UPDATE: We stopped by Bowman’s on Sunday, February 21, 2016 to find the place up and running and really customer-friendly. It is very nicely decorated, has a small “back” room with a piano, and a nice-sized patio for enjoying the outdoors during the nice days and warm summer months. There are also two nice-sized television sets for sports or other events viewing in the larger area.
Bowman’s has recently started running live music, booking in solo and duo acts since the venue is really not big enough for full bands. They also provide a piano for performance or for sing-a-longs (live karaoke, anyone?) The business has a full sound system so if you are a solo act, have an acoustic duet, or maybe a trio, you can contact Joel Rossi at Joel RPM @ hotmail.com or on his Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/JoelRossi. The next show will be THIS Saturday, February 27th and will feature Randall Conrad Olinger. The show is free!
The unusual part of the programs is that they are SHOWCASES only! No having 5 bands to fill the bill! Best idea in town for performing your original songs from your upcoming CD – or past CDs – for your friends, family, and future fans!
If you want to check the bar/record store out for yourself, stop by 1312 South Broadway after 2:00 p.m. They do have a nice parking lot, and the club is located on the SE corner, between the restaurant on the corner and Joe Onofrio’s Piano / Mattress Store, and across the street from the Winchell’s Donut House!
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Darin Bowman worked as a bartender at the Park Tavern for more than a dozen years and sang for local punk band Dr. Neptune in the ‘90s, and he knows that booze and music go hand in hand. He’ll bring the two together under one roof when he opens Bowman’s Vinyl & Lounge in the former Tavern 13 spot at 1312 South Broadway in early August.
“There have been times when I’ve been in a record store, looking around and like, ‘this would be way better with a beer in my hand,’” he says.
Bowman, who’s wanted to open a vinyl store/bar, says the new business will be an alternative to the record store and an alternative to the bar. He says he’s hoping to have close to 1,000 new records and a few hundred used ones by the time he opens. Bowman says he’ll be carrying many different genres.
“I’m trying to do everything because I don’t want to exclude anybody,” Bowman says. “I kind of want to be as broad as I can be. I don’t just listen to punk rock. I’m a punk rock fan. I don’t listen to just that. I listen to rock and jazz and everything. I don’t expect people to come into my place and only want to listen to that too.”
There will be a bar in the front of the building and the vinyl will be in the back with a lounge area that has couches and a few listening stations. Bowman also plans to have live music in the back room (he’ll move the furniture out for the bands) every other Saturday. He plans to bring in local acts, and possibly national acts eventually, while also having a decent sized section for local bands to sell recordings and merchandise.
Bowman, who’s been doing a lot of the construction on the place himself and friends, says he’s pretty much had to start from scratch since it was gutted when he moved in. He’s framing new walls as well as putting in new doors, floors and windows and giving it a fresh coat of paint while also installing a garage door style door that goes out to the large patio. And there’s also a parking lot with ten spots in the back.
By Jon Solomon | June 12, 2015
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