If you know much about the music history of the city it’s what use to be Little Brothers (and Staches before that).
Stache's was just south of Hudson; Little Brothers was in the Short North. Dan Dougan managed both. Played both stages quite a few times. I remember one time playing at Stache’s in the early 90s when a massive rainstorm hit. We were in the basement “resting” in between sets when the water started rising... quickly. Fun times. Both spots are missed.
It's been interesting to see the re-migration of OSU students south. When the Gateway district was being developed, the bars on Park Street ran buses from the old Taco Bell down High to the Park Street area. The buses stopped, COTA started their Night Owl service and many years later, the students are now at the 5th and High area and a few blocks south. It's no coincidence that the owner of the former Too's (which has links back to the 80s) has a bar in that same area. I read an article not too long ago about how the bar owner named Al had an indirect influence into Too's, and by extension, Three's and Four's.
Al DeSantis. Owned most of the campus bars in the 80’s and 90’s. Too’s started out as one of a pair of bars, Not Al’s, and Not Al’s 2, in reference to not being owned by DeSantis.
And when Campus Partners ixnay-ed their basement premises, Three's Above High was born in the former Scarlet and Gray Cafe, at High and Norrich. They were (rightfully) pretty pissed about losing their lease, but from what I can see, business is a booming in the new (bigger) space.
I'm afraid the comercialization of large college campuses is killing the dive bar scene and that is freaking shame. That is part of the experience. Cheap beer, dirty bathrooms, sticky floors. College kids shouldn't be in the trendy beer halls sippping local IPAs or overly popular vodka drinks out of copper cups.
Indeed. I'm pissed the Distillery no longer exists; replaced by a Target. I played there more often than any other establishment, but ironically never got Quarkspace a gig there. Having a Friday/Saturday slot also meant not having to tear down my gear after that Friday show. The San Francisco World Series earthquake and Buster Douglas beating Tyson are two memorable events that happened during one of our shows there. I wax nostalgic. Boo.
I was the drummer for New Druids, with occasional keyboards. Psychedelic folk/hard rock, kinda like REM meets Zeppelin.
It would be interesting to survey today's students to see what they think. Obviously, Ruby Tuesday, Three's and Fourth Street get good crowds, but the students are also sipping designer coffee drinks as they wear their North Face and do homework on MacBook Airs from a Starbucks or Panera.
Mike's Grill in the Short North is probably one of the few dive bars left in the downtown area. Very much like Betty's. They keep a lot of the hipsters out by being cash only.