KULIFE
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, August 18, 1993
7C
Bars offer local showcase College audiences flock to hear live music
By Angelique Lower
Special to the Kansan
Lawrence may not have the distinct sound of Seattle grunge music, but in a town that is diverse as Lawrence, the music scene is hot.
win the last few years local bands such as Paw, Stick, Salty Iguanas and Baghdad Jones have gained growing popularity and recording contracts. A main contributor in the bands success has been the bars around town that gave them a chance to show their stuff.
Mark Smiir, lead singer for Stick and former rhythm guitarist for Kill Whitey said, "The Bottleneck and The Crossing helped us gain recognition in Lawrence. I think Lawrence is lucky because practically everyone 18 to 25 is in some kind of band and can play anywhere. There's one kind of everything in this town except polka."
Some of the bars in town that feature local bands are The Jazzhaus, hide-away, Hockenbury's Tavern, The Bottleneck and The Crossing. Most of the bars have to work in order to keep their college audience. Even though there is usually a cover charge to see the bands, specials on drinks are the incentive to bring students in.
Angelique Lower / KANSAN
Students have a variety of reasons of what factor brings them to a particular bar and what keeps them coming back.
Brett Hattaway, Lawrence law student said, "I come to the Jazzhaus all the time. I come for the music and it's a nice change of pace from the school routine."
John Bowell, a junior from Overland Park studying Liberal Arts had different incentives that brought him out to local bars. "It's cheap beer on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday," he said. "And good music the rest of the week."
Rick McNeely, owner of The Jdzhazzan said. "There is always a drink special here, never a plastic cup or an aluminum can. We know Lawrence is a college town without a lot of money so we try to keep the prices down."
Most of the local bars try to keep the cover charge less than $6 to see a band. The hide-away, a bar that opened last month, has no set group or type of music they try to book and charge $2 or $3 for local bands and $4 or $5 for national acts.
"We like to have smaller bands that are up and coming and also national acts that are touring the state," said Sydney Batte, co-owner of the hide-away.
The bar owners of Lawrence have high aspirations for the local bands and if a band does make it big, the proprietors hope that the band will come back and pay homage to the places where the band launched its career.
Right Drummer Tim Mohn and bass guitarist. Darrel Brannock of Stick perform at the hide-away. 106 North Park St.
Below: Saty
liganas leads
singer Barry
Osborne plays at
Hockenbury's
Tavern, 1016
Massachusetts
St.
Chris Batte, co-owner of the hide-away said. "Lawrence has a great music scene with good local bands. Lawrence's name will always be thrown in as having a good reputation on the band network."
Angelique Lower / KANSAN
**Above:** Mark Smiri, lead singer of Stick, performs at the hide-away. The local band has a contract with Anista Records.
Melissa Lacey / KANSAN
Right: Rick McNeely, seated second from right and owner of The Jazzhaus 926 % Massachussetts St., performs with The Jazzhaus Big Band.
Angelique Lower / KANSAN
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