Concert Puts Country Back in Country Club
After showcasing such country superstars as Merle Haggard and Loretta Lynn in the early 1980s, the Country Club shifted its focus to rock ‘n’ roll. Country was relegated to relic status.
But starting with a performance by country singer John Anderson on Aug. 4, Longhorn Promotions will test the marketplace to see if the Reseda club can once again live up to its name.
“We’re trying to appeal to people who were country before the fad of ‘Urban Cowboy,’ ” said Bill Allen, Longhorn’s production manager.
The San Fernando Valley, he said, doesn’t have medium-sized venues for country artists. “I’m talking about performers who can’t fill the Forum or the Universal Amphitheatre, and yet are too big for real small places,” Allen said. The Country Club seats 982, exactly the size that Allen and Jim Grant, Longhorn’s president, have in mind.
The club has had problems recently. Complaints from homeowners and shopkeepers about lewd behavior by patrons led to a move in February by a Los Angeles zoning officer to strip the club of its operating permits. In June, the Los Angeles Board of Zoning Appeals voted 2 to 1 to let the club continue operations. But two board members weren’t present, so the club’s status is still uncertain.
The negative reputation can’t be overlooked, “but I don’t believe it’s an insurmountable obstacle,” Allen said.
Other scheduled concerts include T. Graham Brown on Sept. 15 and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on Sept. 28.
CLOVE IN THE AFTERNOON: The scent of garlic and the sound of jazz will fill the air in West Hollywood today. It’s the sixth annual Southern California Garlic Festival on San Vicente Boulevard, between Melrose Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard. Forty restaurants will offer garlic delicacies--garlic brownies among them--while jazz artists entertain throughout the day.
Among those on the musical menu: pianist Joe Sample, saxophonist Jerome Jumonville, violinist Papa John Creach and German jazz vocalist Jean Shy.
The festival has evolved from a small gathering of about 150 at Nucleus Nuance in 1982 to an event that attracts about 15,000. There is a $6 admission charge, which goes to the Community Emergency Services of the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Red Cross.
The festival begins at noon and lasts until 10 p.m., and will be broadcast live by KKGO-FM (105).
GOIN’ WITH THE WIND: The revamped Atlanta Rhythm Section will perform July 20 at FM Station in North Hollywood.
In 1985, the band changed key members of its personnel--original members Barry Bailey and Dean Daughtry were joined by bassist Tommy Stribbling, drummer Sean Burke, vocalist Shaun Williamson, and bassist Steve Stone.
Bailey, in an interview from Atlanta, said the group has been in the recording studio since last October, although no record deal has been signed.
“We’re shopping,” Bailey said. “We’re long overdue.”
Their last album, “Quinella,” was released in 1982.
The band gained its popularity from such Top-40 hits as “So Into You” in 1977 and “Imaginary Lover” a year later. That success ended a long struggle for the group, whose previous three albums barely attracted attention. By the end of 1976, they were about to give up. They decided to give it one more try, and released “A Rock and Roll Alternative,” which included “So Into You.”
The band will give two shows, titled “A Summer Concert Special,” at 8 p.m. ($8) and 11 p.m. ($6). Tickets can be obtained through Ticketmaster or at the door.