i am very conflicted over whether i can bring myself to go see a band whose record i like at that ghost of an establishment.

i mean, i didn't even go see danko jones the last time and that was like a million years ago.



plz feel free to discuss why the hell bernie's is still open, who the fuck would book a show there, and whether or not you could bring yerself to attend a show you pretty much would go see anywhere else if it was there.

I would go just for the novelty. We did a battle of the bands down there (in 2003?) just because it sounded so completely retarded and had a blast (but we were already kind of weird old guys, even, then). We played our set and got the hell out. The novelty. That is my answer to all of those questions- and to see the band, of course. It's a shame. It used to be my favorite place to play and a fun place to hang out and watch bands. Seems like everyone used to play down there. Now, it's like, "Bernie's? Why the fu#$ are you playing there?" The Novelty.

Last time I was there was a few years ago to see "The Saints," and talking to Chris Bailey before the show, he said something to the effect of "What did I do in a past life to deserve this?" During the set, he started talking about free will and pointed to the PA's ability to make whatever sound it felt like as an example of it.

I'm just amazed it's still open. I mean, who does go there? Some people must if it's still around.

Ha! I was there drinking last night when the band started loading in. Didn't know who they were. I have no problem going anywhere to see a band I like…I mean hell, better to go tear up Bernie's than mistakenly book at the Frog Bear or the Lodge Bar or something weird like that.

i get out of class at osu around 7:18, and if it's too cold outside i walk down to bernies for a drink instead of waiting for the bus in the cold. it's so harvey pekar.

that's pretty much the only reason i go there anymore, but i would if there was ever a show worth going to. i mean, it's just another shitty bar. i've been to worse in different cities...

really terrible restrooms are no longer reason enough to avoid a place. I mean, if that was your limiting factor, you'd pretty much have to cross off most of the venues on Summit St.

Yeah, and the restrooms really aren't as memorably bad as they used to be. Nothing could compare to the South Heidelburg. Urinal = leaky, and sprayed water directly on your crotch upon flushing. Toilet = a single porcelain shard stabbing upwards from a hole in the floor.

I played at Bernie's a couple of weekends ago, and of course the sound was terrible and there were absolutely no monitors. But the booze was cheap & it was still pretty fun.

this is probably gonna sound stupid but i'm getting ready to play a bunch of out of town shows. and it's easy to write off Bernie's as irrelevant, but what if you drive all the way to Kansas or someplace else far away to play a gig & you end up playing in the Kansas version of Bernie's? Sure it sucks but you still need to rock the show, and bitching about the monitors/cleanliness/depressing vibe will not help the situation. I just pretended that this was my SXSW slot (lol) and tried to make the most of it.

When Little Brother's had just opened and the Assponys had not yet been there, Chuck Cleaver asked how the restrooms were and told us that it's the #1 reason that makes a show worth playing when you're out of town. They were rock and roll restroom connoisseurs. He said something like, "We can play to a packed house, sell a ton of records, have the coolest staff and the best crowd ever, but, if we can't find a nice place to take a crap when we get to the bar- that's a bad night." He was very excited when we told them they were probably the best in town for live venues at the time- with a lock and everything on the stalls. Personally, I'm kind of proud that I took 2 consecutive Friday evening craps at Bourbon Street with the door stall broken. Now, that's punk rock motherfu#$ers! Haha.

Cruise, I went to the Danko Jones show - it was a weird one. A good one, but a weird one.

If it's the right band, I don't care where they're playing, I'll go. I saw The Dollyrots once or twice there in the last few years.

Wexner Center should buy the place and pay us alkies to sit at the bar and scare you new wavers off.

i heart bernies

Bernie's is a dive...but for better or worse is a pretty popular Columbus establishment. I just wonder why I can never get a gig there...

stulee

did anyone mention Don B.? kinda local rite of passage for bands to play "Batman".

Wexner Center should buy Don B

If they fixed the monitors it would actually be an awesome place to play. It's not been as nasty and toilet watery as it has been in the past. And hell the sound charge is $10 per band. You can't beat that anywhere in town. There would be the potential for a decently drawing band to make a SHIT TON of money in there. You just have to get that monitor situation straightened out. They literally have none.