Still got the music bug
By Barbara B. Covell
For the TODAY
There’s no doubt about it, COVID-19 has put a huge hole in the Central Coast live music scene. Most venues have fallen silent, but the Drift Inn in Yachats powers on with an entire year’s lineup.
Linda Hetzler, the owner of this iconic landmark, remains committed to serving up live music every day, along with an eclectic menu that’s a definite favorite among locals and tourists alike.
“We have a daily live music calendar through 2021,” she said. “Most of our musicians are local to this area. We used to have more traveling musicians, but that stopped when the Coronavirus shut restaurants down.”
Hetzler says the Drift Inn presently offers takeout and is allowed to seat 25 percent of its capacity. While Lincoln County remains in the High Risk category, it begs the question, “How do you keep this going under these restrictions?”
“It has been hard,” Hetzler said. “I hope we can get back to normal soon. There was a short period of time when we could seat a lot of people. We installed plexiglas at the bar and have vintage glass-paned windows separating all the tables and seating areas. Our customers love listening to live music and our musicians are very popular. It just made sense to keep the music going.”
According to Hetzler, one of the challenges for restaurants and other musical venues is the “Music Mafia” or Performance Rights Organizations who levy licensing fees for the use of copyrighted works publicly. These licensing fees are then distributed as royalties to music copyright holders, which are usually the songwriters.
“In other words,” Hetzler said, “if local musicians are playing somebody else’s music, then licensing fees must be paid.”
The main PROs in the U.S. are BMI, ASCAP and SECAP. They each represent different songwriters and often umbrella contracts must be made to play a range of music.
One musician who figures prominently in the Drift Inn lineup is Richard Sharpless, formerly a studio musician in the Nashville area. Now a Yachats resident, Sharpless performs original music that showcases his range of guitars.
“My songs are mostly improvisational instrumentals that are written about things that are happening at the time,” he said. “Performing is a way of expressing how you are feeling, using tone and color to illustrate your perspective.”
Sharpless has produced three albums so far.
“There aren’t many things a musician can leave behind, so writing something is like poetry,” he said. “Music is conveyed in an ethereal manner. It is spiritual stuff.”
He prefers to write and play jazz or blues.
“I like the freedom of jazz,” he said. “It motivates people in their heads. Blues is all about feeling. It is my religion, my faith that God has given me this ability. At first, it was hard getting on stage and I had to transcend my fears. But when you kick into gear, it’s like a revival meeting.”
Audiences love his style and ease of rapport, which is why he is a frequent music maker at the Drift.
“I feel like it’s a privilege to perform,” he said. “I am up there by the grace of the people who are out there in front of me. It’s important to treat the audience thankfully. In Linda, you have someone who is a miracle for this community. She has done a lot for Yachats and is wonderful to work for.”
Some of the other musicians who regularly perform at the Drift are Steve Cook, Skip Jones, Theo Czuk, Kacie Bowers and the Sons of Beaches.
Up the coast in Tillamook, live music was mostly cancelled while the county was designated an Extreme Risk area for COVID-19. Now that restrictions have been eased, Kitty’s Food & Spirits is rocking again as a venue where people can enjoy live music on every Tuesday and Saturday night. Joel Baker, who owns the restaurant with his wife, also plays in the house band, Buffalo Kitty. They are the house band with a sound that mixes jazz, swing and soft rock.
“We play mostly 1950s to 1970s type music,” Baker said. “We have other acts that come through all the time too.”
Baker agrees with Hetzler that it is hard to keep live music going in the era of COVID, but they are both determined to keep making music happen.
For more information about the Drift Inn, go to the-drift-inn.com and for information about Kitty’s go to kittysfoodandspirits.com.