Early 80s Bars

[Tugg Speedman]

I was reminiscing with a classmate about the early 1980s bars/clubs.

On Wells was Gym, O'Donnell and Haggerty.  What am I missing?

What was the address of Good Time Charlies?

What was the downtown nightclub that was very popular (not the Safehouse but the two-story disco)? 

Where was Rickey's on State (what cross street)?  Was that the place where Wendy O Williams of the Plasmatics was beaten by Milwaukee police?

Is this thread bringing back memories!

[WI inferiority Complexes]

As far as I know Ricky's is still at 26th and State.

Don't go there.  Even if you're all really drunk and it sounds like a funny thing to do-- just don't go there.

[tower912]

The lanche, Grunt's, Heg's....

[Sir Lawrence]

Wendy O was arrested at the Palms.

[SoCalwarrior]

http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/bars/start

[Spotcheck Billy]

did you mean Park Avenue?

I was reminiscing with a classmate about the early 1980s bars/clubs.

On Wells was Gym, O'Donnell and Haggerty.  What am I missing?

What was the address of Good Time Charlies?

What was the downtown nightclub that was very popular (not the Safehouse but the two-story disco)? 
Where was Rickey's on State (what cross street)?  Was that the place where Wendy O Williams of the Plasmatics was beaten by Milwaukee police?

Is this thread bringing back memories!

[radome]

On Wells was Gym, O'Donnell and Haggerty. 

I think that O'Donnell was the women's dorm and O'Donahue's was the pub.

[lurch91]

Grunt's became Murphy's,  there was State Street Saloon (nickel tappers my freshman year) with O'Pagett's a block or two down the street (towards the freeway and police station). The Green Tree was up that way too ($3 happy hour from 7pm - 10pm I think).

[Tugg Speedman]

did you mean Park Avenue?

That's it ... Park Avenue.  Thanks

[Tugg Speedman]

Wendy O was arrested at the Palms.

What was the address of the Palms?

[Spotcheck Billy]

What was the address of the Palms?

per http://www.classicwisconsin.com/features/endless.html  2616 W. State

sounds about right, I seem to recall it was right across from Ricky's

[Spotcheck Billy]

double post

[mu-rara]

Good Time Charlie's was 12th or 13th and State, across from Fielder's Choice.  (10th Floor McCormick home bar)

[jsglow]

Ok guys, I need your assistance. Warriorchick and I met in the winter of 1984 at Thoma's. If memory serves, it was on the south side of Wells about 20th. That fateful night a group of friends went up to watch some buddies in a new band.  Great name... Entering Chelmsford. (Some years later we actually visited the Massachusetts town.)

Spelling corrected. :-)

[BrewCity83]

Ok guys, I need your assistance. Warriorchick and I met in the winter of 1984 at Toma's. If memory serves, it was on the south side of Wells about 20th. That fateful night a group of friends went up to watch some buddies in a new band.  Great name... Entering Chelmsford. (Some years later we actually visited the Massachusetts town.)

I believe it was spelled Thoma's.  Is that what you needed help with?

[Goose]

It was on south side of Wells next to the original Chicago Style Hot Dogs run by Terry.

[BrewCity83]

Some other off-campus bars I liked:

Century Hall
Brubaker's (UWM bar on Downer)
Judge's (North Ave)
Park Avenue
Mariah's (West Allis)

[Tugg Speedman]

Let's not forget the Mugrack in the old union.  They had over 100 beers (drinking age was 18).

I also remember the concerts they had every Friday and I recall the Bodines and the Violent Femmes performing, I think, in back-to-back weeks.  Not bad for free on-campus concerts.

[Hards Alumni]

Let's not forget the Mugrack in the old union.  They had over 100 beers (drinking age was 18).

I also remember the concerts they had every Friday and I recall the Bodines and the Violent Femmes performing, I think, in back-to-back weeks.  Not bad for free on-campus concerts.

Not bad, both local bands as well.

[radome]

Let's not forget the Mugrack in the old union.  They had over 100 beers (drinking age was 18).

I also remember the concerts they had every Friday and I recall the Bodines and the Violent Femmes performing, I think, in back-to-back weeks.  Not bad for free on-campus concerts.

The Grill Concerts were great! That is the way to use that student activity fee. It was early I think, like, 3 or 4. Terrific way to start the weekend.

[Tugg Speedman]

Not bad, both local bands as well.

At the time they were both local bands and were not largely known outside of Milwaukee.  Soon after that changed.

[Jim Sawdust]

Tops: Snopek playing "First band on the moon" in the Grill and the "Grill" concert by Paul Cebar and the R&B Cadets played in front of Todd Wehr. Their opening notes and Robyn Pluer's chilling, thrilling voice greeted me as I walked west from Brooks.

[lurch91]

Some other off-campus bars I liked:

Century Hall
Brubaker's (UWM bar on Downer)
Judge's (North Ave)
Park Avenue
Mariah's (West Allis)

Add Bryant's to that list, who didn't make the trip for a Brain Buster?  Also like The Safehouse, liked to take friends that were visiting there because it was so different.

[BrewCity83]

Add Bryant's to that list, who didn't make the trip for a Brain Buster?  Also like The Safehouse, liked to take friends that were visiting there because it was so different.

Both Bryant's and the Safe House are still open (and are still almost exactly the same...).

[Bocephys]

Both Bryant's and the Safe House are still open (and are still almost exactly the same...).

Bryant's did close for a brief nine month period or so a couple years back.

[Spotcheck Billy]

the secret entrance in the Newsroom Pub to the Safehouse is unique (gotta couple of buddies that have lifetime memberships)

[Lighthouse 84]

Grunt's became Murphy's,  there was State Street Saloon (nickel tappers my freshman year) with O'Pagett's a block or two down the street (towards the freeway and police station). The Green Tree was up that way too ($3 happy hour from 7pm - 10pm I think).

State Street Saloon?  Do you mean the State House? I remember dime taps on one night and dollar pitchers another.

Anyone remember combat juice at OD's?  a little bit of just about every liquor in the place poured into a pitcher, topped off with some beer.  Not sure why I remember this, but $7 for the pitcher?  It was something we'd get and pass the pitcher around to those of us Lighthouse members.  Tasty beverage.

[lurch91]

State Street Saloon?  Do you mean the State House?

Yeah, that could have been it.  It was at 12th and State on the SW corner.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Tops: Snopek playing "First band on the moon" in the Grill and the "Grill" concert by Paul Cebar and the R&B Cadets played in front of Todd Wehr. Their opening notes and Robyn Pluer's chilling, thrilling voice greeted me as I walked west from Brooks.

Paul Cebar and the Milwaukeeans.  I forgot about them.  They were fun.  I remember seeing them at Summerfest and if I recall the same evening as the BoDeans.  I think I made a point to see them a few more times after that.

[radome]

... and how about the block parties? The centennial in 81 was the best, if I recall correctly Wisconsin Ave. was closed off for it.

[BrewCity83]

Anyone remember combat juice at OD's?  a little bit of just about every liquor in the place poured into a pitcher, topped off with some beer.  Not sure why I remember this, but $7 for the pitcher?  It was something we'd get and pass the pitcher around to those of us Lighthouse members.  Tasty beverage.

Combat juice!!  Tasted like fruit punch but packed a wallop.  We made the person who drank the last sip prior to the person finishing the pitcher buy the next pitcher (so if there's a finishable amount in it, you better finish it or the next guy will, then you gotta buy the next one).

[jsglow]

Paul Cebar and the Milwaukeeans.  I forgot about them.  They were fun.  I remember seeing them at Summerfest and if I recall the same evening as the BoDeans.  I think I made a point to see them a few more times after that.

Great band.  I tried to book them for my wedding.  Just a tad too expensive as I recall.

As I've indicated before, I never thought the Femmes would amount to anything  .  One of many great bands to play downstairs at 3 p. 

It really was a fantastic way to start the weekend.  I have long wished MU would bring regularly scheduled live music back.  I learned a ton doing it during my years at the helm and I am eternally grateful for so many vivid memories.

[jsglow]

Combat juice!!  Tasted like fruit punch but packed a wallop.  We made the person who drank the last sip prior to the person finishing the pitcher buy the next pitcher (so if there's a finishable amount in it, you better finish it or the next guy will, then you gotta buy the next one).

Killer stuff.  No way I could handle alcohol like that any more!

[Blackhat]

I would've cleaned up in the 80's, can rock the parachute pants like nobody else.

[MU82]

Midget Tavern (24th & Wells).

Harp & Shamrock (21st & Wells).

We felt so grown up not going to the bars right on-campus. We definitely did not act like grown-ups very often, however.

[warriorchick]

jsglow once played a game with his buds where one person would name a north-south street, and another would name an east-west street, and they would all go and have a beer at whatever tavern was at that corner (and it being Milwaukee, there was ALWAYS a tavern on the corner).

Naming the first street was easy.  The cross street was the dare - it determined the neighborhood.  Apparently they wound up in some pretty interesting bars.

[muwarrior69]

I know this is the 80s bar thread, but my favorite bar was Calahans. It was located just around the corner from the Wehr Life Science building on Clybourn. As a Chemistry/Biology double major in the 60s spent many evenings there after a long lab session.

[jsglow]

I know this is the 80s bar thread, but my favorite bar was Calahans. It was located just around the corner from the Wehr Life Science building on Clybourn. As a Chemistry/Biology double major in the 60s spent many evenings there after a long lab session.

Wow.  Now Dean Callahan heads up Nursing less than 100 yards away.  Coincidence?  I think not!

[only a warrior]

Bernie and Melbas - right across the street from O'Pagets if you had the stones to go in.

[T-Bone]

Ok guys, I need your assistance. Warriorchick and I met in the winter of 1984 at Thoma's. If memory serves, it was on the south side of Wells about 20th. That fateful night a group of friends went up to watch some buddies in a new band.  Great name... Entering Chelmsford. (Some years later we actually visited the Massachusetts town.)

Spelling corrected. :-)

Thoma's was closed to build a parking lot for the CAPS station across the street - allegedly.  Their last night was a internal riot.   Closed in '94 or late '93.

Bryant's did close for a brief nine month period or so a couple years back.

Bryant's is a little different since re-opening.  There aren't the blue-haired old waitresses anymore.  Now blue-haired young waitresses.  They still make some pretty amazing drinks - which is the important part.

[warriorchick]

Bryant's is a little different since re-opening.  There aren't the blue-haired old waitresses anymore.  Now blue-haired young waitresses.  They still make some pretty amazing drinks - which is the important part.

Visited Bryants within the last year...loved the bartender....doughy Gen-Y guy with unkempt, shoulder-length hair, and a total mixology geek.

[MU82]

Oh ... when I saw the subject I thought it said Early 80s Bears and I expected it to be a conversation about Vince Evans.