By Michael Swanger michael@dmcityview.com

A group of Des Moines bar owners sold its East Side establishment on Monday, and plans to alter the live music offerings at one of Des Moines' longest-running nightclubs to better streamline its operations.

Brad Smith, Jeff Wright and John Limke, who own and operate Hairy Mary's, the Walnut Tap, Lucky's and the Kung Fu Tap and Taco, sold the Walnut Tap, 2401 E. 24th St., on Feb. 6 to a private investor from Altoona for an undisclosed sum of money exactly one year after they purchased it. The Tap was Des Moines' only full-time alt-country club that booked acts like Wayne "The Train" Hancock and the Outlaw Family Band. The owners say they will promote a steady stream of Americana acts at Hairy Mary's, a longtime metal club, and beef up its punk rock offerings.

"We want to combine the best of the old Mary's and the Tap," Smith says. "It bothered us a little that Mary's was being labeled as a metal-only club, but it's never really been that. Our plan is to keep it wide open."

The trio of owners has managed Hairy Mary's, 2307 University Ave., since it relocated there in 1998. Wright and Limke also co-own Big Tomato Pizza and the GT Lounge.

Wright says the Tap's new owner plans to make it a biker bar and that the timing to sell it and move its alt-country shows and fan base to Hairy Mary's was right.
"We gave it a hell of a try," he says. "People didn't want to drive that far to get there [Walnut Tap], and I don't think the locals appreciated what they had. It wasn't paying the bills."

Smith concurs and says the owners are optimistic about the changes.
"There's not a lot of money in the live music business, or everyone would be doing it," he says. "This just strengthens our resolve. It's not a heartbreak, it's more of a celebration."

Along with the change in music styles, owners say a number of minor renovations are in store for Hairy Mary's. The club has a few alt-country acts on tap, including Mark Bilyeu, Cindy Woolf and Randy Burk and the Prisoners this Friday. It plans to celebrate its transformation with a grand reopening concert by Hancock and the Outlaw Family Band on April 22.

Scene notes

Des Moines rockers Mindrite host a Valentine's party Friday at the House of Bricks at 5 p.m. They'll headline a show that includes Venaculas, Minus 3, Deified and Final Escape. Mindrite's equipment was stolen at a gig last fall but they have scrounged up replacement gear. The group heads into the studio in the coming weeks to record its third album to be released this summer... Iowa Blues Hall of Fame singer Jimmy "Midnite Cowboy" Pryor turns 90 years old Sunday, and to celebrate the milestone Blues on Grand is hosting a birthday party that night at 7 p.m. Fat Tuesday and the Greasefire Horns will back Pryor and musicians are encouraged to bring their instruments to jam with the band. Lee Bell, the club's soundman, will record the show and CDs will be available at the end of the night. Admission is free, but a suggested donation of $5 to benefit the Jimmy Pryor Education Fund will be accepted... Local rockers Hold For Swank have landed a pair of all-ages gigs including Monday at the House of Bricks with The Story Changes and Cantus Firmus at 7 p.m. ($5) and Feb. 18 at Sleepy Hollow Sports Park with Junior High, Playing For Keeps and the Albino Spiders at 7 p.m. (free with purchase of any Late Night lift ticket)... Catfight, an all-girl rock band whose lead singer, Gina Glocksen, is competing on "American Idol," plays Drink on Wednesday... Also of blues note, Joe Price and The Mercury Brothers, respective winners of the 2005 Iowa Blues Challenge solo/duo and band contests, held their own in Memphis Jan. 26-28 at the 2006 International Blues Challenge. The competition included 50 solo/duo acts and 80 bands "cutting heads" from around the world in 16 venues on Beale Street. Price advanced through two preliminary rounds and The Mercury Brothers were the top act of the club where they competed. Both will perform at the Central Iowa Blues Society's Winter Blues Fest Feb. 18 at the Hotel Fort Des Moines. CV

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