Patrons of the downtown Temerson Square area might notice something new this weekend – a little color change has occurred in the space beside Wilhagan’s, as its small neighboring bar has transformed from blues to … green?

What was formerly Little Willie’s blues and jazz bar has now been transformed into Green Bar, a brand new eco-friendly venue with a new look and sound. Owner Bill Lloyd said he’s been thinking about this concept for a while now.

“I kind of had the idea in my head anyway,” Lloyd said. “They don’t recycle brown glass at all in Tuscaloosa. We were generating tons of glass for the landfills, and I was just thinking it’s possible to do this on a smaller scale, in a bar this size.”

Green Bar will be serving beers from washable glasses and aluminum cans only. The cans will then be taken to Temporary Emergency Services, who will recycle the cans and use the money from them as donations for those in need.

And the beer isn’t going to be the only green aspect. Even the napkins and bathroom towels are made from all-recycled materials. All the décor in the bar has been revamped and put to new use. The old windows from Little Willie’s are now decorative ceiling fixtures, stage curtains from a theatre in Chicago help muffle sound in the brick building and pews from a century-old church in Atlanta make up additional seating along the walls. Courtyard-style lights overhead give the feeling of an intimate, outdoor patio.

“All this stuff is getting a third or even fourth life,” Lloyd said. “And I think I’ve got a collection of about 500 old beer cans on the wall, mostly from the 60s and 70s.”

In addition to its new look and eco-friendly vibe, Green Bar will offer a completely different music scene from Little Willie’s, moving in the direction of indie rock, folk and country music.

“I’ll miss [Little Willie’s],” Lloyd said. “We had some great blues and jazz groups come through. But there’s just a niche in Tuscaloosa for original music, so we’re going to try and feature a lot of local bands, doing showcase nights for them and having some national acts as well.”

Green Bar’s inaugural music weekend kicked off Friday night with Harper, an Australian folk rock artist Thursday night. Banditos and The Sages will perform tonight, and Dead Balloons and Nick Z. Robey will perform Saturday. Check out Green Bar on Facebook for more details.

When you walk into the bar, be sure to take a look to your right, where a whole wall will be dedicated to showcasing local artwork.

Lloyd said he hopes this change will appeal to the younger crowd in Tuscaloosa, including University of Alabama students.

Bailey Carpenter, a senior majoring in public relations, said she thinks the idea behind an eco-friendly bar is a pretty cool concept.

“It’s definitely something we don’t have a lot of here in Tuscaloosa,” she said.

Brett Hannan, a junior majoring in nutrition who is an active member of the University of Alabama Environmental Council, said she hopes this trend will rub off on some other bars and businesses in the city.

“I think it’s a great start for Tuscaloosa to incorporate some more eco-friendly actions, especially for our local businesses,” Hannan said. “It’s nice for them to cater to the needs and wants of a lot of people here at the University with their green practices as well as their music styles.”

Green Bar is a smoking establishment, and you must be 21 to enter. Most shows and events will be free of cover charge, though not all of them will be, so be sure to check Facebook for all the information on who’s playing.

“It’s going to grow,” Lloyd said, “and it’s going to keep getting better as we go along.”