REAL gangster behavior isn't in Scottsdale - go to Pit and Barrel in Nashville

There are a whole slew of "reality" TV shows that feature experts who show up to improve restaurants and bars. One of those shows, Kitchen Nightmares, got some publicity several months ago when host Gordon Ramsay refused to work with the owners of Amy's Baking Company, one of whom, Samy Bouzaglo, would describe himself as a "gangster." As far as I know, however, Bouzaglo never broke anyone's legs or anything like that - he just yelled at people.

Another show of this type is a show called Bar Rescue. I watched a marathon of show episodes a few months ago, partially because I have been to one of the bars that was featured. When you watch a marathon of the show, the formula really stands out. The bar (whichever bar it is) is doing terrible, and they're pouring more drinks than people are paying for. The expert institutes some changes, and they have a dry run of reopening the bar after the changes, and it's a disaster. They do more stuff, remodel the bar, put in new equipment, change the name, and the bar's a success. To the show's credit, they do go back to the bar a few months afterwards, and they note those times when the owner changes the bar's name back to the old one, or undoes some of the other changes that were made.

Well, one of the latest bars to get the Bar Rescue treatment was Pit and Barrel in Nashville, Tennessee. Well, originally it was called BoondoxXx BBQ until Bar Rescue changed its name. I don't know what else Bar Rescue did. The show was actually taped some time ago, and was scheduled to be televised last Sunday.

But, just before the show was supposed to air, something happened.

A veteran country music singer was shot and killed early Saturday morning by a Nashville bar owner after the two got in a heated argument over smoking inside the establishment.

Details remain sketchy, but local authorities say Pit and Barrel owner Chris Ferrell took umbrage at singer Wayne Mills insistence on smoking inside his bar.

The bar was closed at the time....

So the broadcast premiere of this episode of Bar Rescue was cancelled, but due to a mistake, a subsequent showing still aired.

According to the show, Ferrell had a temper.