Brews and tunes at Barber's place

It was an idea with a vision for local brews and live tunes that has gained momentum in the last year. The Beer Parlor – Barber Shop was created by couple Nick Barber and Abby Coleman at a time when they were looking to sell their building on Main Street in Hot Springs, in 2016.

"We just didn't see the need to keep the building, but then a beer and wine license came up and we had an idea," shared Barber, who always loved the music scene in Hot Springs and wanted a venue of his own, "we looked into the affordability and feasibility and it seemed like it was going to work."

The yard was fenced next to the iconic mural on the side of a Main Street building, the grounds were manicured, landscaped and antique guitars and barber shop regalia was acquired to don the walls. There are 25 Montana brewed beers on tap and various wines available. Brats with a special roasted pineapple habanero sauce are a favorite with guests. Abby's clothing and jewelry retail and trade shop, Sassy Pants, has found a home in an adjacent out-building to house her vintage apparel and handmade goods that were once peddled from a cabin at the Symes.

Music is a large part of the Beer Parlor's existence. "We have impromptu jam sessions here a lot," said Barber, "visitors will ask to play a guitar from off the wall and we've got all out jams going in no time." Barber said he is always amazed at the amount of musical talent hiding around the county, where people who have been acquaintances for years suddenly surprise friends by picking up an instrument and playing.

The music that comes through the Beer Parlor – Barber Shop ranges from loud and rowdy to thoughtful and ambient. The attractive, witty and talented Leigh Guest from Missoula played Wednesday, hard rock cover band, "A Touch of Evil," rumbled the town recently, and last weekend the parlor scored Montana gems, Tom Catmull, "Wailing" Aaron Jennings and special guest Travis Yost to perform Saturday.

"The band two weeks ago rocked the house, we had quite a crowd in the yard, at the bar and hopping back and forth between the other establishments – you couldn't miss that music if you were downtown," said Barber.

A Touch of Evil is a group of guys who met while working for the same construction company. While it is common to form a band around one phenomenal player, the odds of finding that many great musicians under one employer are pretty slim. The lead singer had presence and could convincingly imitate every artist the band covered. Their guitarist was savvy enough to deliver licks from Van Halen to classic rock favorites, and the bass player had tricks up his sleeve above and beyond the root-note-riding lumber of average bassists. Most impressive was the drummer and his set up. With Neal Peart of Rush as his idol, his drum kit reflected the over the top availability of every percussion instrument imaginable to hit with a stick or resonate with a mallet – and it appeared he used every single one. His double-kick bass drums were crafted himself from sewer pipe, as well as his toms. All had the shiniest chrome hardware and were carefully placed to his liking. The drummer's wife was heard half-joking that it takes him four hours to set up his rig before a gig – a comment that was later confirmed to not be a joke at all.

Tom Catmull's appearance was a big deal for the small venue, as well as the wailing country rocking troubadour, Aaron Jennings. "I met Jennings because he played the Symes often and would come over to the Beer Parlor afterward to continue his music," said Barber, "he just loves to play and is a down to earth, nice guy. I feel pretty lucky that these musicians love Hot Springs and choose to come back to the parlor over and over."

Barber said he's always welcoming new local and regional acts, whether solo or full bands. He noted they can't really pay their usual asking price but free beers and food, as well as an enthusiastic, grateful crowd has sufficed, thus far.

"Things just keep moving forward and new improvements are slowly made, so we'll be able to offer more in the near future," Barber explained. Recently, the couple chose to tear down an outside wall facing the patio and installed a garage door. A table was cleverly pulled up to the opening where guests have a front row seat to whatever musical act is on stage. When fire restrictions aren't in place, visitors gather around a small bonfire to dance the night away.

"We've been thankful to everyone who supports us and the musicians who decided they love playing here," said Barber, "this is literally a dream come true for us."