KETCHUM — It’s Friday night at Whiskey Jacques’, and a local, bespectacled man has just armed himself with an acoustic guitar on stage in front of the buzzing crowd.
“I’m Captain Dano and the Nobodies; I hail from my parents’ private parts!” he blurts into the microphone. “Brace yourself — this s--t is amazing!”
As Dano launches into a barrage of island rhythms and vocal inflections that magically transform Billy Idol, AC/DC and Jim Croce songs into an endless reggae ditty (which is sort of amazing for the first 10 minutes), Thatcher Marsted studies the room.
“There aren’t many locals here,” he observes.
Normally, this isn’t a good sign.
The night’s headliner, Alabama-based Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, came with a price tag in the thousands of dollars. Yet as Marsted helps collect money at the door and walks around the bar introducing himself as Whiskey’s talent buyer, he realizes that Isbell fans have traveled from as far as Butte and Missoula, Mont., Idaho Falls, and, yes, Boise.
This is a good sign.
It’s something Marsted would like to see more of at Whiskey’s. The show didn’t sell out; the room holds 330 fans. But 263 came. Whiskey’s made money. And the concertgoers from out of town went home and shared the experience with friends — like me telling you.
If you haven’t visited the rebuilt bar on Main Street since it burned to the ground in 2008, consider making it happen this ski season.
The classic-but-aging Whiskey’s of old is history. It’s now a beautiful, two-story pub and grill. (Check out extensive photos on my “Words & Deeds” blog.) The 120-capacity upstairs also has a bar, patios and breathtaking views. It can be rented for private parties for $500.
Despite the main floor’s high ceiling, impressive wood floors and added square footage, Whiskey’s still has that rustic saloon decor that can’t be replicated convincingly in a city. Roy Rogers and John Wayne posters share wall space with wild-game heads.
But most important: Whiskey’s still sits right below majestic Bald Mountain and still hosts touring bands in a unique ski town.
Ketchum is an easy 2 ›-hour drive from Boise. You can find a hotel two or three blocks from Whiskey’s. Or take advantage of the deal at Sun Valley Lodge (one room, two adult lift tickets, $139 per person).
Some of the performers at Whiskey’s also route through Boise. Others, like Isbell, don’t. (He delivered a raucous two-hour set, by the way, including several of his Drive-By Truckers songs.) Either way, it’s a sweet concert and ski trip.
Whiskey’s depends heavily on area music fans for business. Consequently, Marsted is a one-man marketing team. He’ll wander over to nearby Grumpy’s bar and spread the word.
“I know my audience,” he says. “I count on a few dozen. I’ll go on Facebook and send them messages. I know which locals like which shows.”
Heavy metal at Whiskey’s? Probably not. Try “red-dirt country,” Marsted says, “Americana … some funk, bluegrass and rock.”
Coming shows include Cash’d Out (Feb. 1), Tony Furtado (Feb. 9), Emmitt-Nershi Band (Feb. 15), Chali 2na and The House of Vibe (Feb. 27), Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band (March 16) and Donavon Frankenreiter (March 27).
Idaho-bred acts such as Reckless Kelly or Micky and the Motorcars pack the house. So does anyone who plays the annual Braun Brothers Reunion every summer in Challis. (Robert Earl Keen will gig at Whiskey’s on May 31.)
Still, any time Marsted books an expensive band, he has to consider the impact Boise might make.
“I just got an email from Cody Canada and the Departed and Shooter Jennings,” he reveals. “That’s one where I’m gonna say, ‘Are you playing Boise?’ Because if they’re not, I’m gonna go for it. If they are, I’m gonna go, ‘Eeeehhh.’ Because I think I can get 40 people from Boise for that show. So it all depends.”
With the recent dump of snow in Idaho, it will pay to keep bands cranking at Whiskey’s all winter.
“Oh, my god, this is the savior,” says Marsted, who lives in Hailey. “And it was sick. It was so good. I’ve got 3 feet at my house. It was coming down. It was awesome.”
Whiskey Jacques’ is still updating its concert calendar for the coming months. Check whiskeyjacques.com or Scene’s listings for the latest listings.
Michael Deeds appears Thursdays on Channel 6 News, at 12:40 p.m. Fridays on 99.1 FM and from 9-10 p.m. Sundays on 94.9 FM’s “The Other Studio.”
