Barguys

In September, Chris Heaney celebrates the fifth anniversary of Club Kadan, the European-style bar in North Park that hosts bands and DJs. Heaney played in bands in Philadelphia before he moved here to do sound at Brick By Brick, Dream Street, and Blind Melons. He is one of about seven local rockers to open a bar/café.

Other local rockers turned entrepreneurs:

John Reis (Rocket From the Crypt, Hot Snakes), who is co-owner of the new Pink Elephant in North Park.

Sam Chammas (Live Wire, the Turf Club, Whistle Stop) was in the country-rock band the Outriders (1983--'89) and "twisted folk" bands the Sons of Disaster (1990--'94) and Carnivorous Lunar Activity (1994--'99).

Flogging Molly accordion player Matt Hensley recently opened Hensley's Flying Elephant in Carlsbad.

Brick By Brick owner Max Paul played in Shot Out Hoods, Fatal, and Felix and the Cats.

Singer/songwriter Steve Poltz is one of the co-owners of the newly opened Starlight Lounge near Mission Hills.

Johnny Rivera, 38, owner of the Tractor Room Lounge and Hash House a Go Go in Hillcrest, used to open for major touring bands when he played drums in a new-wave group called Infantry (1983--'90).

"I started playing in bars when I was 14," says Rivera. "We opened for Devo, Flock of Seagulls, and TSOL." Rivera also played in King Mother (1993--'94) and Mercury Tea Company (1995--'98). His new band, Girl Friday, debuted last weekend at a fundraiser.

"In '99, I decided to put music on the back burner," says Rivera. "If you have your own business, you do things on your own terms. In music, you're always just on the cusp of success."