Watch Live From the New Bobby’s Idle Hour

At this point, February 2019 feels like a mythical, long-ago time when hobbits and wizards roamed. But if you can remember back that far, there was some good news: Bobby’s Idle Hour, for decades the only bar on Music Row, had found a new home on Music Square East, barely a block from the one it had been pushed out of a month earlier by impending development. Barkeep Josh Distad and a business partner took over the name and set to work renovating their new space, aiming to continue the traditions of being both a neighborhood watering hole and a songwriter hangout. The new Bobby’s is almost ready for regulars to start staking out their spots, but the COVID-19 pandemic has put the grand opening on hold. In the meantime, longtime local songsmith Mando Saenz has launched a performance series aptly titled Live From the New Bobby’s Idle Hour. Each week, Saenz — who’s had songs cut by Miranda Lambert, Kim Richey, Lee Ann Womack, Jim Lauderdale and many more — and a guest swap tunes on the Idle Hour stage, just for the camera. Guests so far have included widely loved singer-songwriter Hayes Carll, who Saenz came up with in the Houston scene before moving to Nashville, and Aaron Raitiere, whose songs you heard in 2018’s A Star Is Born, among other places. The show’s greatest asset is how it feels casual, like you’re just hanging out with a couple of pals shooting the breeze. Episodes are filmed on Wednesdays and premiere on Saenz’s Facebook page and YouTube channel at 8 p.m. on Thursdays. The series also raises funds for the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit that works to end mass incarceration and racial inequality. STEPHEN TRAGESER