Peacetown and Barlow concerts to go head-to-head on Wednesday nights this summer
Both concert series start next week on Wednesday, June 4
Peacetown, which returned to Ives Park last year after a post-COVID stint at the Barlow, will be at Ives again this summer, starting this coming Wednesday, June 4. The Barlow, interestingly, has decided to do its own summer concert series, also on Wednesday nights and also starting June 4.
The Sebastopol Times has received a couple of emails asking how the heck this happened.
On Tuesday this week, the Barlow’s Jennifer Adametz was at the Sebastopol Planning Commission asking for an amendment to their existing permit to include a summer concert series, featuring one stage and a vendor artisan market, which would be similar to The Trade. This event will run for 10 consecutive weeks on Wednesdays, beginning June 4 and ending on August 6. The planning commission unanimously approved this amendment.
According to Adametz, The Barlow invited Peacetown back this year, but Peacetown impresario Jim Corbett and his board decided to stay at Ives Park.
“We did invite Jim and Peacetown to come back, and they decided that they liked the event at Ives Park, which I totally understand. It’s been there for a long time before it was in the Barlow. It’s a lot easier to manage than five stages at the Barlow,” Adametz said, noting that the Barlow would be running a single stage as well.
“I understand that some people might feel like we’re trying to take away from Peacetown, but that's not our intent,” Adametz said. “Our intent is just to allow a variety of places in downtown to enjoy live music…We are trying to really activate the site and bring more community events to the Barlow. We were really saddened that Peacetown wasn’t coming back, but we wanted to continue that momentum. I think about half the people loved it at Ives Park, and half the people loved it at The Barlow. We know we can’t please everybody, but we’re hoping it brings some sort of sense of community to bring live music to both places,” she said.
Corbett said he wished they’d chosen another day, but he’s decided to take the high road: “The more music the merrier,” he said, with his characteristic ebullience. “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”
“I did suggest to the Barlow that we could really serve our community a little better if they chose a different day, but Barney’s gonna do what Barney’s gonna do,” he said philosophically, referring to The Barlow’s owner Barney Aldridge.
Corbett says he wishes them well, but that he’s happy to be back at Ives.
“Last May, after we had all five stages booked at The Barlow, they decided not to renew the contract. We had to scramble to get the city to fast-track us back to Ives Park. When we got back to Ives, it felt like our old home again. We had a very successful year, so when The Barlow asked if we would come back, we declined. Ives is our home. We would never have left if it had not been for COVID,” Corbett said. “It’s just such a cozy place for people to come and see their friends and hear the music. It’s certainly a high vibe place, and it’s really good to be back under those trees.”
“We’ve been doing this for 13 years,” Corbett said, “so we’ve really developed a loyal following, and people love what it’s all about. I think lots of the locals like the fact that it’s at Ives. I think the Barlow draws more from Santa Rosa and maybe a little outside the area, so they should be successful too.”
Ready, set, go
Corbett is busy getting ready for this year’s Peacetown Summer Concerts, which in addition to its full lineup of musicians will have two new features: an artist of the week and a winery of the week.
“The first winery is Halleck Vineyards, and they’ll be pouring wine—and these are some of the high-end wines, so I’m way excited about that,” Corbett said.
The artist-of-the-week tent will feature work for sale from artists from the Art Workshop of Western Sonoma County. On June 4, artist Carol Mills will be showing her work.
In terms of food, there will be three food trucks at Peacetown, including paella, a hot dog truck and one other still to be decided.
The Barlow, meanwhile, is getting ready to start its concert series. “We will have one stage located at the center of The Barlow on McKinley Street at Pink Lady Court,” Adametz said. The stage will be located next to the clothing store, Indigenous. The street market starts at 4 pm and the live music starts at 5 pm.
Here is The Barlow’s lineup for June:
June 4: Fleetwood Macrame
June 11: Illeagles
June 18: Ryan Woodard Band
June 25: Clear Conscience
July 2: Analog Dog
July 9: Petty Theft
July 16: Good Time Collective (GTC)
July 23: La Gente
July 30: Zepop!
August 6: Foreverland
Peacetown concerts run Wednesdays from 5 pm to 8 pm. Here’s the Peacetown lineup for the summer:
I would have loved to support Barlow music stage and businesses as well if they would pick a different day. You most certainly are competing. Wednesday is not the only day.
A different viewpoint.I will miss the Barlow, especially Sarmentine. However, gotta do what I want to do and that is Peacetown and Ives. No Barlow for me this summer.