make sense for the big bands to come here,” he said.

There are exceptions, however, such as when the staff wanted to bring in New York Dolls guitarist Sylvain Sylvain. “If they have a good idea, I just stay out of the way,” Samuelson said. So far, it’s worked well.

But if anything, The 49r’s biggest draw is its location in the heart of Dundee, or as their matchbooks used to say: “In the middle of everything and no place to park.”

“We’re not in the middle anymore. We’re downtown,” Samuelson said, laughing. “We’re so busy because we have so many people who live close to here. The .08 (drinking) law is really hurting a lot of clubs. No one wants to risk it.”

Better to tie one on at The Niner and safely stumble home then to get behind the wheel of a car.

So does the bar’s already-packed weekends without bands spell the end for The Niner’s live music? Hardly. In fact, Samuelson said the venue will get back into the swing of things later this fall. “It’s gonna pick back up,” he said. “I anticipate doing more than just a couple of shows a month like we’re doing now.”

And really, how could he ever stop? For it was at The 49’r back in the early ’70s that a 15-year-old Samuelson’s own band, Hat Trick, had its first gig. Ironically, the band’s second gig would be at The Howard St. Tavern.