The ink’s not quite dry yet, but we are hearing this morning that John Redden — bon vivant, ex-Hands & Knees class president and motorcycle enthusiast — is well along the process of purchasing The Barbary, along with a group of investors. The club, you may be aware, occupies a three-story building just off of Frankford and Girard Avenues, and has been pretty notorious in the last few years for remaining more or less off the radar — save for the odd suburban hardcore show or random party here and there — while every bar in a 6 block radius has completely re-invented itself in the past few years. (Excluding The Handle Bar, of course, but biker bars, as you know, are immune to gentrification.) The purchase comes at an interesting time and intersection, as plans to begin building the Sugar House casino across the street are more or less a fait accompli. Should the new Barbary be a success, it’s bound to be a screaming fuck-you to all that it will no doubt be surrounded by in the coming years. According to a new Myspace page for The Barbary, “EXPECT GREAT DJS AND BANDS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, AMAZING SOUND, INEXPENSIVE DRINKS, AND PARTYING WITH US!! THE BARBARY IS BY KIDS, FOR KIDS!!” That’s great, guys, but please say you’re keeping the Jim Morrison mural on the side door. He is, after all, The Lizard King.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 17th, 2007 at 10:23 am.