Band booking business keeps Cow Haus Productions' Brian Giblett ticking
For 26 years, Brian Giblett has booked bands for the Tallahassee community through Cow Haus Productions.
Cow Haus Productions has delivered an array of music to the feet of dancing audiences; some of Giblett’s favorites include Guided By Voices, Morphine, TV on the Radio, KRS-One, Queens of The Stone Age, and Modest Mouse.
Although highly influenced by 1980s alternative rock and punk bands, such as R.E.M., The Replacements, The Clash, and Hüsker Dü, Giblett still values all genres of music.
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“The kind of shows I book, it’s pretty varied. It definitely leans towards indie rock, punk, alt-country, things like that because that’s the music I listen to the most,” says Giblett, “But I also book hip-hop, blues, jazz, anything I think is good and interesting and will appeal to a lot of people here. It is a business, after all. And you have to try and book things that will make money if you want to keep doing it.”
With drumsticks ablaze, Gilblett was part of dozens of bands over the last 30 years. This love of music and commitment to the Tallahassee scene led Giblett to combine his business savvy with his musical gifts. He decided to create Cow Haus Productions as a way of hosting new vibrant musicians.
Its origins date back to 1992 when two members of a metal band called Darth Vader’s Church opened a venue on Lake Bradford Road. In 1995, the venue was up for sale, and Giblett jumped at the opportunity, “Myself and 2 of my friends who I went to high school with bought the club when we were in our 20s and moved it to St. Francis Street, where we ran it until 2000.”
Since then, like the music it promotes, Cow Haus has evolved. Giblett continued to book bands and build bars. In the new millennium, he opened the Beta Bar on Railroad Avenue where he managed their musical menu of bands. Since then, Giblett has dissolved the business of making drinks and refocused himself on his original love, music.
“These days, I mostly book shows at 926 Bar & Grill, but also at The Moon," says Giblett, “The local shows I’ve been doing at 926 have been getting really good crowds since things started back after COVID. So that’s really encouraging to see people coming out for live music again.”
Indeed, the echoing of music heard from venues in town reassures us that life continues, and music brings communities together.
On Sept. 24, Cow Haus invites Tallahassee music fans to unite and experience a night of melodies that feature the talents of local bands such as Tallahassee's own jazz and funk band Strictly Liquid. Also playing that night are Copyright Claim and Animal Nineteen.
As a treat for the audience, Jordie Hendrix will be playing a solo set of his electrifying rhymes. Giblett’s excitement to have booked three new bands to share with Tallahassee is palpable. “I am so excited to see them live,” Giblett said.
He also admits there are no signs of him slowing down, and he is committed to continuing to enhance the music scene in Tallahassee. Giblett will not be deterred by anything, not even a global pandemic. “Hopefully, I’ll still be booking shows in Tallahassee for another few decades.”
Time will tell what the future holds, yet one thing is for certain: the Tallahassee music community thrives. With new, young musicians shining their talents on stages across town, Cow Haus is committed to booking bands here for a long time to come.
If you go
What: Cow Haus Presents: Local Band Showcase with Strictly Liquid w/ Copyright Claim, Animal Nineteen, & Jordie Hendrix
When: Sept. 24. Doors open @ 8:30 p.m., show @ 9 p.m.
B: 926 Bar & Grill, 926 W Tharpe St Tallahassee, FL, 32303
Cost: All ages, $8 over 21, $10 under 21
Contact: Brian Giblett - Cow Haus Productions | cowhausproductions@gmail.com
Tickets: Advance tickets on sale ONLY online at https://strictly924.eventbrite.com
Christy Rodriguez de Conte, who has a Ph.D. in Theatre Studies, is the feature writer for the Council on Culture & Arts. The Council on Culture & Arts (COCA) is the capital area’s umbrella agency for arts and culture (www.tallahassee arts.org).
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Booking bands keeps Cow Haus Productions' Brian Giblett excited
