Article in All The Rage.....
Hey Bartender!: Jonathan Long
Special from THE TENNESSEAN
By Hollie Shulick
Beers and tears flowed freely last fall when the Music Row institution known as Bobby’s Idle Hour closed last fall after its property owners sold the building. It seemed a chapter in Nashville pop history was closed.
Not so: Thanks to financial and moral support from friends and regulars, owners Bobby and Diane Herald reopened their beloved bar just a block away from their old site. Shiny and clean - for now - the new Idle Hour has lured back the regulars, who are hard at work giving the joint some character.
And if that means restoring an inch of two of nicotine residue on the ceiling and punching some holes in the walls, so be it.
Name: Jonathan Long
Bar: Bobby’s Idle Hour
Hometown: Lima, N.Y.
Moved to Nashville: 1971
How long at Bobby’s: Since 1999
ATR: What’s the typical Bobby’s crowd like?
JL: It’s a whole cross-section of Nashville. Most people are just down-to-earth country.
ATR: Beer, wine or liquor?
JL: We sell no liquor. We sell no wine. Just beer. It’s domestic. It’s cold.
ATR: What’s your favorite night of the week?
JL: It doesn’t matter. Every night brings something different. We’re all nuts....
ATR: What’s the most memorable thing that has happened since you’ve been bartending here?
JL: Most everybody who comes in here works hard to get by on a day-to-day basis. The most amazing thing here, two years ago I damn near died. And these people who come in here, who live day-to-day, week-to-week, work hard and barely have enough to get by, made it possible for me to pay my rent, phone, electric, utilities, take care of a mountain of bills. And these people made it so it was all right until I was able to go back to work. That’s the most amazing thing.
ATR: When the bar is packed, what will ensure I get a drink quickly?
JL: You just react. But usually it’s the biggest moron who gets the last beer.
ATR: What’s the worst pickup line you’ve ever heard?
JL: " What are you doing for the next five minutes? "
ATR: What do you like to drink off-duty?
JL: Beer or wine.
ATR: Why should people come to Bobby’s for a drink?
JL: The people. The people who own it, the people who come in to drink, the music. This is the last bit of old Nashville. You come in here and you can hear some of the best music you’ve ever heard, and you can hear some of the worst! There’s no more little places like this anymore. It’s just old Nashville.
ATR: Do you have a hangover cure?
JL: Don’t sober up!
Special from THE TENNESSEAN
By Hollie Shulick
Beers and tears flowed freely last fall when the Music Row institution known as Bobby’s Idle Hour closed last fall after its property owners sold the building. It seemed a chapter in Nashville pop history was closed.
Not so: Thanks to financial and moral support from friends and regulars, owners Bobby and Diane Herald reopened their beloved bar just a block away from their old site. Shiny and clean - for now - the new Idle Hour has lured back the regulars, who are hard at work giving the joint some character.
And if that means restoring an inch of two of nicotine residue on the ceiling and punching some holes in the walls, so be it.
Name: Jonathan Long
Bar: Bobby’s Idle Hour
Hometown: Lima, N.Y.
Moved to Nashville: 1971
How long at Bobby’s: Since 1999
ATR: What’s the typical Bobby’s crowd like?
JL: It’s a whole cross-section of Nashville. Most people are just down-to-earth country.
ATR: Beer, wine or liquor?
JL: We sell no liquor. We sell no wine. Just beer. It’s domestic. It’s cold.
ATR: What’s your favorite night of the week?
JL: It doesn’t matter. Every night brings something different. We’re all nuts....
ATR: What’s the most memorable thing that has happened since you’ve been bartending here?
JL: Most everybody who comes in here works hard to get by on a day-to-day basis. The most amazing thing here, two years ago I damn near died. And these people who come in here, who live day-to-day, week-to-week, work hard and barely have enough to get by, made it possible for me to pay my rent, phone, electric, utilities, take care of a mountain of bills. And these people made it so it was all right until I was able to go back to work. That’s the most amazing thing.
ATR: When the bar is packed, what will ensure I get a drink quickly?
JL: You just react. But usually it’s the biggest moron who gets the last beer.
ATR: What’s the worst pickup line you’ve ever heard?
JL: " What are you doing for the next five minutes? "
ATR: What do you like to drink off-duty?
JL: Beer or wine.
ATR: Why should people come to Bobby’s for a drink?
JL: The people. The people who own it, the people who come in to drink, the music. This is the last bit of old Nashville. You come in here and you can hear some of the best music you’ve ever heard, and you can hear some of the worst! There’s no more little places like this anymore. It’s just old Nashville.
ATR: Do you have a hangover cure?
JL: Don’t sober up!
posted by cbf | 4:59 PM
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