Lucca’s Beer Garden cures what ales fans
17 months later, popular music venue opens
Jan Lucca is not a guy known for sniffing out silver linings. But even the outspoken owner of Lucca’s Restaurant and Beer Garden in downtown Benicia saw the positive of having the entire business evaporate under the crush of COVID-19 last year.
“Nobody complained about the music,” Lucca said wryly, presumably grinning behind his face covering.
Decibel levels aside, Lucca and music curator Marty Duvall are almost doing somersaults since the beer garden stage welcomed musicians back March 6-7.
Since it’s closed in the winter and didn’t have a show before the pandemic slammed the door in live music’s face, the popular roughly 50-seat venue hadn’t had a show since November, 2019.
After two weekends of tunes 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., Lucca and Duvall are relieved.
“It’s wonderful,” Lucca said. “People have been itching to get back and they’re loving getting out, hearing good music and having a good time.”
“People are just thrilled,” added Duvall, joining the boss for an in-person chat Monday morning.
Sure, there have been “COVID adjustments,” Duvall said. With the limited seating, reservations must be made online with a $5 fee for the formerly no-cover-charge entertainment.
“There have been no arguments. People are glad to pay it,” Duvall said.
The small fee “brings in people that came here to see the music rather than people who come in and talk over the band,” Duvall said. “Everyone respects it. They’re learning that they need to go make a reservation. We do try and do our best to accommodate ‘walk-ins.’ It depends whether those with reservations show up or sometimes leave early.”
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, “we made a ton of adjustments,” Duvall said. “Every move we made had to be with county guidelines in consideration. We can’t utilize ‘standing space’ anymore. Everyone has to be seated and we’re limited to how many we can have in.”
Because Duvall’s trying to limit the number of bodies on the intimate stage, he’s sticking to solo, duos and at most trios “until we can get a feel of how this is going over, how it’s working with compliance,” he said. “Does it work for the band? Does it work for the public? So far, everything’s been golden.”
Lucca concurs, though he’s keeping the restaurant shut until the county and state allow him to open at 50 percent “because 25 percent isn’t cost effective,” he said.
The day or month the next COVID “tier” changes “we have no idea,” Duvall said. “We’ve given up guessing. Normally, I’d be rapidly booking bands and a whole season before things get crazy. This year, I’m using a lot of restraint.”
There’s always a chance a COVID-19 surge forces a return to tighter restrictions, Duvall said, “and I don’t want to have to cancel a bunch of acts after setting them up.”
Hopefully, he continued, “restrictions lighten up and we’ll be doing full bands and maybe letting more people in.”
Though the 17 dormant months “feel like it was yesterday while it was going on,” Duvall admitted to “low-level anxiety wondering if and when” the music “would happen again.”
Duvall said the audience was grateful from the first time he stepped to the microphone to introduce the opening show March 6.
“It was really easy to get energy from the crowd. I just had to say ‘welcome back.’ Everybody was thrilled to be here,” Duvall said.
Duvall acknowledged all the Bay Area venues that couldn’t stay afloat last year, including the treasured Armando’s in Martinez that shutdown last February because of a lost lease and not COVID-19.
“The network between our two establishments caused some great energy here,” said Duvall, confident that Benicia, Vallejo, Fairfield and Vacaville “can become a ‘music region.'”
It helps bringing in wellknown artists, Duvall said, including this weekend’s trio of Benicia percussionist Jeff Campitelli, acclaimed rock guitarist Stef Burns, and premiere bass player Jim Funk. The two shows are already at capacity, Duvall said.
Lucca said his ultimate booking prize would be his own favorite, Boz Scaggs.
“He doesn’t have to be announced. Just drop in and do one song,” said Lucca, offering to “buy him a burger and a Bud. And if he does two songs, I’ll throw in fries and upgrade to a craft beer.”
What Grammy winning artist would reject an offer like that?
Music at Lucca’s Beer Garden runs every Saturday and Sunday, 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., 439 First St., Benicia. To reserve $5 seat, visit luccabar.com.