KICKING IT OFF: Cory Branan headlines at Jake’s tonight [the 9th]. |
“We could sure use a plug after being closed all summer,” Jackie Nichols , the owner of Jake’s Bar & Grille, told me this week. “I think most folks assumed we had closed permanently.” But they didn’t, and the new and improved Jake’s Bar & Grille on Richmond Street reopens tonight (the 9th) and kicks off a Columbus Day welcome back weekend with three highly diverse shows, something this modest venue has always excelled at, thanks to Nichols and her son Jake. The emphasis on live music may also prove to be a wise choice, with new neighbors Rick’s Roadhouse and Stanley’s Burgers on the block.
“We plan on continuing to host a wide range of artists, now more than ever,” Nichols said. “Jake and I have broad tastes in music, from hip-hop like the CunninLynguists to country-punk and classic rock.” The emphasis on live music this time around is abundantly clear, as Nichols reports that Jake’s will host shows Thursday through Sunday, plus a Wednesday singer/songwriter showcase beginning in November — glorious news for those of us still salty about the loss of the Met Café.
“We saw the need for a venue our size and I think we can do a good job with it,” she noted. Some 18-plus shows will be added, and most local shows will remain in the $5-$7 range, with national acts around $10 per head.
“National booking agencies tell us that the bands love playing here because the fans are so enthusiastic, and also because of our hospitality,” she said. “We’ve forged some solid relationships with bookers from LA to NYC.”
Nichols decided to “regroup with some minor repairs and painting,” but the most notable addition will be the subtraction of most of their extensive dinner menu. They will now offer “a limited menu that lends itself more to the venue, like burgers, pizza, and nachos.
“We originally opened as a restaurant, but had so many requests from local bands to play here that we eventually gave it a shot,” owner Nichols recalled.
Jake’s doors opened in July 1999. Jackie and Jake had previously been in the business for 15 years at spots like the Hot Club and Jake’s spiritual predecessor, Leo’s, an eclectic neighborhood watering hole for artists. Local bands such as Mahi Mahi, Von Doom, and Kilgore have graced Jake’s stage. And the club was way ahead of the hipster sect when they hosted national acts Lucero and Okkervil River.
The opening ceremonies kick off tonight with Mississippi-born indie folk-rock crooner Cory Branan and New London’s the Quiet Life. Friday has the return of Denver country vets Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, with locals the Wrong Reasons supporting, and Saturday kicks into hard rock overdrive with Bloodwitch (featuring ex-Kilgore vocalist Jay Berndt and drummer Bill Southerland), Boston’s Motherboar, and our own Kanerko kicking it off.
And speaking of variety, of all the bars I ever stumbled onto, Jake’s was the only place where I could drop a buck in the juke and hear EPMD’s Strictly Business alongside Dinosaur Jr’s You’re Living All Over Me. Sadly, Nichols reports that the jukeboxes are gone and they will be using an iPod between live sets, but assured the “same quality and variety of music.”
Nichols said the itinerary is booked solid for the next few months, including shows from Deer Tick, Brooklyn’s Lucinda Black Bear, and Ohio’s Two Cow Garage. Bands interested in booking gigs should contact the club at myspace.com/jakesbarandgrille. Jackie Nichols is excited to be back on the scene, and deservedly so.
“Jake and I are obviously avid fans of live shows and hope that folks will continue to support live music because the musicians here deserve it.”
OFF THE COUCH
Do we even need to remind you about the $8 LIGHTNING BOLT show tonight (the 9th) at the Living Room? Brooklyn duo and fellow Load Records labelmates THE USA IS A MONSTER open up, so get there at 8 pm. A few tix will be available at the door; call 401.521.5200 for availability. Meanwhile, Newport-based cover band THOSE GUYS will perform a benefit gig for the family of slain Cranston Fire lieutenant Jimmy Pagano at Rhodes-On-the-Pawtuxet tonight. The fundraiser is $25 at the door and includes five bands on the bill. Call 401.785.4333 or visit rhodesonthepawtuxet.com.
Providence über-metal quintet THY WILL BE DONE just returned from a Japan tour and will headline a thick local bill at Jerky’s on Friday (the 10th) alongside THE EMPIRE SHALL FALL, CHANNEL ZERO, and Coventry’s WHAT LIES BENEATH THE TIDE. Call 401.621.2244. House DJ troupe AFROSONIC COLLECTIVE will perform a pair of pro-Obama shows this weekend, appearing at the Providence Black Rep (401.351.0353) on Friday and Firehouse 13 (401.270.1801) on Saturday (the 11th). Half of the proceeds will go toward Obama’s campaign fund. A busy Saturday also includes blues showman JEFF PITCHELL at Effin’s Last Resort (401.349.3500) in Smithfield; local quartet THE ATTIC will reportedly open for TV ON THE RADIO at Lupo’s (401.331.5876); and there’s a great double bill in downtown Newport when THE ’MERICANS, who just bolstered their lineup by recruiting the drummer and guitarist from the recently split Cold War, and the BLIZZARD OF ’78 play a free show at Billy Goode’s. Call 401.848.5013. Columbus Day weekend provides the chance to catch up with one of the best in town, SANTA MAMBA, who play a show on Sunday (the 12th) at the Newport Blues Cafe. SM just released their second disc, Senseo, and the Latin-spiced funk company continues to commandeer sweaty dance floors. Call 401.841.5510.
