Huey Lewis? AC/DC? The Hold Steady? Who is the best bar band?

This morning, I opened my in-box to find a concise note from a reader who goes by the name Jonny Octane. It read:

Dear Ms. Powers,

I enjoyed reading your review of the AC DC concert.  However, there are two bands that take exception to your referring to  AC DC as the world's biggest bar band:

1. Quarterflash
2. Huey Lewis & the News

I must say, Mr. Octane has a valid point. On Saturday, AC/DC seemed like the unvanquished kings of dirty, liquor-fueled rock, not only fulfilling but also defining the mandate for a great bar band. But Best Bar Band is one title that always deserves debate.

Some would say that a great bar band has to be based in the blues, because that foundational American popular form is the musical equivalent of mom's home cooking. (Provided your mom, unlike mine, didn't base her cuisine around Hamburger Helper.) Others would require an upbeat party vibe of the Huey Lewis variety -- a focus on goofy singalong choruses led by a frontman with that Everyman glint in his eye. Plus, a keyboardist rocking the Ray-Bans!

Then there's the regional factor. A great bar band must get its start, of course, in a bar -- a traditional birthing site for rock and roll, especially if it's frequented by regular folk, not music industry scouts. That scenario's less common than it once was; in 2008, auteurs are just as likely to cook up masterworks in their bedrooms (or, if you're Bon Iver, in your rural Wisconsin cabin) and Masters of the Studio Universe collaborate via e-mail.

Virtual reality has weakened the allure of the local superstar, who jumps on that little stage in the club on the corner one night and wows his (or her, like Erika Wennerstrom of the Heartless Bastards!) former high school buddies. But that doesn't mean bar bands still can't rise to the top. Witness the Hold Steady -- a great bar band whose music is all about being a great bar band. Or Little Joy, a fine new group actually named after an Echo Park lounge.

So, dear readers, I put it to you -- who is the ruling bar band right now? AC/DC, who can turn a sports arena into a smelly dive for a night? The Drive-By Truckers, for the Southerners in the crowd? Ben Harper's new outfit, Relentless7, which has taken that festival mainstay back into the clubs? Or do you have a sentimental favorite? Mine is the Mekons, a band that's had me locking arms with pals and sloshily singing along for decades now.

Cast your votes in the comments section.

-- Ann Powers

Photo credit: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Missy]

Huey Lewis and the News, is by far, the best bar band. Going by your criteria, they've got it all; many of their songs are based in the blues; they have the more upbeat songs that allow people to sing along; they got their start in a bar; and they maintained that "down-home" vibe, by avoiding the industry big-wigs and refusing to move to LA. Add to that, Huey's personal as "the boy next door"...

[Deb A]

Huey Lewis & The News are the best bar band ever. It is always a good time singing along with them and the audience is always on their feet 'cause they are there for a good time!

[ed]

The Replacements or Guided By Voices.

[Kristin]

Huey Lewis and the News!! No contest.

[Melissa]

Hands down NO contest. Huey Lewis and the News are the best bar band ever!! Plus they meet your criteria. Started in a bar, based in blues fun to sing along to.
On a side note saw Drive by Truckers and thought their show droned on waaaay too long. I'd prefer to listen to them on CD Thanks.

[DAWN]

HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS!!!!
without a doubt the best bar band ever!!!

[Joy]

Best Bar Band Ever....HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS!!!!!! 'Nuff said!!

[Patti]

No contest - its Huey Lewis and the News -best bar band ever

[Adam]

Gotta put my hand up here for another vote. Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers. Type them into YouTube and check out some of their amazing stuff (especially the Mexico stuff). Born in a bar, homeegrown americana roots, drinkable, sing along (most definately), great fun lyrics, and the talent to match it all. Meets all stated criteria.

[Steve Nguyen]

I was in my childhool pre-teen days when I embraced Huey Lewis and the News as my favorite band, so I didn't think of them then as a bar band. But if I was old enough during their heyday, I could imagine them rocking out a crowd in a bar like no other. I still hope to catch this band sometime soon while they're still around playing! Go Huey!

[Bluecent]

AC/DC were never a bar band. They were a pub band, just like Midnight Oil, the Hoodoo Gurus, INXS and Men at Work.

Now a bar band? My vote goes to to Huey Lewis and the News. Blues based rock, all from the same area, starting playing in venues like Uncle Charlies and the 3am club in Mill Valley. All bars. I don;t think AC/DC would have ever played in a bar. A pub? Yes. A technical school Gym/Hall? Yes. But a bar? No bloody way cobber.

[deb P]

The answer to your quiry regarding the best bar band ever is obvious... Huey Lewis and the News!

[deb P]

The answer to your quiry regarding the best bar band ever is obvious... Huey Lewis and the News!

[Sandy]

Huey Lewis and the News! (anyone else in this category is a distant second)