Bobby Bare Jr. is getting cozy with Asheville.
Several years ago, the Nashville songwriter abandoned the chaotic bar and club scene for the intimacy and ease of performing in fans’ living rooms. The shows are small, 20-50 people, and about as straightforward as it gets. There’s no mic, no PA, no band and no distractions. Just the man and his guitar. And tonight, the man and his guitar are playing here.
It’s Bare’s second stop in Asheville this year. His first performance was at Craggie Brewing Company, an exception to the living room dates, but, as he told Xpress in February, the downtown ale house made an offer he couldn’t refuse: a free keg of beer for the crowd.
“I’m going to do it just like a house party,” he explained, “but it’s really hard for me to say, ‘No. I don’t want everybody to have a free keg of beer. I’d rather them be in your living room.’”
For many artists, going it alone would be a risky move. However, Bare’s candid charm and off-color musings are paramount to his success as a songwriter, and the minimal arrangements and up-close-and-personal setting naturally highlight those aspects of his craft. It’s a shortcut to the essense of Bare’s appeal, the Bobby Bare Jr. for Dummies. And Bare seems perfectly comfortable getting intimate with fans.
“When I get to a house party it’s like, ‘Hey! We made you this meal and all this chili, and here’s a bottle of Jack Daniels. I’ve got as much beer as you want. And, you know, our daughter’s in town from college if you want to go snuggle up with her tonight, that’d be fine!’ I’m exaggerating, but it’s the opposite of most club gigs.”
For more on Bare, including his childhood as the son of a country music star and his close relationship with children’s author Shel Silverstein, check out this interview from February.
Bare performs at a private residence on Lexington Avenue at 8 p.m. Tickets and info are available here.
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