That's a sweet Wham! reference. They'd pack Bernie's.

We stopped playing Bernie's after the night we packed the place and got paid $25. That being said, I used to really like that bar. It was one of the places that it was almost impossible to get thrown out of.

Speaking as one who has been thrown out of bars (but never Bernies), it is hard to imagine you getting thrown out of a bar. No offense Bo.

It was usually my entire band being thrown out and told to "never come back". It's hard to think of a bar in columbus where this hasn't happened to me, not that it ever stuck.

Strange that you could make more money playing original music just about anywhere almost 20 years ago than you do now. I remember weekend nights where they still paid you a percentage of the bar at Bernie's and charged just a $1 at the door and 2 or 3 bands would split up $300+ in the early 90s. We'd play a Thursday night on our own and make $250+. When we played there around 2000 or 2001 (?) , though, with one other band and the place was totally packed, we only made $90 a piece. That was expected, though.

Obviously, no one in their right mind does this for money, but, that's just silly. $25 for the band when a bar is packed? Someone from the bar needs to step up and kick in some money on a night like that if the doorguy is unaccountable. I'd probably end up Bobby Knighting the fu#$ out of that poor doorguy until he went home and cried.

It's really a shame that Bernie's has had that rep for so long, now, that you would never expect to get paid fairly down there, again.

For the longest time we never had to worry about having someone running sound down there. I never understood why you would want to pay someone to watch the board for your 1 or 2 vocal mics and kick drum mic in a room the size of your living room. When they did that I was like- "Who the fu#$ hired this guy? Send him home."

used to get paid pretty well at Bernies when opening for touring bands in the 90s.

Subtraction got banned b/c the singer we'd drafted the night before (he brought girls and a 12 of bud to the house while we recorded our tape after our first practice) broke a bunch of glasses and bottles, bloodied a girl, and snapped one of those wooden plank tables between the i-beams during our one show. our tab got comped, no idea what happened to the door money.

this stupid band released their debut at Bernies

It looks like your crotch is mic'd.

Does anyone out there want to own up to abusing the PA and smashing things up at a "punk" show there? Gee, why are things so fucked up. All together now ,"not my fault!". PS> posted by Dan Dougan, not by TZT. PSS. go unfuck yourselves!

I totally blame Don B

I've never broken anything there but I did hide chicken livers and sardines all over the place.

Bernies is still ok when you can go threw tony painter without him dicking you over....I still book there some times if I can't get ANYWHERE else....It usually sucks, but sometimes you get a decent show like the meatmen or queers....I'm hoping this fang/verbal abuse/capitalist casualties show in may goes pretty good...

P.S. It is hard, but you can get thrown out of bernies, I went on a bender and got thrown out on my birthday a few years ago.

Bernie's may be played out to people our age, but let's not forget that literally tens of thousands of new 18 year old show up every year and for a them, it's a brand new experience.

Bernie's may strike some one who's been in a band for ten or more years, approaching or in the middle of their 30's as a disgusting STD pit, but if you're 18 or playing in your first band, Bernie's is still everything it was to us back then, for them now.

We've changed, grown up, stopped drinking (so much), got jaded/tired of swapping social diseases with the same six people, or have found nicer bars to haunt. Bernie's hasn't changed because kids haven't changed. It's still this city's gateway bar/. Sure, we all think it's gross when we've outgrown it, or used their bathroom, but it still serves a purpose. I still go there once or twice a month, just because it's right next to FreeGeek. When I worked at FreeGeek full time, I'd go once a week. It's the same bar it was in 1993. Long live it!

it's a shitty dive yes. and i wouldn't have it any other way. without that hell hole we are a city full of skully's.
i'm not hip to the frat parties there now, but i understand tony has to make a buck. without enough bands to draw people in he has to do something to pay the bills.

long live the rats nest.

Who playes Bernies? Well, Beck played there AFTER is first big hit.


Columbus has a cool music scene. But this thread is an example of shortsightedness.

Bernies was cool when I was in my teens, 20's and 30's. Sheeoot. If you knew the password you could even buy a pot brownie there in the early 90's.

Then I moved and lost touch with the local scene. For some reason it may not be cool now. Who the fuck cares? I know who, shallow fucktards.

Grow up pretty please. With cream cheese, hummus and a pot brownie on top.

Bernie’s was a great place to play and see bands, and still could be. It’s probably the best located music venue in town. Whether you live downtown or in Clintonville, Bernies is more or less in the middle. Obviously, for OSU students, it’s totally ideal. It’s been a while since I’ve been down there, but the PA was always adequate for what it needed to do. I’d go to Bernies if they booked decent bands. I think Bernie’s started to go down hill once Café Bourbon St started booking most of the bands that people wanted to see.

Some memories:

In the under age drinking category: I remember drinking whiskies that were bought for The Oblivians. In hour three of the marathon set they played the last time they played Bernie’s, they were all annihilated. The crowd kept sending shots of whiskey to the stage, and one of the Oblivians realized he was going to fall over if he kept drinking, so passed all the shots to me. I think it was because I was the closest person to the stage. I was 18 or 19. Perhaps the greatest show I ever saw. Ended when one of them did pass out I think, or fell over.

Batman with Don B: Sword Heaven once did Batman with Don B at Bernies. He was not pleased and quit before it was over. Not too long ago, Don B came up to me in Used Kids and asked me if I was in that band that had played some show he’d seen us at. I told him yes, and he told me we were “Not Good”.

Getting kicked out: I took my little brother there for his 21st Birthday, and at some point he was barefoot, bleeding (obviously), and covered in beer. Did not get kicked out.

I just remembered the time that I was watching A Planet for Texas or something and this kid in front of me turned around and projectile vomited across the entire "dance floor". Within minutes people were "dancing" all over it.