Here’s a brief list of the best shows I enjoyed there.
1. The Lemonheads, 2022 – Evan Dando mingled in the crowd as the opening act performed, then played an imperfectly perfect set of acoustic folk songs, followed by a rock & roll roar through It’s A Shame About Ray.
2. Calexico, 2013 – The southwest purveyors of Americana brought a scintillating two hours of magic that left the sold-out crowd spent and crying for more.
3. Ezra Furman, 2016 – The California-based, Shabbat-observing singer/songwriter and his band, The Boyfriends, obliterated the small but enthusiastic crowd. His 90-minute set knighted him as the long-lost love child of Ziggy Stardust-era David Bowie and The Cure’s Robert Smith. Totally unexpected and therefore, mind-blowing.
4. K’s Choice, 2018 – The Belgian treasures celebrated their 25th anniversary with a sold-out sing-along of their infectious, rock and pop gems that would have sounded great in an arena, but were even better in the tiny confines of the Barby.
5. Low, 2015 – The Minnesota minimalist trio locked themselves, and the audience, into an intense, telepathic groove that did not let up. Graceful, mesmerizing, and magical.
6. “Doing Dylan,” Israeli artists, 2011 – Some of Israel’s best singer/songwriters – like Yuval Banai, Micha Sheetrit, Hemi Rodner, and Tamar Eisenman – paid tribute to Bob Dylan’s 70th birthday with loving and rocking renditions of his famous and his obscure songs.
7. The Buzzcocks, 2011 – This seminal British punk band proved that all you really need is one great name, two guitars, three-minute songs, and four “whoas” in the chorus to recreate the magic days of 1977, even decades later.