Honky-Tonk Tuesdays finds new home at O’Mara’s

Kevin Ransom
BerkleyLive Special Writer

Honky-Tonk Tuesdays are back, and O’Mara’s has got ‘em.

Honky-Tonk Tuesdays, an evening of classic-country / true-blue honky-tonk, was formerly a weekly blowout at Club Bart’s in Ferndale. But that club closed earlier this year when the owner sold the building to a company that is turning it into a restaurant, so the Honky-Tonk Tuesdays event was without a home for a while.

“Yeah, we did that event for about two years at Bart’s, and it was always a great night of music, and we’re glad it’s found a new home,” says Kenny Kens, singer / songwriter / rhythm guitarist for Kenny Kens and the Cash Creek Band, which will be hosting the throwdown every Tuesday at O’Mara’s.

The migration of the event to O’Mara’s seemed a natural one. Todd Starks, who handles O’Mara’s music bookings, is the son of Club Bart’s former owner, Bart Starks, and remembered what a fun gig it was, so he suggested that O’Mara’s become its new locale.

“The way it works is, we’ll come up, do a set, and then another country band will come up and do a set,” Kens says. “We’ll rotate four bands, every week  – we’ll also have John Holk and the Sequins (who hosted the event when it was at Club Bart’s), Cash O’Riley, the Downright Daddies, the Phantom Shakers and the Motor City Rebels.”

And then, at the end, “they’ll have a jam,” says Starks.

Starks remembers that “it was a popular event at Bart’s, and people really dig authentic country music – that traditional-country sound,” as opposed to the more formulaic, glossier country-pop you’ll hear on country radio. “It has a different feel, it’s raw, outlaw country music, compared to the country pop. It just has a different swing, and it’s funkier. So we think people will really enjoy it here.”

Kens is no fan of country-pop – or country radio.

“Nah, we don’t do that seashell necklace, boot-scootin’ stuff you hear on the radio,” he quips. “We try to keep the old songs alive – the ones I grew up with. My grandfather and great-grandfather, who were from Kentucky, taught me to play a lot of these songs, and my great grandfather also played mandolin on the riverboats down there back in the day.

“We play authentic country music – Merle Haggard, Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, Ray Price,” says Kens, who also cites Johnny Horton, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Wayne Hancock and Dale Watson as among the band’s influences. “They sang songs about stuff that’s real – talking about heartache, pain and love and loss, and those are the things that make the world go ‘round. We won’t play that boot-scootin’ stuff. We try and keep it real traditional.”

The Cash Creek Band also includes Rayce Ribble on upright bass, Brian Coogan on lead guitar, Tom Ashcraft on drums, and Mitch Manns on lead and steel guitar.

Kens and the Cash Creek band play about 70 percent cover versions of the classics, and about 30 percent original songs.

Kens says he’s had the pleasure of seeing most of his country-music heroes in concert, and even meeting a few of them.

“I met Willie, and Waylon, and George Jones – in fact, George signed my guitar,” Kens says. “I’ve never seen Merle in concert, though. I gotta make sure I catch him the next time he comes to town.”

O’Mara’s, 2555 W. 12 Mile Rd.; 248-399-6750