Ten Years
By Brian O’Neill
Ask Dan Dougan why he got into the business of live music and he replies in a manner consistent with his demeanor. “Stupidity, probably,” he deadpans self-deprecatingly. “Naivety.”
 |
For nearly twenty years, what Dougan deems stupidity and naivety has given a stage to countless Columbus bands, the first Columbus stage to countless touring bands, and a place for an exponentially greater number of Columbus music fans to watch them. From the time he purchased Stache’s in 1988, to when he was forced to move to the Short North and rechristen the room Little Brother’s ten years ago, Dougan has hosted luminaries from the world of indie rock, jazz, blues, world music, hip-hop and whoever else wanted a place to play.
Yet he deflects praise to others, such as Shelley and Mike Young who first turned Stache’s into a full-time venue for live blues and jazz acts; the Dispatch’s Curtis Scheiber who brought legendary ‘80s alt-rock pioneers into the venue for years up to and into the earliest days of Dougan’s ownership of the venue; and to his current employees, such as Ben Hamilton, who currently books the venue.
What should have been a celebration this weekend commemorating Little Brother’s ten years of existence took a tragic turn when Dougan recently revealed that the venue was probably going to lose its lease and that he, having already dealt with a similar situation, had no desire to move the place.
Dougan took time away from his family and Little Brother’s to discuss the future and past of the Columbus institution.
How did you get started in the first place?
I wanted to be a part of the music business. I was having a drink one night and the guy behind the bar was Peter Herman, the previous owner of Stache’s, and he was a jerk. I complained that there wasn’t any gin in my drink and he grumbled at me. I asked him why he was being such a grump, that he had a packed house, and he said, ‘You think I’m making any money, you buy the damn bar.’ That’s what started it. After six months of negotiations with that clown, it was done.
What were things like at the start?
The fist national show I did was Buddy Guy, and it was successful, so I thought, ‘Hey, I can do this!’ We were able to get the Royal Crescent Mob to come back to Stache’s early on, and their shows were ridiculous. I was shocked that they never made it. Anyway, from then on out it was a variety, which is what I always wanted to do. As far as I was concerned, if it was original and people found it entertaining, it deserved a place to perform. My tastes have always run towards the roots but I’ve always looked forward to seeing (Japanese noise band) Melt Banana in there!
What prompted Stache’s to move?
Well, it wasn’t voluntary — the building was torn down. That guy gave me five thousand dollars and a year to move. But at least I have respect for that guy. I don’t have respect for the current guy, Stelios Giannopoulos.
In the Dispatch, Giannopoulos claims to love what you do, and the music, but that he doesn’t care to carry your debts.
He doesn’t know a goddamned thing about the music. He has no idea what we do. He never went there to see the music. He doesn’t love me, he’s full of shit and I don’t owe him any money. He is a liar.
What is motivating him? Money?
That’s what business is about, and he’s a better businessman than me. I can’t fault him for doing what he feels is best for his bank account and his business. I can fault him for not dealing with me face-to-face. I can fault him also for negotiating with me and then reneging. But he’s a businessman and he’s trying to make money and he wasn’t making enough with me in there so we have to go. And I’ve had enough of it all so I’m going too.
So that’s it then? No benefits or outpouring of support can help save Little Brother’s? It’s done and there’s nothing that can be done?
Brian, if you were around ten years ago you would have seen an outpouring and some benefits but the reality was that I didn’t raise a whole lot of money with benefits. There wasn’t a ‘sold out every night ending of Stache’s’ kind of thing. Business didn’t even improve that much. This week is a perfect example – I thought things would bump up a bit because we’re closing but it hasn’t helped; it was a lousy week for business. The reality was that despite the outpouring of public support and benefits it was a drop in the bucket to what it took to get down to Little Brother’s and rehab the place and deal with a first year where we sat empty far too often.
So what’s next?
I am talking to people who can buy the name, the liquor license and take it all wherever they want. I’m not moving again. I did that before. Not again. But I don’t know what I’m going to do next; I just know what I’m not going to do.
It is ironic that this all is overshadowing the tenth anniversary weekend that you have been planning for some time now.
Yes, it is ironic. But we’ll have our fun this weekend. It will be great to see Scrawl on Saturday and good ol’ Ishkabibble — they were stalwarts of the local scene. And Friday night (with The Lilybandits and Whoa Nellie) might reflect more of who I am because it’s more of a roots thing. What I really like are things that take from the roots and add something to it. Somebody who can take something from tradition and add something to it.
That last sentence sums up Dan Dougan’s contribution to the Columbus music scene perfectly. He didn’t start Stache’s but he took that tradition and ran with it, keeping that spirit alive for new generations of Buckeye music fans. And though Little Brother’s will be missed, it will never be forgotten.
Little Brother’s celebrates its Tenth Anniversary with a weekend of shows. Dick Dale and Whiskey Daredevils play on Thursday, 5/17; The Lilybandits and Whoa Nellie are joined by Ray Fuller, Megan Palmer & The Hopefuls, Ukelele Man and The Wahoos on Friday, 5/18; Ishkabibble and Scrawl are playing with Earwig and The Lindsay on Saturday, 5/19, and The Flex Crew performs on Sunday, 5/20. Ticket prices vary by day. For more information please call 421-2025 or visit www.littlebrothers.com online.
Originally Published: Issue 503 - May 16, 2007
 |
Share on Facebook |
