After three years of hosting rowdy rock shows, distributing countless fliers and booking dozens of bands, David Allen, event coordinator and booking manager at Green Bar, is throwing in the towel.
Allen, who first got the job after meeting the wife of the owner of Green Bar while coordinating Ladyfest, said although he loves Tuscaloosa, he is burnt out and ready to move on.
For Allen, “moving on” will be a 45-minute trip down I-20 to Birmingham, where he plans to work as a bus boy in downtown Birmingham’s Café Dupont, in addition to booking and producing music.
“I’m just going to land in the city and find out, but I want to try to engineer a lot of albums,” Allen said. “I think there’s just more opportunities for that in Birmingham and more opportunities in general to work for larger venues and work with more bands.”
(See also “Green Bar brings in variety of genres“)
To say goodbye to the town that has been his home and the bar that has been a part of his life for the past three years, Allen will host a farewell show Thursday at Green Bar. The show will feature two of Allen’s favorite bands, Nightmare Boyzzz and Thee Crown Imps, both of which Green Bar has hosted before.
Hailing from music-rich roots in Huntsville, Ala., Nightmare Boyzzz, whose drummer is Allen’s former roommate, will play its signature catchy garage rock. The band has gained attention from music-centered internet publicationPitchfork and even received a shout out from Kiss legend Gene Simmons.
Thee Crown Imps, which plays Memphis-style garage rock a la The Oblivians, also has a special connection to Allen, as he recorded their debut EP.
Druid City Brewing Company will sponsor the show and sell its beer on tap to raise money for DIY Tuscaloosa to buy a new PA system. The show begins at 10 p.m., and there will not be a cover charge.
Allen said while he has really enjoyed working as a booking manager and event coordinator, it wasn’t something he always dreamed of doing.
Over the years, Allen has seen a lot of bands go through Green Bar at his discretion, but he said one of the most memorable was a band called Christian Child Summer Sunset, which played music similar to that of Captain Beefheart.
“Folks actually really hated them,” Allen said. “I would never book them again, but I was starstruck. I loved it.”
Another big moment for Green Bar’s booking was the Alabama Shakes and Shannon and the Clams show back in September 2011, right before “the Shakes” became a household name across the nation.
(See also “Alabama Shakes have energetic sound“)
Allen said when booking bands at Green Bar, he tried to book bands that play original music, but at the same time, he had to be sure not to alienate Green Bar’s fan base.
Adam Morrow, front man for local bands Callooh! Callay! and Della Ray said the success of his bands has been due largely in part to booking managers like Allen, who are devoted to original music and genuinely want those bands to succeed. He said support from people like Allen was propelled Tuscaloosa’s music scene closer to where it needs to be.
“I think the most exciting thing going the last couple years has been whatever David Allen is involved in, from Green Bar to putting on house shows,” Morrow said. “He’s someone who seems to have an idea, then actually gets it done.”
Andrew Dewar, who has been presenting jazz and experimental music in the area since 2008 and is now assistant director of the Sonic Frontiers concert series, said Allen has been crucial to keeping creativity alive in Tuscaloosa.
“[He does] work that is crucial to sustaining an environment of creativity and curiosity that encourages others to explore, take chances and make something new with their own voice,” he said. “We should all be thankful for his hard work on our community’s behalf.”
In his time booking and promoting at Green Bar, Allen observed the music scene of Tuscaloosa change for better and worse. He said the cyclical nature of the students at the University makes it hard to sustain a vibrant music scene.
He said the key to keeping the music scene in Tuscaloosa alive is for people to keep hosting all-ages shows, like the monthly shows DIY Tuscaloosa has been doing at different locations around town, including the Mallet Assembly and private houses.
“As long as there are all-ages shows, I think that there will be more local bands starting to play,” Allen said.
Allen said he has high hopes that the Tuscaloosa music scene will keep its head up even after his work booking bands at Green Bar comes to a close. Allen has booked shows for the month of February and will officially leave Tuscaloosa on March 2.
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“I’m going to miss the culture the most,” Allen said. “There’s no pretensions in this town. There’s no irony. Everyone’s pretty up front and genuine about everything here.”
