Good music finds a home at Sportsmen's Tavern

He books the acts for Sportsmen’s Tavern, an intimate music venue on Amherst Street in Black Rock, that his family has owned since 1985.

“We’re more of a roots place,” says Jason. “You won’t see Top 40 country, pop, hip hop, punk or metal. But if you like Americana, blues, jazz, rock and traditional country, you’ll love how it fills the place.”

Jason certainly has an ear for it. Or maybe it’s in his blood?

“My parents (Dwane and Denise) met in Black Rock. We grew up down the street. My dad performed here six or seven nights a week with a traditional country western band before we even owned it,” he says. “So I knew who Metallica and Merle Haggard were growing up.”

The touring acts that stop at Sportsmen’s Tavern may not be household names, but they should be or once were. They’re often musicians whose talent is well known within the industry.

Albert Lee, who spent five years as Eric Clapton’s touring and session guitarist, plays Sportsmen’s every year. He is known as “the guitar player’s guitar player” for his speed and technical virtuosity.

Sue Foley, a Canadian blues guitarist and singer-songwriter known for her Texas blues style and acoustic touch, is another frequent guest. She’s a five-time Blues Music Award winner for Traditional Blues Female and a Juno recipient who has shared the stage with musicians including B.B. King and Buddy Guy.

These are musicians of a high caliber, and they keep coming back for good reason.

“We can exceed their expectations in terms of hospitality,” Jason says.

And hospitality comes naturally in a place that feels more like a home than a traditional music venue. Sitting at 326 Amherst St., Sportsmen’s is unassuming. From the outside, it looks like just another house on the block. But that’s part of its charm. Inside, it’s a true neighborhood tavern where you feel like you’re hearing a band among friends in your living room.

The walls are covered with photos of past acts, concert posters and paintings by Buffalo musicians. Don’t miss the Hank Williams painting at the top of the staircase, created by John Brady, drummer for Buffalo Music Hall of Fame inductees The Steam Donkeys. The family has expanded the space by raising the ceilings and adding an upstairs balcony, while exposed beams add to the room’s character. A cluster of tables surrounds the main stage.

“The band is right on top of the audience. The audience is right on top of the band. There’s nowhere else for them to go,” laughs Jason.

The intimacy of the room is immediately noticeable, but the sound itself is carefully engineered.

“Our production manager, Tony Coniglio, has really shaped how sound moves through the space,” Jason says. “We like to maintain a certain volume. We don’t like things that are loud for loud’s sake because it interferes with the customer’s enjoyment of the show.”

You won’t find any sports games playing on TV, either. Mostly because there aren’t any televisions in the bar. At Sportsmen’s, there’s no competition for your attention. The music is the main event.

Plus, the venue isn’t open unless there is a show, which helps explain its packed calendar. Between Sportsmen’s proper, an outdoor performance area and The Cave, in the building that once housed a recording studio behind Sportsmen’s, the venue hosts between 700 and 800 shows a year.

And while the music is what brings people through the doors, the food gives them another reason to stay. The menu sticks to standard bar fare, but Hall is quick to point out that there’s nothing standard about how it’s prepared.

“Nothing’s frozen. It’s all fresh,” he says. “Our blue cheese is made fresh. People love our chicken fingers. They’re cut, pounded and breaded to order.”

It’s another example of the philosophy that runs through Sportsmen’s: keep things simple, do them well and give people a reason to come back.

Despite all of that, acts may still eventually grow out of Sportsmen’s. But Jason says that’s the point.

“That’s what you hope for. We’re bummed that we can’t host them anymore, but at the same time, we’re very happy to see them go to a new level,” he says.

Acts like Lake Street Dive, Turnpike Troubadours and Green Sky Bluegrass have all met that fate.

It’s what makes a night at Sportsmen’s Tavern so exciting. You might see an old favorite for the 25th time or discover a band you’ll want to see 25 more.

“It’s my family, and it’s our home,” Jason says. “And when we invite people in, we want them to trust that on any given night the music is going to be quality and they’re going to have a great time.”