The Circle Bar
When I first visited the Circle Bar, one characteristic stuck out: It is small… tiny, even. Walking through the door of the old Greek Revival / Victorian cottage sitting at the foot of Lee Circle, I did not experience the more-than-meets-the-eye sensation you find in some of the other local dives that also moonlight as music venues. There is no hidden courtyard or back stage, only a small sitting area near the front door and a narrow bar corridor that leads to the circular main room. With its blood red walls, crown molding, and huge mirror hung above an imposing fireplace, it looks more like the setting for clandestine 19th century card game than the stage for some of the Gulf South’s most exciting up-and-coming bands.
But since 1999, that is exactly what that the Circle Bar has been, furnishing the best independent rock, folk, country, and metal acts the area has to offer with a stage and breaking down the stereotype that “New Orleans music” is limited to brass bands and jazz singers. You will still get horns, but they are more likely to be blown by members of the (mostly) female ska group The Local Skank than by living legend Terrance Blanchard. And when the guitars ring out, there is a better chance that you are being treated to the noisy swamp-punk of Sun Hotel or the prog experimentation of Smiley With A Knife than the spicy, blues riffs of Walter “Wolfman” Washington or the ragged thunder of Anders Osborne.
Rotary Downs
You may not find the next Kermit Ruffins playing in the cramped, smoky rock club that the Circle Bar transforms into on a nightly basis, but you may very well stumble upon the next Rotary Downs, Happy Talk Band, or Zydepunks. And one look at the contributions any of these artists have made to New Orleans’ diverse musical pastiche speaks volumes for what is going on day-in and day-out in the only “house” still standing on Lee Circle.
In addition to hosting live music seven days a week, the majority of Monday through Thursday shows are free. Most nights also feature both an early performance starting around 6 PM and an entirely different showcase that kicks off around 10, making anytime a good time to drop in for what may often amount to the musical equivalent of a blind date. While the idea of checking out an independent band sight-unseen at a venue just slightly off the beaten path can be intimidating, I have grown to trust the Circle Bar to provide an endless stream of interesting, intriguing and – above all – entertaining musical experiences. Even on the rare occasion when the music wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, the welcoming bar staff, cheap booze and eclectic clientele has made every one of my almost weekly trips to the Circle Bar both wonderful and worthwhile.
Circle Bar
1032 St. Charles Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70130
Matt Rosenthal // Groovescapes.com
