Goatology

My music culture project is the blues music of the bar 'The Goat'. So I'm going to give you a little information about this little gem of a place and the music that comes from it.

http://www.myspace.com/goatblues

The Goat is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, dive bars in the Dallas area. The appeal is such that many of the patrons will be there on a Tuesday morning. The bartenders are almost characters out of a movie. There is definitely a little niche here (not to say that regular patrons aren't incredibly friendly to newcomers and a joy to talk to), and I think this revolves around the fact that every night there is a local band on the one small stage playing blues. One of the things I am going to explore in my ethnomusicology is why exactly it is a blues bar with this sort of tight-nit, all day, every day community. I think there may be some underlying ideas about blues that make the Goat what it is.

Many of the performers and groups are staples of the bar (or should I say duct tape...which is literally what holds some of the place together). Tony DeCiccio and Pete Barbeck have weekly gigs. I will be trying my best to snag an interview with one of these performers for more insight into the Dallas blues community. I will also be analyzing some material culture aspects of the Goat. The music is in a bar, for sure, but does alcohol have anything to do with it, like the Japanese Do-Enka?

Here is a small performance by Pete Barbeck last year at The Goat.