Pomeroy is a town of just over 500 people situated among the cornfields and wind turbines of Northwest Iowa.

Like most small towns, there's a highway, a water tower and a bar.

But it's no ordinary bar.

It's Byron's Bar.

And it comes to brilliant life every Sunday evening with live music.

♪♪ Byron Stuart: It has been a bar since 1893.

I was the first one to bring music in here.

I knew as soon as I bought it that I wanted live music in here.

I just love live music.

There's just nothing better than live music.

♪♪ Byron started by asking a singer-songwriter friend to come in and play.

Word got out about this quirky bar in Iowa and he was soon booking national acts.

Byron Stuart: Oh boy, there's a ton of great people that have played in here in 27 years.

I had Commander Cody in here.

I've had a David Olney from Nashville.

I had Canned Heat in here.

And it just happened to be my 50th birthday.

And I had a huge crowd in here.

By the end of the night everybody was bouncing up and down.

I thought the floors were going to go in.

Wow, I can smile just thinking about that one again.

I'm living a dream I didn't know I had.

Just my Sundays are just so much to look forward to every week.

♪♪ Byron Stuart: I grew up in this town.

All I'd ever heard was Top 40 AM radio.

I moved down to Iowa State to go to school there and I had to move back to Pomeroy to farm because my dad had a heart attack.

I would go to this bar every night and they said, you're here every night, how would you like to work a couple of nights?

And 27 years ago I bought this place.

I've got a name out on the road I guess that this is a really cool place to play on a Sunday.

♪♪ Music lovers come from miles and miles away to see a show.

How many of ya'll have been to Byron's 10 times?

Wow!

And the bands love to play here because Byron has one very important rule.

So, if you would like to pretend you're at a picnic and carry on a conversation, would you please go out front?

Outside the door, down the street and when you're done then you can come back in.

(applause) Byron Stuart: One thing that I want to stress is that my place is a listening room.

You don't come here to get drunk and have that as background.

This is, the music is the most important part.

♪♪ Jesse Dermody: In his fierce, subtle, extremely humorous way, Byron teaches people that live music is to be listened to.

♪♪ Jesse Dermody: There's like an atmosphere that glows because people are listening, they're rooting for you and it makes performing possible.

♪♪ (cheering and applause) Byron Stuart: Well, one guy even here and he says, this is already one of my favorite places to play.

And I said, well why is that?

And he goes, well you're nice.

They're the ones with the talent.

I just supply a place.

I think it's much better to be nice.

(applause and cheering) Right now, let's have a drawing!

(cheering) Here's an LP record decorated by Cinda back here.

(applause and cheering) 9-7-6 (cheering) Well, it's the first Thursday of the month.

That means I have the privilege and honor of hosting the jam here down at legendary Byron's.

Byron Stuart: There's a gentleman from Barnum, Clint Riedel, that he's running my jam sessions.

♪♪ Byron Stuart: And it's just area musicians bring their guitar over and they'll start playing a song and everybody will jump in.

It takes me, it just takes me.

I never know where it's going to take me and it just takes me.

And I just enjoy the hell out of it.

I enjoy watching other people enjoy the hell out of it too.

♪♪ Byron Stuart: One female singer and I can't remember who she was, but she said, just walking into Byron's is like when the Wizard of Oz turns from black and white to color.

♪♪