(photo by Monique)
The Barn Door, 845 Tatnall St., Wilmington, DE

Editors note: December 31, 2018 — We heard through a number of sources that Art Callahan, former Barn Door owner and true friend to original music in Wilmington, DE, passed the prior week. There are no other details available as of this writing but we are seeing an outpouring of sincere condolences on social media. Art was perhaps the city’s staunchest supporter of fledgling bands who played their own music, and the Barn Door was consistently the first venue ever played for many bands who formed in the area. Rock on, Art.

By Tom Daugherty
June 1996, Big Shout Magazine

That damn door that always sticks. Art Callahan‘s imposing figure waiting to greet you with a witty comment and sly grin. The streamlined bar and fabulous wood interior. The terrific bar service. The ample seating area. The majestic stage with a history too rich to imagine. And finally, the bathrooms, conveniently accessible by a path right across the middle of the stage.

GODDAM, WILL I MISS THE BARN DOOR! Wilmington’s premier spot for original music will no longer be hosting live bands. The last rock & roll show will go down on June 22 with Spindrift, Black Light Rainbow, Nero, and Explosive Kate. The bar/restaurant has been the place since the early ‘80s, and Barn Door owner Art Callahan will continue to manage the restaurant and all, but what about the music?

I dropped by to see what Art had to say about it on the night of May 30, 1996, and I walked into the usual comfortable atmosphere. 99 Degrees and Black Light Rainbow were on the bill, and a few of the regulars were hanging out at the early hour of 8 p.m. Art told me that the reason for the devastating change was that the lunch business always paid all the bills, and has long since dropped off considerably. So some serious remodeling and changes to the menu were necessary while they strive to get back on their feet. With new tables, new bathrooms, and an improved menu including Mexican dishes, the Barn Door will be a different place come the end of July, and they are determined to recapture some heavy lunch business. George Steinhagen was hanging out as usual, so I asked him for his thoughts on the no-bands thing, and then talked to Steve from 99 Degrees and Sean from Black Light Rainbow about what this will mean for them.

GS: I think it’s gonna be tough for any new bands to start anywhere. There’s no other bars where the young scene is.

We talked about the new collective popping up and renting halls for shows and all, but we agreed that those shows are usually too sterile of an environment to be a lot of fun. The sound is rarely good, and people just can’t relax and feel comfortable like at the B.D., because it’s a different place each time. Plus, no alcohol.

Sean Pierce (BLR): We lose a steady thing for us. The Barn Door is like the first place that we ever played, and that sucks that they’re gone. And then besides good money from gigs, we also lose the ability to bring out-of-town bands in. If a band’s on tour and they need to fill a date in, a lot of bands seem to wanna play Delaware. And it’s really hard right now, with things closing down there’s no place we can really bring ‘em through Delaware

Steve Dobies (guitarist/vocalist for 99 Degrees): I think it’s gonna suck ‘cause Art gives like everybody a shot. Bands that suck… Art doesn’t mind. Nobody lets us play cause we’re all under 21. We’re little kids, so we can’t play anywhere.

BS: Anywhere?

SD: I mean, shows we can play, like regular shows. But all those other places aren’t gonna let us in.

BS: Art, what do you think will happen to the original music scene?

Art Callahan: Somebody will pick up the slack. There’s a huge number of bands, someone will see it and give them a home. I hope it’s not a church basement somewhere, but I guess maybe that’s what it will be for the short term.

BS: From your years of running the Barn Door, who would you like to thank?

AC: Oh geez, the list! Actually, I have to start with Gregg Kirk. Without Gregg’s work at Big Shout, there’d be no scene at all. Gregg and Big Shout have done more than anybody else to promote music in this area. Without them, there’d have been nothing. And, there’s so many great people I’ve met through the music here, I wouldn’t know where to start. I’d be afraid of offending anybody by leaving them out. You know those J-cards that have six songs on them and then 45 lines of thanks…

BS: Are you talking about a lot of musicians?

AC: Mostly musicians.

BS: Who would you like not to thank?

AC: Oh, man! That’s actually a pretty small list. Probably the skinhead/hardcore section we came by most of the trouble with.

BS: What about them?

AC: I mean, who needs the hatred? When that’s your only schtick is hating somebody, it’s kind of contradictory to be doing it with music.

BS: Will the Barn Door still be open at night for bar business?

AC: Yeah. It’ll just look a lot better.

BS: What possessed you to take on this burden in the first place of getting these bands in here that are young and inexperienced?

AC: What made me start doing it? Greed (laughs). We were so small we couldn’t compete with the big places that had dance floors. I never saw the point in having a cover band. I’ve got a radio. If I wanna listen to bad Duran Duran, I’ll just put Duran Duran on. That’s how we started doing it. Then the older bands got married, and somebody had to bring the newer ones along.

BS: Do you feel guilty that nobody’s got a place to play now?

AC: Yeah, I’ve been made to feel guilty by people. Some bands have gone out of their way and said, “No, you can’t do this.”

BS: So how are people taking the news?

AC: Not good. No one’s had anything good to say about it. We’ve had a lot of fun. We’ve had a lot of really good music, and a lot of really bad music. If there’s anything I’ve gotten really good at it’s the difference between good and bad music. I can tell when they tune up. I can usually tell by how early they load in. If they’re there 3 ½ hours before they’re gonna start, chances are they’re so anxious they’re gonna play their first four songs in about a minute and a half… all four. It’s real fun when you see a band for the first time out. They bring mom & dad and the aunts and uncles and the neighbors and the grand parents. That’s kind of cool.