CLUBS & HANGOUTS
Apollo's
*Anyone-can-play-there club
Apollo's has been poorly managed booking wise (if they even actually book
anymore). You could probably walk in today and get a show tonight. One
minute owner Louie says he's not doing shows any more, the next minute
there's the semblance of a band name on the Marquee. Being on the edge of
South Campus and Chittenden, it can be scary area to go to. I believe
Chittenden is actually the sound a rifle makes when ya empty out the shells.
4 or 5 years ago, the place was a little more organized and even had a few
good shows -- it looks to be heading that way again. - Joel
Bernie's Bagels and Deli/The Distillery
*Pseudo-Hippie eatery and bar, High Street and 16th Avenue
Specializing in mostly hardcore, grunge and some of that crummy hippie shit,
Bernie's has been steadfast and strong in supporting local bands. Some of
the classic bands to checkout in this venue are Pet UFO, Gunshy Ministers,
Girly Machine, and Econothugs. The venue is dark, seedy and has a terrible
sound system; what more could you ask for? Also, the Distillery has a
fantastic kosher style deli where you can get treats on Styrofoam plates and
the bar boasts one of the best beer selections in the the city (imports from
places where I don't know that they really make beer, but what do I know?)
If you happen to be a band person interested in booking time at Bernie's,
please do! Bernie's also brings in out of town bands, but you might want to
get in touch with someone in the city to help with posting flyers for you.
I'm sure that you are well aware of the advertising situation for most
"underground" shows. And be prepared for a good crowd if you get on a good
ticket. Cowlumbus band fans are fierce and loyal. You will find people
friendly and ready to listen, so don't let us down. Oh, but if you aren't a
band person, please come anyway and join in the fun of a great show with fun
fans. You must remember to yell Freebird a lot. - Mary-Margaret Faith
*Best (cheap) musical variety/Worst sound system/Most comfortable hangout
So there's this bagel/deli place with cool music and a sporadic sound
system. I call it Burnie's. Some employees call it Burn-outs -- but just in
fun, kinda. Punk, blues, pop, soul, R & B, acoustic, jazz and just about any
other genre of "rock" that isn't too MIDI or metal, is featured here all the
time. People sometimes complain about the food prices and the smell. Use a
coupon! (For the food I mean.) The Distillery also has one of the biggest
selections of beer in town -- and a decent liquor shelf. The focus is local
and cheap music-wise but, hey, Beck played there! - Joel
Cafe Ashtray (CLOSED)
*Experimental Performance Space, Acme Art Company, 737 North High Street
First off, admissions of bias: I used to run and book Cafe Ashtray. I had an
utterly fantastic time doing it, too. Ashtray took place in the basement of
Acme every Friday night for a couple years. It was always a small thing,
maybe a dozen or two people. You didn't want it to get crowded either, since
it was difficult fitting more than 50 into the space. Initially some beer was
sold, but it was normally a BYOB affair.
Ashtray was, in my mind and others, legendary. We had all ends of things come
through -- performance art, experimental bands, staged plays, spoken word,
theme events, and much more. Ashtray was known for the place to see the
weirdest stuff every week; the secret stash of things not highbrow enough for
The Wexner Center and not beer-brow enough for Stache's.
Goblinhood read tarot cards while you waited. Angel Dust 216 came from
Springfield to perform amazing analog electronic music. A local guy sliced
himself up live. Gaga debuted playing 2-foot circular saw blades. MelloDeath
debuted playing lounge versions of alternative hits. Body Release turned it
into a techno haven; Jim Greenwood turned it into a curtained stage for The
Importance of Being Earnest. Acme turned a few dollars richer, sometimes. I
usually turned in after about 1am.
Alas, Cafe Ashtray met its death when the board of Acme bowed to landlord
threats against use of the basement for public functions, since it was not up
to code. It may live again someday, somewhere... perhaps Acme again, when it
changes locations. But for now, it remains a fond memory. - Mark G.
*Basement experiment in sound, electronics, art, performance
I only went once or twice, but it was a small basement with a few rows of
couches/pews/chairs and a storage area for BYOB-type items. Performances
were commonly intro'd/preceded by Goblinhood. (A whiny masked thing who
always seems to go on to long -- I don't think I'll ever be anything but
annoyed by him/her/it.) The shows were usually electronic music in nature
(techno, industrial, ambient, experimental ...) with the occasional reading/
performance art/movement piece. A bigger place would have been nice. - Joel
Chelsie's
*Reggae, psychedelia and alternative pop focus
There was a time when the Chelsie's was very conducive and supportive of more
glam rock type stuff. That seems to have faded into a more psychedelic/
reggae thing, with some classic/alternative pop/punk rock still making
regular showings. There's even a plan to do more national shows. Expect the
reggae to slow down when/if the new Skankland opens. - Joel
Common Grounds
*Unplugged attitude, Corner of Hudson and Indianola Avenues
On the corner of Hudson and Indianola, one will find Common Grounds Coffee
House. In this precarious location, a coffee house seems out of place, but
the owners have been doing a good job of keeping things going. Although the
coffee here is over-priced and not very good at all, Common Grounds does hold
a decent open mic night on Wednesdays and also has a good variety of live
entertainment ranging from Rock-a-Billy to Celtic. Guest poets often read
here while on their travels and the bookings tend to be rather worth checking
out. Unfortunately,in addition to the coffee quite frankly, sucking, the
owners and regulars have a sort of unfriendly attitude toward "outsiders" and
I always get the impression that they would prefer to own a private club.
The decor is laid back kitchenish and they do have a really cool lamp that I
would love to own, but....
I would only recommend hanging out in Common Grounds if you don't want coffee
and there is an act you would like to see. Sorry. - Mary-Margaret Faith
Freak'n Pizza (CLOSED)
*Used to be the coolest place to catch shows:
("home of the Gothic bikini oven burn," according to Ron House a few years
ago). By the way, any idea what happened to Kirby? One day I'm talking about
doing a show with him in the near future, the next there's no answer. Then I
drive by and it's locked up good. Damn. Kirby was the best guy to deal with
about playing shows. - JD Kimple
*Pizza and Punk Rock at High Street and Chittenden
Ironically, Freak'n was opened and run by a guy I went to college with in
Computer Science -- Kirby was his name. Kirby shirked his technical knowledge
and decided he liked pizza better. And thus, Freak'n was born. But Kirby
didn't stop there: He went and got Stache's old sound system, a stage, and
started a punk performance area in the side room.
For a year and a half or two, Freak'n sported punk shows that would've gone
nowhere else. Punk bands from everywhere flocked, numerous local bands played
there (myself included). The pizza wasn't good, but nobody said anything --
everyone was glad just to have the place there.
Freak'n finally closed its doors sometime during the summer of 1994. I
haven't seen him since to find out what the story is, but the location was
prime and he probably couldn't handle the rent. Too bad; we'll all miss the
place. It's hard to find a punk-oriented place to eat, y'know. - Mark G.
*Hardcore/Straight-edge/Young audience pizza club gone under
Freak'n was a weird place to go or play, but the sound was good. Next to the
South Campus strip (lots-o stupid, loud, annoying, violent drunks), it was
away from the calmer live music bars up north. There was no liquor, only
beer, at Freak'n -- so lot's of drinkin music fans avoided the place. But
the owner/operator, Kirby, was easy to work with. And it was about the only
outlet for young fans and bands to go without getting hassled about their age
and drinking. Instead the kids hassled old guys like me. :-( - Joel
Idiot Boy
*Hip-Hop & yuh don't stop, Just North of Lane Avenue and High Street
Idiot Boy coffee house is a strange little joe joint located in the north
campus area of OSU right off the corner of Lane Ave. Owned by a couple of
misplaced California guys who didn't deal well with their first winter here
in Columbus, Idiot Boy has a different sort of atmosphere and some damn good
coffee. The decor is more upscale thrift store furniture, many antique sofas
and an enormous dining table. The coffee is all California beans flown in
which is very special as most of the coffee houses in Columbus get their
coffee from Stauf's in Grandview (a suburb of Columbus). The atmosphere at
Idiot Boy is punctuated by the constant blaring hip-hop music, to which I am
allergic, but others may love. Of course, the place is crammed with suburban
white kids who want to be hip-hop, but during afternoons, you can find an
empty sofa and stretch out with a good book or play chess with one of the
regulars or owners.
All in all, Idiot Boy is a great experience (sorry, I really hate hip-hop)
and for the serious coffee drinker, I highly recommend trying it out.
There is not much else to eat or drink there, but leave your non-coffee
pals at home with their paltry wimp drinks and gear up for good stuff.
- Mary-Margaret Faith
Luna (CLOSED)
*Cafeteria-style coffee shop, 4th Avenue and High Street
Luna Coffee shop is a delightful place to spend an evening or a rainy
afternoon (if she's open.) Located on the north end of Columbus' Short North
area on High Street between 4th and 5th Aves., Luna has a casual hip that
boasts a coffee drinkin' poetry writin', pool playin' crowd. Friday nights
hop at Luna with their open mic readings which include poetry, music, some
performance art and the occasional sing along depending on who has shown up.
The owner, Max and her assistants are friendly, warm and down to earth in
spite of a tendency towards grunge/hippiness.
The coffee at Luna is also fairly palatable and a selection of teas and
juices and other drink delights are available for our non-java pals. With
two large rooms, each equipped with a pool table, there is room to spread out
and relax, especially on the many sofas and arm chairs. The overall decor of
Luna looks sorta like somebody's basement recreation room that was handed
over to the kids, but the charm of the place makes it easy to hang out and
talk or make fun of bad poets. Parking is also ample and the prices are
cheap! - Mary-Margaret Faith
The Newport
*Big-time concert hall, North High Street, between 12th and 13th Avenues
This is a large venue, with a capacity of about 2,500 (when the fire marshal
is looking). They rarely reach this, which is fortunate because it's not one
of the best places for live shows... though it's not bad either.
With a capacity like that, the shows will be larger ones, usually college
oriented. Expect to see bands like Gwar, The Dead Milkmen, A Tribe Called
Quest, Pop Will Eat Itself, and other big name, non-mainstream acts. Like
most large venues, the drinks are weak and the bouncers are non-human. They
also have a Subway booth inside, which charges airport prices for food. And
like an airport, any band you see there will have no other choice for a place
of this size to play in Columbus.
Their show schedule is sparse -- maybe two shows a week average -- but in a
way, I sympathize with them. Although there are plenty of college record
stores, there's no radio stations on which to hear the bands playing there...
hence, the last time I saw Pop Will Eat Itself there, only 200 people showed
up. Still, I've seen some monster shows there that'll live long in my memory:
Butthole Surfers at their peak, Lush, and the Skinny Puppy show where the
cops lined up to tear gas the exiting crowd. - Mark G.
*Big alternative acts and small major acts
So this is for the shows with under 3000 patrons and all those TicketMaster
hassles. Few people say nice things about the bouncers, and the fact that
they have so many turns me off. The sound's usually O.K. to great, but the
food and drinks are priced waaaay high. They are starting up a dance club
thing again, this time on Fridays with a Disco/80's theme. - Joel
Ruby Tuesday
*70's art-deco cheese in a live club/bar
I think Ruby is under relatively new booking management, but it ain't changed
much. A lot of bands stuck in the 70's whether they like it or not --
whether the try it or not. It reminds me of all those places we went to in
High School or before (when classic rock was the only cool thing to like)
trying to pretend we belonged. The sound system seems to be very durable and
stable, but ya have to deal with getting yer own mixing board. - Joel
Stache's [And Little Brother's]
*Appalachian Punk and Local Rock Bar, 2404 N. High Street
Stache's slogan is "Ya Been There" and then they list all of the people who
have been there. The list is impressive as is the dedication of owner Dan
Dugan. From Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds to Cocteau Twins; Nirvana to Lord
Burger (what, never heard of 'em?) Stache's is the place where the true
underground has played in Columbus before they became popular, before they
were at Lollapoloser. Stache's also hosts a plethora of Celtic musicians,
spoken word performances, benefits for everything, lectures by anti-racist
leaders and they even have a woman running sound (makes my heart warm as I
used to run sound and things like that are hard to do without a penis!)
In Stache's you will expect more of those wacky band fans out to yell insults
at their favorite local rock stars or to mosh in front of (or on) the stage.
Local people such as Evolution Control Committee, Martyr Colony, Pet UFO, New
Bomb Turks, etc. have and always will play at Stache's. If you are driving
up High Street north of OSU, slow down when you see Monkey's Retreat (another
cool store) and check the "marquis" over the door of Stache's. Find anything
good? Park, go in and pay about a buck per band, get yourself the
traditional Rolling Rock and have a damn good time. If you don't, you suck.
Red Hot, Punk Rock! - Mary-Margaret Faith
*Small next big things/More established & persistent locals/Best live sound
Some of the best, most unique, most experimental, most hip, most up-and-
coming, most interesting, most cutting edge and most varied music in town.
Nightly music from jazz and folk to rock and punk. Even some industrial,
performance art and Celtic music thrown in on occasion. The sound system is
perty sturdy; and the regular soundpersons keep it that way. Few people take
advantage of the bar during the day, but it is open. It's the big live music
club in town to scenesters who can justify the cover -- otherwise we tend
toward Bernie's, Larry's or someone's home. - Joel
Wexner Center for the Arts
*An all-in-one arts complex I work at
If ya like architecture, love or hate the building. If ya like modern art
museums, it's got galleries. If ya like alternative/documentary/history film
and video stuff. it's got a theater. And if ya like live music, dance and
performance art, it's got several performing spaces. Mershon is for big (up
to 3064) dance and music shows. The Performance Space is for small, experi-
mental performance art, music and dance. Weigel is for mid-sized music.
Several big names in modern dance come through each year -- most with short
residencies at OSU/Wexner. Hot modern jazz, string ensembles, experimental
music and controversial performance art are always part of the season too. A
recommendation: If ya wanna see something different, unpredictable or
unexpected, go to any Performance Space event. If we can just lower the
pretension and the buildings obstacles, we'd have a lot more fun. - Joel
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