Play Faire Park is open this year for its 69th season, and Tony Barker has been performing live music since Chris “Doc” England has owned the miniature golf course. When Scene interviewed Tony, he had so much to say about this Abilene classic, we couldn’t leave it unshared!
We are dedicating this blog to Tony’s love for Play Faire Park.
Abilene Scene: What do you enjoy about Play Faire as a music venue?
Tony: That’s quite a list! I’ll be glad to give it a whirl, though. In no particular order…
- The ambiance of the park, especially at dusk, is nothing short of magical. Every visitor can feel it, and that energy bounces back and forth between the audience and the performer. Every musician I speak to that plays there has commented on that in one form or another.
- Music, like other art forms, is influenced and enhanced by emotions. The energy I just spoke of is infused into the songs, and they simply come out with more feeling.
- The “house sound system” is a Bose tower. Short of Heaven, or an ACU choir, the quality of the sound doesn’t get much better, particularly for an acoustic player like myself. When a performer knows that the technical stuff is going that well, he or she can just relax and enjoy playing.
- All of the above combine to make the playing experience better than almost any other venue I’ve played in from San Francisco to Florida. The result is an intimate concert feeling that, I believe, is what most performers start out seeking to experience in the first place. The audience can feel that something special is happening, and more energy flows back to the performer, forming a positive feedback loop that keeps getting better as the event progresses.
- Doc himself is a pleasure to work with. He’s funny, genuine, and a gentle “mirror” that has served to lovingly improve my performances – and my life – on numerous occasions.
Abilene Scene: How does it differ from other places where you perform?
Tony: Play Faire Park has its own draw; regulars that trust Doc to curate music that they know they will appreciate.
The family atmosphere is a huge plus. There are very few places where kids can experience live music (especially without forcing Mom and Dad to have uncomfortable conversations on the way home. Doc’s a nice guy, but he’s a true Texas gentleman, and “he don’t cotton to no shenanigans”). There are listeners that will only come to see me at Play Faire Park because of the environment that Doc cultivates.
Doc has a genuine respect and appreciation for musicians. Many times a venue’s budget for music comes from alcohol sales. If I may be so gauche as to quote one of my own social media posts, “Doc reaches into his pocket and tears off pieces of his soul, which he gives to musicians with a smile and a hug.”
As high as his performance standards are, he is exceedingly generous in giving stage time to young bands seeking their first nerve-wracking exposure to a live audience. His experienced guidance, lovingly bestowed with the experience of his years as a youth minister, has had a significant impact on many young lives. One band in particular, Homer Hiccolm and The Rocketboys, honed their craft on the Play Faire Park stage (and other venues, of course), and went on to absolutely dominate the Austin City Limits festival.
The Abilene live music scene has a depth to it that is nearly invisible to most of the population. We have some of the best jazz, bluegrass, singer/songwriters, blues, country, Christian, and rock artists in the world right here in Abilene, and one of my favorite aspects of it is the sense of community and mutual support shared across all genre. Doc is a major contributor to that, as a networking hub that reminds us all to be good to each other.
All of the above are reasons why Abilene should rally around every show and event held at Play Faire Park. Apart from the music, the chance to get outside and play as a family or in age-specific groups, in an environment where good behavior and manners are simply expected, serves to connect young people to the real world in a way that is rapidly diminishing. A few minutes standing in the park reveals that very few cell phones are in use, and most of those are documenting the experience. I don’t believe I’m overstating the case to say that seeing a child wild-eyed and ALIVE because the ball went in the hole, and being applauded by a parent, is to regain hope in the future of America itself.
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