History

- THE MOST TRUSTED NAME IN NEWS -
In January 2004, Jarrett Bellini began working for CNN in Atlanta as a glorified production assistant. During his first week he was set up to train as a scripts coordinator for the main control room. Andrew Iden, who had already been with CNN for several months, was put in charge of training his new counterpart.

Control scripts was, generally speaking, monkey work. Naturally, this allowed plenty of time for these two corporate peons to talk and hang out. Eventually, the conversation turned to music, and it didn’t take long for them to realize that, over the years, they had both spent significant time and money hanging out with the same dirtbag hippies at various concerts throughout the country.

Iden and Bellini became friends and, despite the haphazard 24-hour scheduling of CNN, they managed to find time to go to shows and explore the Atlanta music scene.

- A TALE FROM THE DEEP END -
In September of 2004, Iden was tailgating with a friend out of the back of his jeep before a Gov’t Mule show in Atlanta. That's when Ryan Proctor wandered into this story. Literally. Proctor was supposed to be handing out flyers with another member of the Allman Brothers Band message board, but couldn’t seem to find the right person.

“Are you the guy handing out flyers?” Proctor asked.

Iden wasn’t the guy, but he did have beer. Oddly enough, he was also a member of the Allman Brothers message board. Beer and Allman Brothers - peas in a pod.

Later that month, having exchanged messages over the internet, Iden and Proctor met up for drinks at Gordon Biersch before a Friday night Allmans show at The Fox Theater. Two days later, Bellini and Iden attended the final show of that Fox run and the three hung out together for the first time.

- THE HIGHLANDS MIGRATION -
All along, Bellini had been living at 991 Rupley Dr. in the Virginia-Highland neighborhood of Atlanta. The house, which he found on Craig’s List, was nearly 100 years old, oozing with charm, and sat, perhaps, on the finest piece of property in the entire state of Georgia. Bars, restaurants, parks, and entertainment were literally a stone’s throw away.

So when the first of Bellini’s roommates moved out, it didn’t take much convincing to get Iden and his futon into the empty room. After all, his old Buckhead apartment on Peachtree was nothing more than an upscale crack house. It's called the Darlington... keep away.

Later, in 2005, another room became vacant, and Iden’s older sister, Emmalee, became the third member of the house. An accomplished classical bassoonist, the addition of another music-minded individual helped solidify a new attitude at 991 Rupley..

Meanwhile, the boys’ friendship with Buckhead-based Proctor continued to grow, and many Friday and Saturday nights were spent in his neck of the woods at Mike and Angelo’s listening to local jam legends, Swami Gone Bananas.

Additionally, Ryan’s friend T.J. Boswell from back home in Indiana had since moved down to Atlanta, and also became friends with the Highland boys.

- SHITTIN’ NICKELS -
Proctor and Boswell, both guitarists, had been playing open mic nights in Buckhead. Their finest moment came one night when Proctor walked out into the back alley, broke the neck off a beer bottle, and entertained the small crowd with some stinging slide guitar.

Eventually, their music found its way to the famed front porch of 991 Rupley. With Proctor, Boswell, and Bellini on guitar, and Iden as a budding talent on harmonica, the four began jamming at various get-togethers. An inside joke from a party led the original “band” name: Shittin’ Nickels.

In June 2006, Shittin’ Nickels finally hit it big when they played the main stage at the Virginia-Highland SummerFest. However, to be fair, they sort of just got drunk and walked onto the empty stage in the middle of the night. Still, they did play the main stage.

- CHANGES AT THE (LITTLE) BIG HOUSE -
As Iden improved with his harp, Bellini decided that he, too, was ready for a new instrument. Having played six-string for several years, the eager musician was intrigued by bass guitar. Finally, he broke down and purchased an inexpensive acoustic-electric. But just as he was beginning his new role holding down the bottom, Boswell’s job forced him to leave Atlanta for the warm waters of Tampa, Florida. Shittin’ Nickels, for all intents and purposes, was dead. Today, the famed quartet only exists when Boswell visits Atlanta. The most notable reunion took place on October 13th, 2006 when the boys opened up for Swami Gone Bananas on their very own front porch during a raging house party dubbed: One Way Out.

Though having to say goodbye to Boswell changed things forever, there was good news in that Proctor, and his then-girlfriend (now fiancé) Lori, decided to move into The Highlands. Living just down the street from the boys at 991 Rupley, the three friends decided to get together for regular jam sessions. Bellini and Iden were both coming into fine form with their new instruments, and the trio seemed to gel right from the start. Evidence of this was their first truly original jam: The Rupley Ramble, an all-instrumental breakdown honoring The (Little) Big House.

- THE BEST SEVEN DOLLARS EVER SPENT -
On December 7th, 2006, Bellini encouraged Proctor and Iden to join him for a night of music at Red Light Café in midtown. It was Thursday Bluegrass Night, which meant that there would be an open jam at 7pm, and a live band at 9pm. On this particular night, the headliner was North Carolina’s Chatham County Line. Bellini had only heard a small sampling of CCL’s music, but was convinced that this was a band worth seeing. Indeed it was.

Sitting at cheap union hall style fold-out tables, and warming up with frosty beers on a remarkably frigid night, the boys enjoyed a perfect evening of bluegrass and conversation. It was on this night, during CCL's intermission, that they decided, henceforth, to be known as Barn Door Revival.

- THE CORNER -
As confidence grew among the boys, they began jamming on the busy corner sidewalk in front of Highland Tap and Fontaine’s Oyster House. This corner, where North Highland and Virginia intersect, is not only the neighborhood's namesake, but also the home base of Barn Door Revival. Literally across the street from The (little) Big House on Rupley, the buskingest band in the buskingest neighborhood in the third-buskingest state in the country can regularly be heard filling the air with music as a small part of Atlanta history continues to grow.

True, they don’t need the tips, however all guitar case proceeds go directly to the BDR Golden Tee Foundation... a worthy cause that helps three local musicians play copious amounts of arcade golf at Moe’s & Joe’s.

- OPEN MIC NIGHT AT LIMERICK -
On March 6, 2007, Barn Door Revival played their first bar stage at Limerick Junction's Tuesday night Open Mic. The little Irish pub in the Highlands was already buzzing about the Barn Door boys, and it would prove to be a night to remember. Slated as the third act - stage time 10:40pm - Bellini, Iden, and Proctor sat patiently, drinking $3 Bass Ales with their favorite adoring fans. Out of nowhere, the second act approached Bellini, explained that he was about to go on, and that his bass player friend happened to be in the audience. Could he borrow the acoustic bass? Bellini agreed, and then turned to Proctor and asked, "Was that a good idea?"

On the acoustic's maiden "plugged" voyage, the online reviews reared their ugly head... the bass hardly made a sound. While the second act struggled with Bellini's Dean, Proctor loaned Jarrett his truck so he could speed home to grab his Ibanez. Having returned just in time for their set, Proctor leaned over to a flushed Bellini and said, "Yeah... I think it was a good idea to let him borrow your bass."

The boys took the stage and worked their way through a blistering four-song set that went: For Calling God --> Blues in G, St. Louis, Wagon Wheel

They agreed that it was a good first attempt, but that there was plenty of work to be done. Plenty. However, at the end of the night, after last call, the MC stepped up to the mic and announced, "I've just been informed that tonight's winners are the boys from Barn Door Revival!"

Shock. The boys exchanged looks, graciously accepted their twenty-five dollars, and called it a night. It was a dark horse win, but Barn Door Revival was officially one for one.