Musical Ecosystem:
Music venues
Local venues are multifaceted community hotspots. They provide musicians a place to express themselves and to make a living. For community members, they provide spaces for entertainment and socialization.
Before the advent of social media and music streaming, local venues were some of the only places to connect with friends and enjoy live music. Bowling Green has a long history of active nightclubs and music venues, many of which now exist only in memory. Community-led efforts continue our efforts to collect and memorialize these venues in the archive. As of 2023, the following venues are the ones for which we have substantial information.
QUONSET AUDITORIUM
The Quonset Auditorium was assembled in 1946 by three members of the Bowling Green band, Joe Marshall and His Rovin’ Ramblers. They chose a Quonset hut because "they are prefab buildings, you can put them up quick" to house square dances and wrestling events. Hosting other events that required a large space, the Quonset Auditorium quickly established its excellent reputation with audiences and touring artists.
I do know, in the early ‘50s – the Ward Singers, Mahalia Jackson – all of them did concerts at the Quonset and they wouldn't have come for the churches...I don't think Rosetta [Tharpe] would have come here in the early ‘50s when she was really big unless she came to the Quonset.
JOHN EDMONDS
EXCERPT FROM KFP INTERVIEW
TOMMY JOHNSON
Regular
Entertainment
Joe Marshall and His Rovin’ Ramblers
Established in 1941, Joe Marshall and his Rovin’ Ramblers had begun as local radio performers with a Sunday afternoon show broadcast from the Diamond Theater. The band members were still in high school when the show began, learning to play while in the school orchestra or from family members. By the late 1940s, the Ramblers became the house band at the Quonset, playing every Friday and Saturday night. They started by playing square dances but became a swing dance band in the 1950s when audience tastes changed.
WRESTLING
The Quonset had exclusive booking rights for professional wrestling in Kentucky and became a major wrestling venue. “Gorgeous George” and “Farmer Jones” were top wrestlers of the 1940s and 1950s who fought matches at the Quonset. “Hillbilly Jim,” a native of Bowling Green, first watched wrestling as a child at the Quonset. Hillbilly was active in the WWF until the mid-1980s.
THROUGH THE TIMES
Southern Kentucky Venues
Lost River Cave Nite Club
The cave opened as a night club in the early 1930s called the "Cavern Nite Club." It was renowned for Jazz, Big Band, and Swing music and visited by musical giants of the age like Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Shore. It stayed busy until Rock and Roll became popular in the mid-1950s. The club shut down in 1965.
The Quonset Auditorium
Built in 1947, the Quonset was a major landmark of cultural exchange during the Civil Rights movement, allowing white communities to experience live African American music. This venue hosted many big names such as Ray Charles, Etta James, Little Richard, Bill Monroe, Chuck Berry, and James Brown.
Catacombs
Created in 1966 by Rev. William E. Allard and WKU students in the basement of 1403 College Street, Catacombs served as a center for live music and poetry readings. Artists included Jim Buchanan, who wrote and played his songs at the venue for over 15 years. The venue typically hosted 40 to 50 people per night, and was largely run by volunteers.
Orange Bar
A true dive bar, this was a rougher place where folks from across the region came to blow off steam. A visible bullet hole in the door reminded patrons of its rough-and-tumble reputation.
Yellow Hydrant
This was a popular spot on Main Street that hosted more well-known bands touring between big cities. It was apparently easy to get in with an altered ID, which made it a haven for WKU students.
Main Office Lounge
Owned by Jim Parsey and run by Carole Greene, Main Office Lounge smelled of burnt popcorn. During the Age of Disco there was a large poster of Donna Summer up on the wall. The bands would usually wear polyester suits, bell bottom pants, and wide ties.
Iron Skillet/ Trotters
On Scottsville Road, Iron Skillet was a popular spot that featured music six nights a week. It became Trotters in 1986 and hosted bands like Another Mule, The Flexables, and the Dixie Line Band.
The Branding Iron
This restaurant, run by chef Ada Williams and her husband Bill, was known for both food and music. After renowned musician Billy Vaughn retired from the music industry as an artist and record executive, he and his orchestra provided entertainment there during the late 70’s until its closing in 1984.
Manhattan Towers
A more upscale spot by the river where you could get a nice dinner and see a show, it featured a house band six nights a week, a panoramic mural of the New York City skyline, and a model set of Manhattan. The building later became Tattle Tails Gentlemen's Club and has since been demolished.
The Caribou
Owned by Jim and Mary Buchanan, the Caribou was a hot place that featured many local acts. Sgt. Arms and New Grass Revival frequently played there. It was a place for anything from Bluegrass and Country to Rock and Roll.
The Capitol Theatre
Part of the community for over a century, The Capitol Theater opened as a vaudeville house in the 1890s. It was closed in 1967 and remained unoccupied until 1977, when the Bowling Green-Warren County Arts Commission purchased and renovated it. Opened in September 1981, the theater has since become a major arts center - now run by the Warren County Public Library - which hosts the Lost River Sessions, film screenings, and other performances.
The Spot
Owned by Junebug Simpson, The Spot was one of the first real night clubs in town that had music and libations every night of the week. When Jeff Smith was playing in a band with Jeff Jones, Byron House, and others, there was a shooting during their set. Jeff was so immersed in the music he didn't realize his entire band had fled for cover.
Literary Club
An atypical club owned by Kenny Bale, Literary Club featured lush booth seating with windows and bookcases, a stage, dance floor, plenty of parking, and easy access to campus. The band, Los Juages featuring Jeff Smith, Trent Shaftner and Jeff Harr, played there regularly.
Michael's Pub
This was attached to the Briar Patch, one of the more upscale Bowling Green restaurants at the time. Michael's Pub was known for being welcoming to LGBTQ+ patrons, a rarity for clubs at that time. Bands such as Sgt. Arm's and Government Cheese got their start here. It was managed for a while by the legendary Skip Walker, who was responsible for booking acts.
Panama Reds
Featuring an eccentric name with an allusion to counterculture, this club was known for having a slide which one used to enter the music space.
Fontana's
Another spot that featured bands like Sgt. Arms, the Ken Smith Trio, Winden Silver, Clayton Payne, et al.
Patrick's
Occupying the same building that was the Iron Skillet, it featured bands like The Screamers.
Yankee Doodle's
A huge mega bar run by Bones Kaelin that could accommodate as many as 500 people, it was near the airport off of Lover's Lane and hosted many WKU student events.
Picasso's
A staple bar in the 1980s owned by Kenny Lee Smith, it was considered more indie and intimate compared to larger clubs like Yankee Doodle’s. Close to downtown, it was a favorite of WKU students. The bar nurtured a lot of important music acts like New Grass Revival, Government Cheese, Fifteen Strings, and the Kentucky Headhunters. Picasso's closed in 1992. |
Camelot Pickin' Parlor
Owned and run by Bones Kaelin, this was considered a musician's bar. It brought in larger acts like the Dillards, Norman Blake, and Jason and the Scorchers. Locally, many acoustic and Bluegrass-associated acts played here. This is where Kaelin's band, Tennessee Pulleybone, started, one of the first bands to combine Country and Rock and Roll. Its location previously housed Sunset Lounge.
Tidball's
Tidball's features music 6 nights a week. It's famed for being where Cage the Elephant cut their teeth. The bar also hosts Live on the Lot, a bi-annual event that hosts diverse local bands. The bar attracts many Nashville acts looking to test their material in more adventurous settings.
Rocky's
A new generation of dive bar, Rocky's featured pingpong tables, free pool, and video games. The walls were covered with in-house graffiti. When the stage wasn't a lounge, it hosted many local and touring bands. Rocky's hosted favorites such as Pizza Riot, Morning Teleportation, and Cage the Elephant. During its reign, Rocky's was the only bar to consistently have DJs for dancing.
Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center
Opened in July 2000, SKyPAC is a cultural and arts hub for the region that serves as the home for Orchestra Kentucky, the Ramsey Theater Company, and BG OnStage. Their annual rotation of shows includes many County and Rock concerts, as well as local bands, lessons, and music camps.
Donna's
Occupying the former space of Rocky's, Donna's opened during the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic and has been rocking ever since. Featuring mostly DJ sets, it hosts live bands on the weekends and is home to The PrimaDonna’s, Bowling Green’s Longest-Running Drag Experience.
TOURING STARS OF DIXIE HIGHWAY
GRAND OLE OPRY
Grand Ole Opry acts booked the Quonset when it fit their tours along the Dixie Highway between Nashville and Louisville. Inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame often played at the Quonset. Some of these include Pee Wee King (author of “Tennessee Waltz”), Cowboy Copas, Hank Snow, Wally Fowler, and Ernest Tubb.
PEWEE KING
Pee Wee King with his signature accordian. (Courtesy Country Music Hall of Fame)
HANK SNOW
Originally from Canada, Hank Snow moved to Nashville in 1950. He preformed at the Grand Ole Opry for 46 years. Hank took on Elvis Presely as an opening act and introduced him to his future manager. (Courtesy Country Music Hall of Fame)
ERNEST TUBB
Described as “honky tonk music personified,” Ernest Tubb is remembered by Grand Ole Opry audiences and radio listeners for songs such as “Goodnight, Irene,””Walking The Floor Over to You,””Half a Mind,” and others. (Courtesy Country Music Hall fo Fame)
Rhythm &
Blues
The local African American community turned out at the Quonset to experience performances by some of the most popular R & B recording artists of the day. Saxophonists Robert Phillips from Franklin, KY, and William “Guitar” Foster from Bowling Green, KY, got their first break sitting in with artists when they played the Quonset. Foster remembers B.B. King as “a professor” who spent time with local musicians.
The “Godfather of Soul,” James Brown, shook the house down on a number of occasions. Ray Charles was a repeat performer at the Quonset and drew big crowds. High school kids remember listening from outside and peering in windows.
Ike and Tina Turner brought their act to the Quonset, to the delight of an ecstatic audience. Robert Phillips remembers Ike Turner throwing a fan off the stage while not missing a musical beat. Little Richard, a legend even in the 1940s, played his piano and sent the crowd rockin’ and rollin’.
PICTURED: B.B. King in Houston, circa late 1950s. Courtesy of William Ferris Collection, University of Mississippi.
You know the day they tore it [the Quonset Hut] down...2 or 3 of my friends went down there...they went down there and stood in front of it and played music while they were tearing it down. Joe just about cried, he built it, he put it together.
DAVID DYE
EXCERPT FROM KFP INTERVIEW
LOST RIVER CAVE
The cave system in Southcentral Kentucky has been a popular attraction for many decades. In 1933, the owners of Lost River Cave in Bowling Green constructed an "Underground Nite Club" at the entrance to the cave. The Nite Club consisted of two large dance floors, a bridge, a stone bar, and a bandstand. This attraction became a popular spot for collegiate dances and the annual 4th of July picnic. By the 1960s, the popularity of the nightclub had waned, and the nightclub closed. The club was renowned for Jazz, Big Band, and Swing music and visited by musical giants of the age like Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Shore.
Changing of Liquor Laws &
A Night-Life Scene in Bowling Green
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, liquor laws were overhauled in Warren County. This transformed the nightlife and, as a result, the occupation of being a musician.
...basically Bowling Green was where the club owners made enough money off [liquor], they could afford to hire musicians and musicians became an integral part of selling [liquor]. In its essence, a symbiotic relationship developed between the two. So the more booze, the more people danced, the more musicians get paid, and they became more motivated. And I think basically Bowling Green became the first place [musicians] from the surrounding counties could make a living. So, people here in the Bible Belt don't want to hear the quote, liquor industry did something good for people.
Jeff Jones
EXCERPT FROM KFP INTERVIEW
MANHATTAN TOWERS
This unique supper club at 109 Old Louisville Road was designed, owned, and operated by Frank McDaniel. It opened in 1950 and featured a skyline of Manhattan in the dining room. Organ music was played nightly for years, but eventually they switched to a live band. Many of the musicians we’ve interviewed played in this club. The establishment closed its doors in 1970.
The bypass and Bowling Green in the ‘70s became this row of nightclubs. It started with the Golden Branding Iron, which was Jazz. And it went all the way down to almost where the railroad track is. It was every level from people wearing suits in supper clubs, to redneck, all-out, scary places.
TOMMY JOHNSON - EXCERPT FROM KFP INTERVIEW
JONELL MOSSER
THE SPOT
Located on Old Louisville Road across from the stockyard, The Spot is a venue where the strongest description lies only in memory.
...when I was 19 I moved to Bowling Green, and I started playing six nights a week at a place called The Spot... I thought I'd seen everything at that point anyway, but I hadn't man. It was a Bowling Green institution. If you were from this area. [On] outside of the building somebody had painted hula girls on it really badly. One was cross eyed, I'll never forget that. [Inside] the place was covered with carpet, it sounded great, but it was rough. When you were playing, on each side of you was a Go-Go dancer, and people were getting shot out in the parking lot. So that's what I did six nights a week, you know, Monday through Saturday. And I did that for a couple years and I moved on up.
TOMMY JOHNSON - EXCERPT FROM KFP INTERVIEW
MICHAEL'S PUB
Michael’s Pub started as a small tea room adjacent to the Briar Patch Restaurant at 956 Fairview Ave. It eventually became a hot spot for alternative music in Bowling Green after Skip Walker took over its management during the mid-1980s. He painted the walls black and allowed local bands to play as loud as they wanted, packing the small venue out on a regular basis. Michael’s Pub had always been known as a place to listen to good music, but Walker turned it into a legendary spot for rock music in the area during the ‘80s.
A lot of people wouldn’t come into the pub, Michael’s Pub, because this was [known as] a gay place. Lot of people wouldn't show up. Bowling Green, Kentucky wasn’t there yet. All of a sudden in my bar, not only did I have the Cheese [Government Cheese] and this alternative music, these strange people jumping up and down, I also had [gay patrons]. I had the alternatives, I had the Cheese, I had all these strange things going on. I painted the place black, I had glitter, I’d throw glitter at people, people would walk out of there at night just glittered.
SKIP WALKER - EXCERPT FROM KFP INTERVIEW
TOMMY WOMACK
picasso's
Picasso’s Nightclub opened on April 29, 1983, and closed in November 1992. It is one of the most legendary venues in the collective memory of Bowling Green musicians and fans. During its time, the club hosted many local bands and touring acts. The sheer amount of stories connected to it command its own subgenre of lore. It was located at the corner of State and 8th Streets.
PLAYING IN THE CLUBS
Compared to today, playing in clubs during the mid-20th century was more of a formal job and less of a side hustle. You had to dress the part, play the hits, and above all else, be consistent.
At that time, to make a living in Bowling Green playing music you had to play everything. You had to play the latest Country song, you had to play the latest easy listening song, the latest funk, you know everything. So it was great for me as a musician. As a professional musician, even though I may hate [some] songs, making that thing sound like the record is what you had to do then.
TOMMY JOHNSON - EXCERPT FROM KFP INTERVIEW
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