Bars, Pubs, & Watering Holes

Let's face it, I like to drink. Not everyday, not always blotto, but I do enjoy a nice, cold beer with friends now and then. Oddly enough, I almost never drink at home. I could equate this to 30+ years of being a working musician, and usually only drinking in public...or I could equate to more of a social experience. Either way, when I drink, it's usually in a bar (or pub).

Below is a list of some of my favorite bars/pubs that I've frequented over the years and why I like them. Maybe, if you too are a social drinker, you'll compile your own mental list of some of your fave watering holes. So, without further adieu and in no particular order:

Rascals (aka The Cage) - Dover, OH
Back when I still lived in Ohio, this was my regular nightspot. My girlfriend and I would be there just about every night. She'd shoot pool (and shark everyone in the room) while my buddy Jackson and I would knock back many a beverage and shoot the shit. Most of my friends hung out there too, so it was a natural gathering spot. Sometime before I'd moved to the area, I guess the place was called The Cage, so those of us of a certain age always called it that. As long as I've known the place, it's been called Rascal's Saloon.

I got to stop in there last year while in the area. It was nice to see that little had changed (aside from the prices and some of the faces). Within 5 minutes, it was just like old times...except Jackson wasn't there (I heard he quit drinking) and my ex girlfriend was nowhere around. But Pottsy and Burris were still there, as were a few other familiar old faces. It was nice.

Davis Tavern - Steubenville, OH
Ah, the Davis Tavern. The epitomal neighborhood bar. There is a neighborhood in Steubenville, OH called Pleasant Heights, and PH (as we called it) was home to this joint. Nothing fancy. Cheap drinks, fried food, a jukebox, a TV, and friends and neighbors all hanging out. I remember my friends Nick, Mark, Paul, and many others hanging out there many a night. It was nothing special...but the times I spent there with friends were. In recent visits to the Ville, I've seen that the Davis Tavern is no more. Nothing lasts forever....

Joe & Dixie's Cloverleaf - Dover, OH
Again, back to the Dover/New Philadelphia area. While I actually lived in New Philly, Dover was where I usually would hang out. Joe's, as my friends and I usually called it, was a small tavern. Most days, it was nothing special (except for the original fly...but that's another story for another time). In the late 80s, the owners started booking bands there. The band I was in at the time (The Swingin' Caddilacs) played there often. Dixie became like a surrogate aunt to us. Her husband Joe, while a bit cranky, was always good to us. My friend Ken Snyder and I spent many a night there trying to destroy our livers. Always a good time.

Fodi's Bar - Pittsburgh, PA
This is a really old bar, just about 2 blocks from my house. It's been there for about 90 years. My granddad, who died in 1957, used to drink there. Up until a few years ago, Rose was still tending bar. She remembered my granddad! This is one of those old school, old man bars that is now trying to survive in the 21st century. When I 1st started going there in the 90s, there was no jukebox, only the TV (usually on A&E or Court TV). There was a poker machine and a pachinko machine! That was it. Well lit, with a great old wooden backbar, this place had stayed the same for ages. The drink prices have always been low. They still are...but they have raised with the times. You can still buy a round of drinks for 4-5 people for $10 or less. It's just a little neighborhood bar. One of the younger Fodis, Vicky, is running the place now. She's dragged it kicking and screaming into the 21st century. The place has karaoke on Wednesdays and live entertainment a couple nights a week (usually solo or duo acoustic sets).  I always love taking friends there that have never been there before. It's usually an eye opener for them. But, most times, I just like to go down there for a quiet beer or three, see what all's going on the neighborhood and chew the fat with whoever is around. It's a nice place...and I hope it always stays that way.

Mother's Junction - Kent, OH
When I was in college, Mother's was my 2nd home. They had reasonably priced drinks, yet avoided the nickel/dime/quarter drafts that many other college bars used to sell off their old kegs to students. What Mother's had better than any other joint was live music. Whether it be rockabilly, reggae (a house fave), ska, punk/new wave (hey, it was the 80s!), you could find it there...and it was usually better than anywhere else. Mother's had house drinks like the Futhermucker...never knew what was in it but I knew it could mess ya up! The only 2 downsides to the place were the stairs leading up to it (Mother's was upstairs from another bar, Ray's) and the bathroom...which is 2nd only, in my memory, to CBGB's in nastiness. If you had to go, you waited until you really had to go. It was that bad. I got to play there a few times in a few different bands. Lots of great memories there.

The Lighthouse - Cardiff, Wales
You may think it odd that I'm adding this place to my list of faves, as I was only ever there once. But it was memorable for a number of reasons. This was the first "pub" I was ever in. Traditional pubs, or public houses, in the UK are different from American bars. They tend to be smaller, homier, and more comfortable. These are the places the locals frequent. Another major difference was that the beer choices are far more limited. While in the US, most bars like to have as large a selection as possible, most pubs in the UK (at least back in the day) rarely had more than 2-3 choices...usually made by the same (usually local or regional) brewery. The Lighthouse was no exception. They had 2 beers on tap: Bass and Master Brew. Having never heard of Master Brew, I opted for a pint of Bass. The barman informed me that the keg was being changed so it'd be a short wait. Being a typically impatient Yank, I threw caution to the wind and ordered a Master Brew. To this day I'm thankful that I did! This lager was wonderful! My friends 2Tone and Baldy took me there and we had a blast! I drank pint after pint of this wonderful stuff...only to never find it anywhere else! This is one of the charms of the small local pub. Master Brew, it seems, is made by a very small local brewery and is only served within a small radius. Excellent brew if you can find it!

The Huntsman - Leicester, UK
Again, the small, local pub...British style. In 2004/early 2005, I found myself involved with a gorgeous British gal. Airfare was cheap (usually $200-400 round trip)so we often hopped back and forth across the pond. The Huntsman was/is a small neighborhood pub near where she was living at the time. She loathed the place. I loved it. It was dirty (probably hadn't been Hoovered since Thatcher was in office), dank, smoky, and my kinda place! It was filled with characters! The regulars loved to harass me about being a Yank (and blame me for "our Mr.Bush" and his foibles). I gave as good as I got and was accepted by the folks there. My main reason, however, for frequenting the place was the beer. They had Ansell's Mild on tap. This stuff was like drinking liquid velvet! And it had a kick too! A few pints and my head would be feeling fuzzy. This is one of the things Americans never seem to understand about beer. If it must be served ice cold, it's probably because it tastes like crap and has no body. British beers, contrary to popular belief, are rarely served "warm". While not served as cold as American beers, it shows off the flavor and body of the brew. American beers tend to be watery. British beers tend to have body. It's like comparing a can of Campbell's chicken soup to a steak. I don't know about you....but I'd rather have the steak.

The Decade -Pittsburgh, PA
Long live the memory of the Decade...the home of Rock and Roll. Anyone who was anyone played there at one time or other...self included. The list of famous names that performed in this relatively small, overpriced, city college bar would astound those who have never been there. As a semi-regular patron (and performer), it was nothing unusual to be standing next to Danny DeVito or Randy Quaid at the bar. I got to hang out with Jack Nicholson there. But the main reason everyone went there was for the music. There were cheaper bars for sure...but the quality of the live entertainment in this joint was, and still is, unmatched. Almost any night of the week, you could walk in and hear a great band of almost any genre. Whether you enjoyed punk, blues, R&B, country, rockabilly, folk, whatever....if the band was good, they played at The Decade...at least once. I was there every Sunday for blues. Mondays or Tuesdays were usually punk rock. The rest of the week, all you had to do was look on the calender to see who was playing. I saw great acts on their way up (Horton Heat) and on their way down (The Romantics). I took the guys from Los Lobos there after a show at Graffiti and David Hidalgo wound up sitting in with the band. Always a great night there...regardless of who was playing. Lots of friends and contemporaries were always there. To many, it was a second home. When Dom closed the doors of the place, we all knew it was the end of an era. Many places have tried to fill those shoes...but found it impossible.

The Royal Oak - Cardiff, Wales
Back to Cymru. I frequented this joint a few times during my travels. Once to perform and the rest just because I liked the place! While I'm unsure of it's total history, the place seems to have been around for ages. It has a long standing tradition as a boxing bar. Boxing is king in this joint...and the generations of boxing memorabilia that line the walls proves it. I had a number of great conversations about my American faves (like Ali, Tyson and Foreman) while the barman and locals would try to educate me on their local, regional, and national heroes. And...the bar served Brains. Not the organ in your skull....the beer. Brains lager, Brains bitter (better than Guinness in my opinion) and Brains SA (legend has it that the SA stands for Skull Attack. It doesn't mix well...with oxygen). What a lovely, tasty, full-bodied brew!

The Blue Moon - Pittsburgh, PA
If you've heard that the Blue Moon is a gay bar....you've heard correct! The nice thing about the Moon is that no one there cares if you are or are not gay. They joint prides itself on being an "everyone bar". A friend first took me there almost a dozen years ago. I got to meet the owners, manager and staff and found them all to be great folks. Over the years, I've done a lot of web work for the place, so I found myself spending more and more time there. I've made a number of great friends through the place and I'll be the 1st to defend any one of them or the bar itself. The Moon is where my best friend and I go for our regular Tuesday Night Out. The bar has a Cheers-like atmosphere...everyone knows everyone. Among the regulars are gay and straight alike. Just people out for a drink...who don't want drama, pretension, or bullshit. Some come for the drinks specials, some for the poker machines, and some come for the drag shows. These have become especially popular due to a local winning on Ru Paul's Drag Race. While I personally don't think much of this person, his appearance on the show, as well as his ensuing notoriety, have been a boon to the Moon's business...so all is good in the hood. The Blue Moon is right smack in the heart of the Lawrenceville section of the city. There are other bars in the area and surprisingly little drama. Sure...it has it's moments...but what inner-city bar doesn't?  The prices are reasonable, the beer is cold and....you can still smoke there! The Moon is probably best know for it Iced Teas (the alcoholic beverage...not the brewed stuff). You get bang for your buck there. And, if you just happen to be looking to meet someone 'friendly', you could do worse than the Moon. It's a great place filled with great people.

If you've noticed, all of these joints have one thing in common. Good memories. That's what makes a place special. It's not the amount of money spent on decorating the place, or how loud the sound system is, or how many varieties of beer they sell. No, it's the people that frequent the place that make it special. If a customer is treated well and has an enjoyable experience, they're likely to come back. If they keep having good time after good time, they're likely to become a regular....and memories will be made there. If you noticed, none of these are "corporate" type joints. Not a flashy joint among them. A bit of neon, a place to sit and have a drink with friends, and maybe something to munch on...be it pretzels, chips, or a sammich. That's really all the decor any bar needs. Just fill the place with good people and cold beer, and you have the recipe for a good time.