Mostly Music, by Paul Swain

Many thanks to Paul Swain for the excellent Op-ed article that recently ran in the Columbus Packet.

One of my pet peeves over the last few years, as many of you know, is the loss of places that still use live music and give musicians a haven to congregate and swap lies and guitars.

There are not many of those places left in the Columbus, Mississippi, area but there is one beacon in the dark.  The Elbow Room in downtown Columbus not only hires live music but encourages musicians.

I know that a lot of you folks have heard that the Elbow Room has had some hard times and that there was a terrible atrocity committed there but let me tell you times have changed.

The new owners Barbara and Rob Swindol a mother and son team bought the Bow, as it is locally known and immediately set about cleaning the place up and getting rid of a lot of years’ worth of  smoke and nicotine stains, as well as the cheap paneling on the walls.

Lo and behold behind all that old paneling was a mural and it is in remarkable shape and if nothing else, if you are around you should drop in and have a look.

Barbara bought the Bow late in 2013 and installed Rob as it’s manager as she resides in California, and only gets back to this area a couple of times a year.

I had the good fortune of playing for Rob on his Grand Opening night and the Bow has been rocking ever since.

Rob does not discriminate when it comes to music if you play he is supportive of you no matter what genre you are into.

I play for Rob at least once a month and that sort of covers his old folks Country and Rock and he has other live music at least two to three weekends a month.

Rob says he would love to be able to have live music all the time but of course the crowd will determine that.

Rob himself is a better than fair musician and plays an alternative genre that I like and I have given the name of soft Rock.  He plays several instruments and was even into making drums at one time.  

One thing that amazes me, is how in a very short time musicians began showing up and jamming or as I stated earlier just sitting around swapping lies and guitars, just by word of mouth.

I once asked Rob (after seeing a local DJ in the Bow) was he going to be using Karaoke and he gave me a look that would wither a cactus and informed me “As long as I am running this place there will not be any”.  

Having said that the Bow has “Open Mic Night” every Wednesday and anyone is welcome to come and bring your guitar, horn, bass, keyboard or whatever else you have and if you don’t have one you can usually find one sitting around that you would be allowed to play, but make real sure you ask first.  Picking up someone’s guitar without permission is like taking a Texan’s hat off his head; you might find yourself in deeper water than you wanted to try and swim in.  

So go ahead give the “New Elbow Room” a look-see, I think you will be pleasantly surprised and for you nonsmokers you will enjoy the fact that it is a nonsmoking bar.  Now you know.  Y’all have a goodin’ and tell your mama and them hi.  

Paul Swain playing at the Elbow Room