Re-Union: landmark watering hole gets a retro upgrade
“I can’t tell you anything historical about The Union,” Tom Sweet said, examining the stripped floor. “I’ve been blind drunk the majority of the time I was here.”
Sweet’s fellow renovators chuckled as they straddled the floor beams behind the second floor bar of The Union. Just below them, a Skipper’s kitchen worker hollered a few words of agreement through the crumbling cracks in the ceiling. As the predominantly Ohio University alumni crew measured, sawed, and fired nail guns, they recounted stories of their favorite bands that had graced The Union’s stage.
“[A band formerly known as] Cash Money…cooked bacon on stage,” Sweet said, “which is really dangerous having hot grease on stage with a bunch of drunks. I think they served [the bacon] afterwards,” Sweet added.
The guys compiled a line-up almost worthy of Lollapalooza, with artists such as The White Stripes, Marky from The Ramones, The Black Keys, The Goo Goo Dolls, Peter Tork of The Monkees and Dave Davies of The Kinks (carpenter Brandon Robinson’s favorite Union performer).
These names, amongst other famous Union guest artists, can be found scrawled upon strips of masking tape on the wall behind the sound booth. Contractor Cullen Beach also happens to be the sound technician, and the creator of the Union’s infamous wall of fame.
While renovating, crewmember Jeff Strittholt found a 1980s photo of the bar and owners. The photos are matted with charcoal reliefs of the bar’s exterior tiles and the former owners’ handprints. The photo of the old Union holds some of the inspiration and blueprints for the retro-renovation that took place a few weeks ago.
According to Beach, the new walk-in area is modeled after the 1970s exterior, and sports some of the actual signs which used to frame the doorway that our groovy, ‘fro-flaunting forefathers used to stumble through.
The Union is equipped with a “new” cooler, constructed from old barn boards, that accommodates eight taps (that’s double what they previously had).
“Can’t have enough beer, right?” Beach said jokingly.
Beer and efficiency are the key factors in the renovation. The first floor bar now has two server stations, so that Unioners can drink harder, better, and faster.
The classic façade and beverages aren’t the only aspect Beach will maintain. The bar has aimed to keep its “dive-like” quality and same ol’ atmosphere. Which, according to the renovating crew, hasn’t changed much since their college days, about 20 years ago.
“It’s still the non-conformist bar of Athens,” Strittholt said.
Day manager Kari Smith, another OU grad, said the essence of the bar has pretty much remained the same.
“You get different workers, different people, different bands… but [you have] to allow for that kind of influx,” Smith said.
But despite newer classes of Union-goers flooding its sticky floorboards year after year, Union traditions never die.
According to 42-year Union loyalist Ralph Kelsey, one classic staple of The Union is the hotdog sauce. In fact, before The Union was the Dance-or-Die dive, it was known as The Hotdog — a name that stated their business. The secret sauce recipe, until recently, was kept by Mary Weaver,who is regarded as one of the most beautiful women to ever live in Athens, Kelsey said. The secret is now stored away in the gray matter of Chad Eddy, who can be found staining skin just a few doors down.
However, The Union was made famous for more than one kind of “sauce.” During the time of prohibition, The Union was a speakeasy — no, not the online magazine. Yes, even notorious OU was a dry campus — a fate irremediable, even with a good fake. As soon as those dark days were over, The Union was the first bar in Athens to get their liquor license, Beach said.
Since then, The Union has upheld their local alcohol superiority by being Schlitz Beer’s number one selling bar in the early 1990s. Unfortunately, Schlitz can no longer ship to Athens and has since been replaced by the ever-popular Pabst Blue Ribbon.
The Union has been the fountainhead of live music, lively people and stories that will out live all of them. After The Union’s apocalypse scare late winter quarter, loyal customers of Athens united in an attempt to salvage the historic bar. Being the technological generation that we are, Facebook exploded with messages, discussion boards and groups to save The Union. Luckily, owners reassured patrons that the bar would indeed reopen.
Direct link: http://backdropmag.com/a-town/re-union/