Bar Natasha: The Goodbye

By OWEN MORRIS

Last Friday night, the second-to-last night of existence for Bar Natasha, Missy Koonce was joined on stage by staff and ex-staff to sing one of the establishment’s favorites, a song by the Indigo Girls called “WaterShed.” Many in the audience sung along. As the song built to its climax, the band suddenly stopped playing as Koonce and the other singers on stage held the final note to a huge round of applause from the half-full room. After five or so second the other singers took their cue and stopped. But Koonce kept holding that final note.

For all intents and purposes, Bar Natasha was Missy Koonce. She was its inspiration, its co-owner and its star. So what’s next?

Koonce is staying in town and directing some upcoming shows at theaters around the area. As for the Bar Natasha space, it’s a great location in the middle of the Crossroads and it’s nearly 5,000 square feet. The acoustics are bad, though, and its layout is awkward. The kitchen divides the public spaces into two separate areas. As of yesterday, Block & Company was still listing the space as for sale.

But enough about the future. This weekend’s bash was about honoring the past five years. Which brings us back to Friday night and “Watershed.” As Koonce kept the final note, she took a step forward on stage, obviously savoring the moment. The crowd recognized it and roared for her to keep going. After ten or so seconds she started to run out of breath. Finally, she leaped into the air and screamed the note, stopping just as her feet hit the ground. If there’s one thing Missy Koonce knows how to do, it’s end with a bang.

Note: The video below is not from one of the last two nights. It’s just a video I think represents Bar Natasha well. I didn’t shoot any video but I did see a couple of other people with video cameras. As soon as somebody posts it on YouTube, I’ll replace the video below.