A New Schedule for KCSN’s Barn Dance?

Two months ago, KCSN moved its weekly Tuesday night Barn Dance concert from the Little Nashville Club to Hollywood’s Palomino.

The reasoning was simple. Bigger club. Better sound. Better show.

But though attendance for the first show at the Palomino was about 500 and for the second, 300--the club seats 550--the next three houses averaged 200, said the show’s host, Ronnie Mack. That is roughly the same as it was at the Little Nashville Club, Mack said.

“I’m disappointed by the size, although it’s too soon to tell,” he said. “I’d prefer to do this every other week instead of every week, and I’m concerned about running it into the ground. With every other week, it would be more of an event.”

Still, Mack is not ready to give up at the Palomino. He said the sound system is vastly superior to the Little Nashville Club’s, and the station is still able to broadcast high-quality performances.

Meanwhile, Johnnie White, owner of the Little Nashville Club, said he has no regrets about Barn Dance’s leaving. Acknowledging that business is down about 30% Tuesday nights, White said he doesn’t miss the show’s specialized audience. He had complained that Barn Dance’s audience didn’t purchase enough drinks.

“The Palomino will run into the same problem,” White said. “They won’t like having all those non-drinkers.”

White has not brought in a specific replacement for Barn Dance, but is scheduling a regular flow of country bands.

The Life Is Grand band would like to get into its own regular flow, one headed toward success. Formed four years ago, the band has played often in the San Fernando Valley, and will appear Oct. 21 at Reseda’s BeBop Records and Fine Art.

The band is composed of three women, but they are not Bangles clones. All three--Jill Freeman, Laura Zambo and Claudia Russell--share vocal chores and background instruments. They call their music “folk ‘n’ roll,” playing a steady stream of acoustic rock. They even play Joan Jett’s hard-driving “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” a cappella.

For all its originality, the band has not yet received a recording contract. It recently finished a cassette in the studio, titled “Feel Like Making Art,” which it hopes will land them a contract.

“We feel like it’s our time,” said Freeman, 26, of Sherman Oaks. “The success of Tracy Chapman makes us feel like there’s a place out there for us.”

Also on Oct. 21, Milo Binder, 23, of West Hollywood will play acoustic guitar at BeBop.

The shows begin at 8 p.m., and tickets can be obtained at the door. A $5 donation is requested.