STACHE's & (Little Brother's) end in 1997

The above sign is that last billing at the original Stache's & Little Brothers in 1997.
The destruction of the original Stache's on High Street north of OSU revealed some interesting graffiti. The above martian was on the wall of the 7-Eleven (later UDF) behind the club.

This graffiti was on the side of the laundry (that still remains) where Monkey's Retreat connect. Both Stache's and Monkey's moved to the north Short North in 1997 and have never been the same. The 1980's was the hey day for both businesses that date back to the 1970's (Monkey's Retreat was a branch of NYC's SoHoZat). One other business bit the dust next to them, an Asian bakery. Their old location is a strip shopping center now.

(Stache's) & Little Brothers to end run early July

LITTLE BROTHERS in the Short North (above seen in 1997) ends its long run as an alternative rock night club in early July, blaming an outrageous rent increase. Before it moved to the north Short North in 1997 it was known as STACHE's & Little Brothers and resided north of OSU on High Street next to Monkey's Retreat.

STACHE's had the fame that LITTLE BROTHER's tried to continue into the 21st Century. During the 1980's the virtual CBGB's of central Ohio was Stache's. Dan Dugan bought Stache's some 20 years ago, but it had become the premier New-Wave outlet years before that. Originally, Stache's was a blues and R&B bar, but as Independent Rock grew into a force on the High Street scene in the 1980's, Stache's found itself booking bands with national and international followings. Of course, most Ohio bands played here at one time or other but ONLY IF they were trying to do something original. You won't hear top 40 cover songs at STACHE's.
To list or cover all the bands that played Stache's would be impossible. Above: The HEATHERS from Cleveland played the stage when the ceiling was covered by op-art and the famous Stache's logo.
Some of the band stickers that covered the wall just inside the nightclub. (click on pictures to enlarge)
Some of the artwork that covered the restrooms of the last years of Stache's .

May Openings: New Shops

Spring brings new shops to the Short North. STUDIO11 (above) is just off High Street on Price Ave. It is a former garage that has been transformed into a fancy studio showing abstract art pieces. It also has a high-end kitchen.
MARCELLA's is the much anticipated Cameron Mitchell restaurant taking-over half of the old Yukon Building. It isn't opened, yet. They had to hand-out free food to promote their fare. Sort of a high-end pizza place with wine. The Yukon Building will also include a Starbucks and a package/mailbox store. Originally, the Yukon Building (built in 1929) housed almost the entire art district before 1985.
Sole Classics seems to be a gallery for tennis shoes. They also had a fooseball game inside for kids of all ages.
What the Rock is a tiny shop for all things to make you into a rocker. It is located at Fourth & High in the rock music end of the Short North. One of its neighbors, LITTLE BROTHERS night club, will be closing after 10 years there and 20 some years as Stache's & Little Brothers in the North of OSU area of High Street. The rent is going-up! Another neighbor is the Surlygirl Saloon who have an upstairs art gallery that had a poetry jam during the late Gallery Hop.

May Gallery Hop: Strange People

The May Gallery Hop was packed with people by nightfall and a two mile traffic jam coming south into the Short North probably discouraged even more people. It was a perfect scene for promoting. DIRTY GIRL CLEANERS (above) walked the street with mops on their head drumming up their custom cleaning jobs.

Moooo.

Belly Dancers in front of the Short North Tavern brought a colorful display of movement. A drum & bugle group provided snappy music at Buttles & High until dusk when a band and ballroom dancers took-up the cause.

May Gallery Hop: Lots of People /Not Much Art

Rent is definitely going up in the Short North. Unfortunately,
that doesn't mean the art is getting better.
The art, what there is of it, is getting safer, more amateurish,
and harder to find. Photography dominates this month.
RoyGBiv wasted half their gallery on blurred photographs
of an interior walkway (did they know this when they
handed-out the show?).
Above: The Catacombs Gallery brought art back to the
old STUDIO 16 space that is now a unique kind of church meeting place.

One of the newest galleries is the TERRA GALLERY (above) on Russell Street
along the courtyard next to the CAP. High quality, safe, abstract works.

Even the LINDSAY GALLERY (above), usually an outsider art gallery,
showed Kandinsky-ish "safe" artwork with lots of color.

The Ohio Art League (above) begins the new trend of showing artists
who are retired and can afford to do what they want regardless of sales.
Get ready for the vast Baby Boom Generation to flood
the Short North with art in the near future
as they retire and return to their art making.
Wells Landing, below, is closing and should be a warning to other
semi-art galleries who show lackluster art in a
district of rising rent. Much like the Cowtown
Gallery that closed in April, Wells Landing was more
of a gift shop than a gallery.