The new year brings many changes, looked and unlooked for. One local business, Skip Gibson’s BBQ, has moved, something owner and proprietor Skip Gibson had been planning since he opened his restaurant. He also developed plans to offer an entertainment venue for the city of Santa Maria.
“We always had the vision of becoming a full steakhouse and more of a nightlife type place,” Gibson said. “It’s something that Santa Maria needs where you can not only have dinner, but also have something to do late-night and somewhere to go.”
Gibson opened his restaurant in June 2010 and has gained a following—Santa Maria-style barbecue fans—with his wood fire grill, special dry rub seasoning, and, of course, tri tip. The restaurant occupied a storefront in the Town Center West shopping mall to the right of Big 5 Sporting Goods and Coffee Time. But it didn’t move far. The shop is now literally three doors down, in the large corner space formerly occupied by Marie Callendar’s. The new space more than doubles the amount of space Gibson had at the former location, allowing him to expand to a full-service steakhouse and bar. But another big draw, Gibson hopes, will be the stage area and sound system he plans to make ample use of.
“We’re going to have each night of the week be different,” he said. “We have a lot of ideas, but a few include iPod night, games night, amateur comedy night, dance competitions, DJ competitions, karaoke, and live music.”
“iPod Night” is an interesting idea. Patrons who bring along their MP3 players can put their names in a hat, and whoever’s name gets pulled gets a free drink and 45 minutes as the DJ. It’s definitely a fun and interactive way for community members to share their taste and get people dancing.
For the amateur comedy night, Gibson hopes to make connections with local theater companies and have a regular improvisational comedy show coupled with an open mic for stand-up comedy and skits.
“It’s just a fun thing to do,” he said, “and it’s an amateur night, so it’s fun. Nobody is going to boo you off stage.”
Game night will feature games of the video and tabletop persuasion, as well as tournaments. Gibson also plans to hold tournaments for dance competitions, specifically for dance crews.
“I was thinking about a dance crew competition and for the winner we would help fund a trip to L.A. to audition for America’s Best Dance Crew, the TV show,” he said. “That way, we are sending the best of our town to try out and represent us.”
A competition on the musical side would be a Friday night DJ contest, which, Gibson explained, would include several DJs battling it out for customers’ votes, with the winner going to play a full set Saturday night.
The business will also be host to regular karaoke nights. The former premises, Gibson explained, were a little too small for a full P.A. system with karaoke, though he did provide it a few times. With the larger space available now, live entertainment can be in full roar while customers enjoy a peaceful meal.
“That was one of the main focuses of this place, to provide entertainment; but also for people who want a quiet meal—they’re not here for the entertainment, they are here for the food,” he said. “So we are not pushing anybody out. There’s room for both.”
Nothing illustrates this more than Gibson’s plans for live bands. He wants to construct an acoustic barrier that will encapsulate the drums, allowing him to mic them, thus better controlling the sound of the ensemble.
“The thing about bands is that drums are the most loud, overwhelming instrument, and all the other instruments have to match that for it to sound correct,” he said. “So if you set up a good sound barrier, you can choose the level of volume for your drums and then choose the level for everything else.”
Gibson also expressed hopes of connecting with local band bookers so as to grab groups on their way between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, maybe landing Santa Maria some big-name acts.
“We live in a small Central Coast area, and in the Central Coast, Santa Maria actually has the largest population of all the cities—however, it has no entertainment,” Gibson said. “We know for a fact we are going other places for our entertainment. To have to travel so far to be entertained when we have the largest population, it just doesn’t make sense.”
As the new year gets rolling and Skip Gibson’s BBQ gets ready for its grand reopening—coming in February or March—the business is sure to start booking bands and DJs and holding entertaining events. But as is true anywhere, a venue can only flourish when the community gets involved and does its part to support a local business.
Contact Calendar Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jan 5-12, 2012.