The Barrens Winery

By Sterling Bradly

The Classic Rock band ALIBI had already become rather successful at playing the bar and club scene when it had been suggested to the group to consider performing for some other music venues.  One was to   provide music for weekend afternoons at some of the local wineries. It  would keep the band working especially throughout  the summer, but  to do that would also require the group to step out of it's typical comfort zone and to do something totally different.

Barrens Winery would be the very first in a more "acoustic like setting" and the band jumped at the chance to get to  perform there on a early spring day the 8th of April ..

Scott Lay, the groups Lead Guitarist, had been the one whom had suggested it to the band and advised them that to be successful would require them to do what it could to reduce the groups on-stage volumes. The Barren's would be more of a listening atmosphere and would be much different than the typical dancing club scene they had started to become rather accustomed to.

Stix Douglas, Alibi's Vocal Drummer, suggested for them to do something "Special"  and introduce the group to the winery with an "Acoustic set" to start the afternoon gig off with, since there wasn't enough rehearsal time to do much more than that.  By referring to the band as a Trio, it would also add to their diversity while opening up a completely different venue that they could continue with as well.

Stix went on to say: "The understanding was that Barren's Winery had a significant amount of regular patrons that returned every weekend.  I was sure once they heard us as a Acoustic Trio  the group would be a shoe in for more summertime dates. That was the plan".

 The group had discussed their options, then had two rehearsals to work up the set worth of material. Then advertised their first performance as a "Special Acoustic set" as an event on Facebook in the hopes that it would help win favor with the regulars that would be in attendance. This would provide them with another side of the group performing as a Trio and in a more relaxed and quieter setting.

Dan Brown, the groups Bass Guitarist and vocalist, said : "It came as a bit of a surprise to Scott and me when Stix showed up with his Congas at the next rehearsal. We all were rather sceptical too of just what we might do and what it might sound like."




There wasn't much of a problem coming up with, or transposing enough songs over for the Special set. Some songs were more worthy then others to be considered in the simpler "Unplugged " versions from the band's song list.
Scott rehearsed using his electric "box" guitar but then opted for his Straticaster when the job came up.

When the group arrived at Barren's they were offered and considered the possibility of performing outside.  However with the weather being rather cool and also windy they decided to go ahead and set up the equipment indoors. The band would more than likely perform outside the next time.

 No one had considered the acoustics of the room. It wouldn't be until much later that it would even dawn on the band what should of been blatantly obvious.

 The floors were made of large ceramic tiles. The majority of the walls were made of a hardened plastered concrete that also had large glass windows. The area they set up in had a very low ceiling that was made of tongue n groove Oak, that opened up to an even larger glass walled room with a very high vaulted ceiling. The sound bounced while at the same time creating almost an echo effect of its own.. It virtually made for some of the worst acoustics possible.

It was naive of the band to think that their songs in the first set would have anything to do with influencing or in providing the group with any ice breaking  they desperately needed. Even while performing them at a lower  volume.
 After all there had been several rock bands that had played there at Barrens Winery multiples of times. They surely would have had to of been a lot louder especially in their first set.

Both Scott and Dan had pulled a few strings,  made calls and had padded the audience with dozens of their closest family and friends who had come out because they either couldn't or hadn't gotten to hear them before.

When the band ended its first song,  the audience enthusiastically responded their approval with applause. The following moments everyone returned to their previous discussions. while the band remained silent, unsure of which song to do next.
But then the biggest mistake I think any band member has ever made happened.  As delicate of a situation as this was, the timing couldn't have been any worse.  Suddenly bassist, Downtown Danny Brown, shouted outloud broadcasting over the microphone asking, " ARE WE TOO LOUD ? "

His volume and the initial shock seemed to have startled nearly everyone in the room. It was as if time stood still and there was a defining silence. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked around.

It's hard to imagine why Dan had done that, perhaps to win over the owner. If so it failed miserably.  But what was even more shocking was what happened next with the owner, who happened to be there and who then fired back a resounding  " YES, You are TOO LOUD".

The Trio made several adjustments but the volumes were already set near zero. The group really couldn't have performed much quieter.
Stix had sang and played their first song on congas,without being mic'd . for crying out loud. How could it be possible for him to be able to play any quieter and still be heard?
 The crowd  remained very responsive and  seemed  pleasantly surprised at the Trio's efforts with the special unplugged versions of and  including "Heard It Through the Grapevine", "Long Train Running", and a Fleetwood Mac song "Gold Dust Woman".
But for all of the Trio's efforts, they were drastically overshadowed from constant reminders of their volumes.
Dan said later : "By the end of the second one hour set, I was overly frustrated with the constant badgering from the owner and the bar maid who kept sending up a waitress with notes on a napkin, reminding us of our stage volumes; and telling us to turn down." 

Scott went on to say: "We were reminded of being too loud after nearly every song for the first  two of our hour long sets."
Stix said later in an interview : " I did everything I could to reduce my volumes. As a percussionist I played softer.  I even went so far as placing a cloth napkin over the top of My piccolo snare the entire second set." .

Stix also commented on the room saying :"You couldn't help but hear the crowd  talking over the music and especially when the music stopped or when we took a break." hinting at the bad  acoustics.

Dan continued on saying :   " We had done everything possible to be accommodating.   By the end of the first set we had turned down, had changed directions of our amplifiers and repositioned the direction of the PA columns; before finally turning the PA system off entirely.

 At the beginning of the second set we were only using one monitor to be able to hear ourselves. 
Stix  had even removed his vocal microphone and was singing backup,and doing his harmony's without any amplification. Yet we were still being told we were too loud. "It was ridiculous," Dan said in disgust.

At the beginning of the third and last one hour set, Stix removed the piccolo snare from his drum set and switched it over to his " Rock Concert" snare. From then on things went suprisingly smooth for the group.

What is still puzzling was that throughout the third set there were no more complaints. The audience evidently kept the owner, and bar maids busy with drink orders and everyone considered what Alibi did from that point to be just fine.

Later as the band was tearing down and loaded up they were approached and were told that everyone was happy with the group especially its last set.

Barren's Winery would like to have the group return. Mutually agreeing to the band's stipulation that when Alibi did return it would be to play outside.

The band never returned. Was it a lost opportunity? Bitter sweet in the one and only time the group ever played anything "Acoustically" in that it was the one and only time.

It was later in September when Barren's Winery inquired about the group for a specific date.  By then Down Town Danny Brown was wanting to call it quits with the band.  A replacement bass guitarist was found but by then Dan had already turned down the Barren's Winery's offers. There was no follow up.

One additional footnote was that this was the very first "paying gig" that Stix worked as a percussionist. What a way to start a new career...