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Feature article
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Down Home puts the focus on the music
By Brad Lifford
If you ever tire of bars or clubs where the music takes a back seat to chatter, food and drink, there’s a place in downtown Johnson City that’s perfect for you. Down Home, from the very start, has always been a place for serious listeners instead of casual socializing.
And those who have gone there have been treated to an array of performers who would make music fans in even bigger cities green with envy. How many people, after all, get the chance to hear such artists and bands as John Lee Hooker, Alison Krauss, Sam Bush and Beausoleil in a setting so intimate that it seats only 150 people?
Located on Main Street in downtown Johnson City, Down Home was the brainchild of musicians. Back in 1976, singer-songwriter Ed Snodderly and a friend wanted a place to hear music where the place was about the music, instead of the socializing.
The Down Home was born.
The stage is so close to the patrons that if you get there early enough for a stage-front table, you could reach out and tune Gatemouth Brown’s guitar for him. Several tables are packed into a well a few feet below the stage; about 20 feet from the stage short steps lead to a bank of booths for those who want to stretch out a bit.
At Down Home, the worst seat in the house will be better than the best seat at many major music arenas.
Dark wood, no windows in the listening area and low lighting emphasize the point that this is a place for listening, but there’s plenty of time before the music starts and in between sessions for friendly conversation.
Shows generally start at 9 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, but doors open at 6 p.m. and there’s a full service menu and beer is served, with a few choice imports among the American macrobrews.
Show up on Wednesdays and you can try your hand at the mic during open hoot night, or you might hear an up-and-comer who’s got a bountiful future ahead: Brian & the Nightmares, the biggest regional rock band ever in the Tri-Cities, is just one of the groups that honed its sound at the Down Home open hoots.
Ticket prices vary according to the artist, and advanced ticket sales are uncommon. For more information, call 929-9822, or visit downhome.com for a current performance schedule.
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