Best Historic Dive Bar 

In

MARIN

1 Castro Street

Forest Knolls, Ca 94933

(415) 488-9235

From The Point Reyes Light -

At the Papermill Creek Saloon, all five of the bartenders have been laid off, and bar manager Jared Litwin set up a live stream so that regular artists can still play for online tips in an empty bar. That has allowed Danny Morrison, who performs as Danny Montana, to do his regular happy hour shows at Papermill on the second and fourth Fridays of the month. Of course, his gigs at Nick’s Cove and the Coast Café are not happening, but he’s having fun playing virtually, although it takes some getting used to.

“It’s really weird playing in front of the cell phone, where you don’t get a reaction one way or another,” he said. “You can’t tell if something is working or if it is falling flat.”

Though the live streams are keeping people connected, there is still a sense of detachment, said Courtney Toriumi, who helps manage the bar.

“As much as our artists and patrons appreciate the gesture, it’s lacking the human interaction, camaraderie and personal connections with the artists, as well as the feeling of togetherness,” she said. 

Mr. Litwin was originally planning to have a weekend-long bash when Papermill re-opened, complete with a pun name like “Papermill-palooza.” Now he’s wondering if that will be possible, and he is planning for limited-capacity shows and installing hand sanitizer around the bar.

Photo Credit - Silvana Difranco

Photo Credit - Silvana Difranco

Photo Credit - Silvana Difranco