So, you just moved to the small college town of Bowling Green, Ohio, and you’re thinking to yourself, “This place does not have a music scene.”
Well, my freshmen friends, I must inform you that appearances are, more often than not, misleading.
If you’re willing to put your trust in an upperclassman and entertainment news editor, I will let you in on some of Bowling Green’s and its surrounding areas’ best kept
music secrets.
The place you will call your home for the next four, maybe five, years is also the home of some of the most unique venues in northwest Ohio.
One extremely beloved bar in this community is Howard’s Club Hell. When you first enter the bar, it sort of feels like you went through a time warp. This comes as no surprise to many of the employees and regulars
at Howard’s.
According to bartender Dan Sellers, Howard’s has remained at its current location, 210 North Main Street, since 1973.
“I’ve been a bartender here longer than you’ve been alive,” Sellers said.
But for the man who has been serving drinks to people for over 21 years, and for those who frequent the bar, Howard’s has become much like a
second home.
It’s a venue that allows anyone 18 and up to relax by listening to the best of the underground musicians, ranging from local singer/songwriters to touring bands on the brink of radio stardom.
“We always have bands play Wednesday through Saturday, and sometimes, we get live music on the other nights,” Sellers said.
Occasionally, Howard’s hosts shows for all ages, but this usually depends on the wishes of the band.
There is a cover charge for every night of live music, and the price varies, depending on the act.
Two other local businesses that provide the community with live performances include Grumpy Daces, located directly above Easy Street Café on South Main Street and Nate and Wally’s Fishbowl on
Wooster Street.
Both venues are 21 and up, so you can start planning for your legal drinking birthday a few years in advance.
However, there are some age exceptions at Nate and Wally’s.
“It’s usually 21 and up, but sometimes a band will specify if they want a younger crowd,” said bouncer/bartender
Barry Kimberlain.
For the most part, Nate and Wally’s attract a diverse crowd, whether it’s a live music night on Friday or Saturday or a house disc jockey spinning on Wednesday and Thursday.
“Our crowd is a mish mash of locals and students,”
Kimberlain said.
It’s hard to pinpoint the exact cause that keeps people of all different backgrounds and interests coming back for more.
Maybe it’s the music that unites them all. Nate and Wally’s offers everything from jam bands to metal shows.
Maybe it’s the friendly bartenders who stand on the bar every night at closing time, yelling as loud as they possibly can for you to get the hell out.
Maybe it’s their strong signature drink that they serve in plastic fishbowls.
Whatever the reasons, Nate and Wally’s never fail to deliver a fun and musical time.
I have yet to mention a venue that brings in mainstream bands. Although it’s not directly located in Bowling Green, Headliners in Toledo is the home of two stages and an outdoor patio.
The center stage is designed for an audience as large ass 650, and the main stage can reach a 1750 capacity.
Everyone from the Presidents of the United States of America to the Lost Prophets have played at Headliners.
The venue is open to all ages and the average cost of tickets ranges from $15 to $25 a piece.
The four previously mentioned bars are not the only places you can go to seek out the music scene in and around Bowling Green.
There are other venues in this town that will bring in the type of music that you enjoy, and I will make it my personally responsibility to keep you informed of all the shows that pass through.
