Early 80s Bars

[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.