Barry Brenner at the Foundry on Melrose' Bluesy Tuesday
 

By Jonathan Weichsel

Once a week The Foundry on Melrose is transported back in time, and transplanted to the Deep South for Bluesy Tuesday, where true American food and music is celebrated and preserved in a laid back lounge setting.

The artist performing the evening I attended was Barry Brenner. With his beard, sunglasses, and hat Mr. Brenner looks like a man from another era. He sounds like a man from another era too. Mr. Brenner plays national resonator guitars. These mechanically amplified guitars predate the electric guitar. Pre-war blues singers liked them because they could be heard above noisy crowds. Mr. Brenner's voice is deep and gravely, and very suited for the blues.

Mr. Brenner's singing channels both the ups of the roaring 1920's and the downs of the great depression with equal prescience. This was a time when one guy with a guitar could entertain and get people dancing. At the top of the show Mr. Brenner said, "This is the blues as they were, and still are." As the evening progressed the audience couldn't help but get up out of their seats and start dancing, proving that this music is still as alive today as it was 90 years ago.

The classic songs were all made relevant through Mr. Brenner's faithful performances. Some of the highlights were Mississippi John Hurt's Spike Driver Blues, which recounts the famous story of John Henry and his hammer, Blind Blake's Hard Pushing Papa, with its lyrics that are risque even by today's standards, and Leadbelly's Easy Rider, a variation of the more well known C.C. Rider. Easy rider is a sexual term, denoting a girlfriend or lover.

Barry Brenner, on stage with just his four guitars, is able to capture the essence, or maybe the spirit, of another era. Americans partied throughout the 1920's, and then the 1930's were like the hangover. By preserving the music of this era, by bringing the music into our time, Mr. Brenner gives his audience a lesson in history that is more vital than anything that can be gleamed from any book.

The Foundry is a bar, restaurant and lounge located on the bohemian-hipster stretch of Melrose Avenue. The couches in the lounge are comfy, and you can just sink right into them and feel relaxed at once. Steve, the host, is very social, and was walking around all evening chatting with patrons. The owner Eric, who is also the head chef, is very social as well, and came out of the kitchen whenever he could to listen to the music and ask patrons how their food was.

Beyond the classy setting and the great food, it is just nice to be in a lounge full of real music lovers who appreciate that good old classic American sound.

If you want to learn more about Barry Brenner, including upcoming shows, visit his website at www.BigBBrenner.com.

The Foundry on Melrose is located at 7465 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046. The Bluesy Tuesday program runs every Tuesday. The music starts around 8:30, but you might want to get there around 8:00 to grab one of the ultra-comfy couches in the lounge.