By Scott Baker

            Luann and Rob Ervin have created the sweet spot for musicians in the Tri-Cities. Not only have they founded a six-nights-a-week live music party club at Bemo’s in Bay City with absolutely no cover fee, but they’ve managed to do it having only two years in the making. And the best part of all is they’ve found success in the process.                                                           

“Music!,” shouted Luann over the phone with pure excitement behind her reason to own a bar. “25 years ago there was music everywhere then for some reason it just kind of fizzled out.”           

On a search to help put live musical entertainment back on the map, the husband and wife team have devoted time to their passion. They have more nights of live music than any other area venue over at the club they established at 701 S. Madison Ave., on Bay City’s East side.                       

“We always have one night of Karaoke so that anybody that isn’t in a band can sing,” she laughed. “It sounds kind of goofy. I’m not a fan of it and I even work it, but it just seems to be everybody somewhere deep down wants to be onstage and this at least gives that person a chance.                                                                                                                                   

Loaded with questions when they started out and not knowing the depth of their situation, the Ervin’s put Bemo’s together the only way they know how.                                                           

“I actually talked to a friend of mine that owns a bar and she asked me right off the bat, ‘What kind of clientele do you want to attract?,’” said Luann. “And I didn’t understand what she meant.  She gave me some examples: ‘Do you want to be a sports bar?’ I said I want to attract everybody. Then she told me I couldn’t and that would be impossible. I said, well we’re going to try it. That’s really me and Rob’s personality coming through. We’ve got friends that don’t have much and we’ve got friends that are loaded.  It really kind of reflects us; it reflects the way we are as far as there isn’t one specific kind of person we hang around with.”                                               

Luann has a desire to turn back the clock and revisit her past by offering her favorite memories as Bemo’s future. “I remember back in the Arlington days, you’d walk in there and you had every walk of life and it was packed! You had people that you could see that were dressed well and had money, people that didn’t look like it, young, old, rich, poor, fat, skinny, all of the contrasts. It was really cool.”                                                                                                                                   

 “You go to Midland St. and it was two kinds of people: Young people trying to pick up other people—which is fine; and people that were cliquey. Doctor’s, lawyers, accountants, whatever, that was their place to hang out. But we get all of those people into Bemo’s! And it’s all because of music. You don’t have to be rich to love the blues or classic rock or country. They are not all dolled up coming in there going, ‘I got to find me somebody.’ You can do that at Bemo’s, but you are also there to see who’s playing.”                                                                                   

While searching for reasons as to the decline of live music in bars and clubs, Luann proposes different scenarios. “Maybe money?” she thought.  “What you made years ago isn’t even what you make nowadays (as a musician). I don’t know for sure. It was here. When I lived in Drummond Island for ten years you only heard a band twice a year. That was for the Fourth of July and Labor Day.  The Karaoke thing became a cheaper way to entertain people and bar owners were looking for easier money. It was less to get a DJ (or) karaoke than you can pay a band.”                                               

“I have been to Chicago and Detroit a couple of times, even down in Florida we were hard pressed to find a band—even in a big town like Sarasota. You need to really do some searching. It was mostly pumped in music – like paying to get in for a DJ - which is ridiculous as far as I am concerned.”   

Luann was reminded of a recent trek that Rob and she took to check out other bars.           

“We haven’t been to very many bars since we have owned this bar, but one night we did—I can’t believe how boring it is going somewhere else,” she laughed. “I can’t believe people get there, shoot pool and listen to the juke box when you can hear a live band for almost the same price in drinks. It upset me.  It was funny, because we were driving home after we went to a couple different places and Rob said, ‘You know what?’ I said, ‘what?’ He said, ‘We got a pretty cool bar, don’t we?’ And I said, ‘I was just thinking that!’”

Being in similar situations as a vocalist in the House Katz, Luann knows how to present music and treat musicians that play her venue.           

“It’s kind of a bonus for me,” she stated. “We are all on the same page, me and the musicians. Even if it is people I don’t know, when they get done playing there, we’re friends. We talk on the same level with very honest pay, nothing to hide. We’re giving it back like I want it given to me as a musician. I think it is a bonus being in the House Katz for so long.”                                   

Not one to rest on her laurels, Luann feels that to maintain successful relationships in the musician and patron community, you have to be there to streamline the dedication. “Rob and I work it too,” she insisted. “We’re not there sitting on the stool, we’re right in it for every aspect. I always tell everybody, I do everything from cleaning the toilets to singing in the band and everything in between. We want to be. It’s not a burden. This is the first job Rob’s had in his life that he absolutely loves.                                                                                                           

 “I think the people that are coming into Bemos are letting people know (about the bar and music). We are not doing a whole bunch of advertising. It’s mostly internal flyers, the ads in Review, word-of-mouth—which is free. And we’re new bar owners, so we appreciate that.”           

The talk about Bemo’s spread enough to garnish the Ervin’s with two Review Awards at the 2009 ceremony a few weeks ago. The first was Luann herself for Best Waitress. “I don’t know how that happened,” she laughed “It’s great.  I was pretty surprised.  A lot of the bands that come in there were awarded too. 25 Cent Beer, Estilo (which has been an excellent run and is not done), and Abbey Road—we were one of the only places they played. They are really good. I like what they put together. They’ve got a really cool thing.”                                               

 “It’s like a smaller version of the Grammy Awards. I put on my sign, Vote For Bemo’s, but we didn’t do an Email (blast). You got to be there in order to actually see a waitress or bartender.”

While she felt some of the massive group wins in the categories were a bit over-the-top, she was elated to find out that they also picked up Best Rock Club, beating out White’s Bar in Saginaw who were the reigning champs for years.                                                                                   

“We are totally honored,” she said on taking White’s crown. “One of these days I want to get over and meet Mr. White. I never met him. We are humbled. We still find it hard to believe. When they called our name we hit the ceiling. It was like - whew…you know! Besides giving birth it was right up there…pretty damn exciting!”                                   

She hopes other bars and clubs will take note and bring the live music back as a major contender for public attention. “I think it is consistency,” recommended Luann. “If you are gonna do it, do it. If you are going to run an ad in the Review, don’t stop running it. You are committed to do it. There are people that go to bars and say, ‘We heard a good band down at this bar and then we went back next Saturday and it’s closed.’ If you can come to a place where you got a live band or a live musician, all different kinds and you are part of it, they will play to you.”                                   

 “It was a scary thing to do, to go into the bar business. The people that have helped us out through the past couple of years like my brother Al Corrion, bass player and open mic (host), would never let me pay him. Steve Hornack (and) the kids Ben (Alcorn) and Terry (Poirier).  Second Hand—a casino band—they make the big bucks. They come in and play. Instead of practicing in their living room they got to feed off the crowd.  It’s definitely not a thing on me and Rob. It’s more on everybody giving that hand. It’s all about who comes in, you know?“