The Bar Lightens Decor, Bans Baseball Caps

If you’re a member of a gang, any gang, be it that Dodger gang out of L.A., the Avenue Skinheads or even that Ford gang out of Detroit, and you’re wearing the appropriate hat, don’t expect to get into The Bar in Ventura. As of last week, it reopened at 281 W. Main St.--the same venue, different menu.

Closed since Feb. 24 for an attitude adjustment, a face-lift, and now, a dress code, The Bar is definitely down on gangs. No baseball caps, no white T-shirts, no gang attire of any kind will be allowed.

With a kinder, gentler clientele in mind, there’s now a more colorful interior paint job. Once modeled on the Viper Room in L.A. or else the Black Hole of Calcutta, The Bar used to be entirely black. But local artist Lisa Kelly has painted all sorts of bright beach and jungle scenes. There are so many lights inside the place these days that skulking in the dark is no longer an option.

“We wanted to make a change,” said owner David Wollman. “We listened to what the people wanted for three months, and now, we’re gonna give it to them. The hard-core format didn’t work because those bands attracted people who just caused trouble and didn’t have any money, anyway.

“We’re going to provide a fun atmosphere and quality entertainment at a place that’s fun to be at. The parking lot is more lit than daytime, and there’s a whole new staff of large, friendly security people.”

Don’t worry, The Bar is not going to be doing Jimmy Buffett and Don Ho karaoke night. And don’t expect disco, polka or mariachis, according to Wollman.

“Basically we’re changing the music. We’ll still have some big local bands, but we’re going to be doing tribute bands every weekend. This weekend, it’ll be Caress of Steel, which is a Rush tribute band. We want to be open Wednesday through Sunday, and by the end of April, we’ll be having music outside.

“We’re gonna take out two walls and put up roll-up garage doors that lead outside to the new stage. We want to have afternoon reggae and blues with some barbecue.”

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Wollman and his partner Chris Cullison, a couple of guys from Maryland, are still trying to figure out California, not to mention the local music scene and the locals themselves, although they did figure out the weather.

“The weather’s much better out here,” said Wollman, who probably wouldn’t be wearing a T-shirt in Maryland in March. “The music scene here is more outrageous, but a positive outrageous. People like to live out here, instead of just exist, and they’re more outgoing.”

In other ways, Wollman doesn’t see the locals as great risk takers.

“You know, I’ve met a lot of people from Ventura who’ve never even left Ventura,” he said. “They don’t even like Santa Barbara. Maybe this is Mayberry-by-the-Sea.”

Wahoo, dude.

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Jumping onto the X bandwagon are those metal mad men, Iron Maiden, who could scare the X-Men and incinerate “The X-Files” with their 14th album, “The X-Factor.” The band has enthralled and deafened metal kids for over 15 years, selling an incredible 40 million albums.

Bruce Dickinson, the former front man left the band in 1993. Enter new screamer Blaze Bayley, formerly of Wolfbane, and The Chosen One from over 1,000 applicants.

Not surprisingly, there is a new album and another, which should have the Ventura Theatre shaking seriously Sunday evening. Fear Factory will open.

In the Wassup-With-That Department: Iron Maiden was recently refused entrance to Lebanon for unspecified reasons, thus gonging the first-ever heavy-metal concert in Beirut.

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There is going to be a big wingding worth heading up the coast for this weekend. The El Capitan Spring Gathering will feature eight bands on Friday and eight more on Saturday night. Sort of a baby US Festival, except at a better location, this event will feature mostly local bands.

Spencer the Gardener, Santa Barbara’s local and hard-working rock ‘n’ roll dude, will headline the first night, with that serious ska band out of Carpinteria, The Upbeat, being the stellar attraction the next night. According to the flyer, you can expect “Music. Dancing. Hiking. Mountain biking. Surfing. Kayaking. Beach walks. Camping.”

The price is $19.99 for one day; a two-day camp pass is $39.99. El Capitan is on the Ventura Freeway between Goleta and Gaviota. Call 685-3887 to find out more.

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Jeffery R. Wehrheim, drummer for hard-rockin’ Ventura band Low Life, died as a result of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident March 21 on the Ventura Freeway in Oxnard. Wehrheim was 23.

Bill Locey, who writes regularly on rock ‘n’ roll, has survived the mosh pit and the local music scene for many years.