Oakland’s Overland is as country as a country bar gets

When I walk into Overland, the new country bar at the edge of Jack London Square in Oakland, my voice changes. Like many Kentuckians living in California, I normally don’t speak with a perceptible accent. However, when there’s a row of bottle blondes perched on stools snapping their fingers to Garth Brooks, and there are $6 frozen Margaritas and fried pickles on the menu — well, my vowels elongate involuntarily. Overland’s owner, seasoned touring musician Paul “Sheriff” Hayward, has put together a gleaming temple to the American South’s most endearing products: twang and fried stuff. Overland is not country like Townes Van Zandt singing ballads on an empty stage.