Opened in 1996, the Owl Bar — a private club for members — is one of the few places in Utah County where people can actually get away and sit at a bar and feel comfortable. The cozy two-room setting has a main area with tables and, on Fridays and Saturdays, live music. A second, smaller rear room with windows and a fireplace is available for those who want to step into more intimate surroundings.

“We cater to all sorts,” said Owl Bar manager Clare LeBras, 35. LeBras came to the United States from Ireland at the age of 15. During her eight years at Sundance, she has seen her share of unique patrons and diverse music acts.

On any weekend, people can hear music ranging from folk to blues to rock. Folk singer Troy Griffin, 50, has been playing the Owl Bar off and on for almost five years.

“It is a really diverse crowd,” he said. “People come in from overseas, other countries, other states. … I just want to give them something nice to listen to.”

Another act that has enjoyed its relationship with the bar over the years is Blues On First, a quintet based in Salt Lake City. Guitarist Paul Blandford, 37, said the remote location took some getting used to.

“The luxury and relaxed atmosphere at Sundance, at first, was a bit of a shock. To be able to go out and sit by the stream on break at a rocking blues gig was a bit weird,” Blandford said.

However, it didn’t take long for the band or its fans to feel at home. Word spread that the Owl Bar was the place to be for live music.

“There was even a time when we had to load gear in through the back windows because there was nowhere to move,” Blandford said. “It was packed.”

LeBras said the ambiance, music and food are among the reasons people keep coming back. She also credits the clientele’s lack of “attitude” for making the Owl Bar a great hangout.

“The atmosphere is lovely at the bar,” she said.

A typical evening usually starts slow and picks up to a roar. Blues On First drummer Fred Marcin, 41, said the band credits the bar for hosting some of the band’s more memorable shows.

“Those performances are due to both the intimate vibe of the Owl Bar, its friendly patrons and the warmth that the place exudes toward the band,” Marcin said.

Blanford adds,”The Owl Bar has it just right. There’s not a single piece of neon. … It’s all wood and all traditional.”

Built in Ireland around the year 1800, the rosewood veneer bar has quite a history of its own. Transplanted from Thermopolis, Wyo., the bar was once inside a popular hangout for Butch Cassidy’s Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. Later, the bar, decked out in shag carpet, served as a watering hole for bikers. And while the bar was being restored in San Francisco in 1994, a bullet hole was found. No one knows for sure who put it there, but the nick is still visible.

“I just hope it wasn’t aimed at a bartender,” LeBras said. “As long as we don’t get any new ones, we’re fine.”

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D3.