Can someone tell me what’s going on with the Elbow Room? I’m hearing lots of rumors, but I haven’t been able to track down Andy Garris yet. He did mention to me on Thursday, though, that he wanted to talk with me this weekend, which makes me think that maybe the rumors are true.
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What I’ve heard involves some sort of Elbow migration to Savoy, with Andy still managing. Of course, this is third hand, but hopefully they make some official announcement soon. Personally, I’d really miss the dive-yness of the Elbow!!
The building’s owner, as I understand it, was becoming increasingly difficult to work with. I’m not surprised that he’s moving. The former Club Divine (Savoy) space, however, would need a lot of work to become even remotely cool. The place is soulless.
yeah, it’s movin ops to divine/savoy. bands still playing on schedule and stuff as far as I know. personally I think it’s about time andy got 24/7 access to a few stripper poles :)
I have to say that despite all of the work they did to it, the Elbow Room had become pretty soulless too.
Unfortunately, I have to agree with Bob.
We loved playing the Elbow Room. We had some of our best shows there. Best fun-wise, usually worst performance-wise because Andy was very hospitable. But it was always a blast. I even missed Damon. It wouldn’t have been the same with the smoking ban in place, but that’s kinda like the drug war, in that you can just ignore it, and usually nobody says anything.
Wow, and I came here thinkin you’d know for sure what’s going on.
What a way to end/start a week. :-(
I was just down there, talking to Andy, and I kind of know the scoop. I won’t be publishing anything, however, until tomorrow, at the request of Mr. Garris.
Mr Garris? From South Park?
Bob and eD, please name the nearest “soulful” bar.
There are none in Washtenaw county at this point. The Blind Pig lost it’s soul many years ago. The Heidelberg tried to regain it’s soul but was squashed. At this point I have to go to Detroit or Hamtramck to see a decent rock show.
The Heidelberg was good for a while, in Ann Arbor. The Green Room was good in Ypsi for about as long. The Elbow changes over time, but it always manages to stay interesting. Hopefully the new owners do something good with it, and don’t completely erase all the indie rock goodwill that was built up by Leighton and others.
Everything has it’s day. Cross Street Station, the Gold Dollar in Detroit. The Elbow Rom had it’s ups and down but it was always a good place. Anyone else remember when it was a country bar? I remember watching a dude play Wipe Out on a lap steel guitar.
As for soulless, people make a bar not the actual room.
I wonder if one day we’ll be saying, “Remember when Smarty Catz was a sports bar?”
The Ann Arbor News has something on the closing of the Elbow Room.
http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/the-deuce/the-last-night-of-the-elbow-room/
Yes, it’s time for Smarti Katz to step up and take the baton as Ypsi’s next great bar. It is their era.
Where is Smarti Katz?
N. Huron, just north of Michigan Ave.
For what it’s worth, I think that Edward was joking. The buzz about SK is pretty bad.
Perhaps I was being unkind when I called it soulless. I was just rephrasing the use of the term with regard to the Savoy in the earlier post. I certainly am not glad to see the Elbow close. I saw many good shows, even helped produce a few, in that room. Some of them I had no interest in booking, I just happened to end up stage managing or running the sound board when the sound guy was late or MIA. That was one of the things I liked about the Elbow. It was loose and unexpected things happened. I just didn’t see or feel that in recent years at the Elbow. Maybe it’s just me. I give them credit for keeping it going and doing some work to make it look nicer. I just don’t think you “buy” a place like the Elbow room. Those kinds of places happen almost by accident and because someone (Leighton) has enough vision to make it happen. The minute someone buys it and starts picking & choosing what to keep and what to change…I don’t know. It rarely works. Neon Camel signs, professional doormen and such…just not the Elbow I loved. Perhaps it was for you. I just think the feel of the place and the shows had gotten pretty boring. Stuff like Mittenfest may have attracted packed rooms, but duller shows I have not seen. As for naming a more soulful bar…I’ll admit you stumped me. Probably why I stay home more these days.
We’ve went to Smarty Catz last friday evening. I dont really know any of the back story or the owner or whatever some of the earlier comments a few weeks ago were alluding to w.r.t. that stuff.
But it just seemed liked a normal bar. I wouldnt call it a sports bar, but it had sports on TVs. There was only a few people in it, all kind of keeping to themselves. The staff seemed nice enough, asking how we liked the place, etc. The food was bar food: burgers, fried things, wraps and cheesesteak. Beers were pretty cheap: $2.50, I believe, for a pint of Magic Hat.
Anyway, I’d like to know what the comment above about the buzz being “pretty bad” was referring to? I wouldnt say the place is awesome, but I wouldnt say it was bad at all. We’d definitely go back.
I heard the drinks were stiff, unlike some places in town. stiffer than the tap room’s. my friend fell flat on his face there. an endorsement of sorts.
I hope to post an update to this story tonight. No promises, though.
what’s up with the update, Scoop Brady? Inquiring minds wanna know…
I too wasn’t big on the booking of the Elbow room after Leighton, but just because I don’t like wussy “indie” music doesn’t mean that everyone else doesn’t. Leighton did a killer job of building the place up but seemed less invested as time went on. Four band shows every night with each band having nothing in common became quite common. It’s real hard to do booking, especially when thing are getting booked four months in advance.
I thought Damon did a good job at it but I just didn’t dig what he was booking most night. Still it was fun to go down to watch a Tigers game, and the MoFo Karaoke was the best in the state.
I’m sure someone out there is saying the soul left when the rock bands showed up. It sucks, because I was holding out for the no smoking thing since the smoke was the part I hated the most about the Elbow Room.
On that note, Ypsi has no place for live music anymore except a 700 seat dance club. That’s the real sad part.
Does Taproom Annex not have live music anymore?
Or the Keystone?
Andy, we can agree about the loss of a small venue. I am sorry to see the Elbow go, regardless of it’s level of soul. The Savoy will just be a different place entirely, even IF it’s successful. Big if. To me the booking post-leighton was really dull and samey night after night. Booking great stuff every night is a bitch, but they really let go of the national act momentum they seemed to have going when leighton was doing it. He wasn’t giving people big (if any) guarantees either. And some big names were calling for gigs too. A whole lot of artists could not find a room to play in SE Mich and were willing to do it for nothing in between Chicago, Cleveland & NY gigs. Plus lots of them stop here to do Borders corp business (used to anyway) or to do Mitch Albom or Accoustic Cafe spots. They would frequently be willing to play just to make a few bucks. I just thought the Elbow really missed these opportunities in the last few years. More importantly, leighton would book such a wide variety. I wasn’t a fan of his metal fetish by any means, but he recognized and appreciated good artists from every genre. I guess I’m saying we could stand to have leighton back, booking bands somewhere.
I don’t think the Keystone does rock/punk/noise/metal. They do jazz and blues. They also may do some low-key country type stuff. They want to be more of a martini bar. As for the Tap Room, I think they got rid of the stage when then did their most recent construction. So, no, I don’t think they do much, if any, live stuff. I don’t know about TC’s though. I heard that it sold. And I agree with Andy C that we need more small clubs booking bands. Unfortunately none of the small places invest enough in booking.
Do I smell a movement here to draft Leighton back to the old Elbow Room? Would he want to give up trucking to run a bar?
Bob, I agree with everything you say 100%. Getting any out of town band into the Elbow Room was pretty much impossible.
As for the Tap Room, it does have a stage in the annex but it’s not used too often. Just acoustic acts.
No one wants LOUD anymore!
The Tap Room stage is what it is, as the kids say. A place for pretty stale blues open mic nights. I was truly sorry to see Brian fail to do something special booking-wise with his place after all that work. I had high hopes. The Tap was really underrated for live music in it’s heyday if you ask me. It was limited to roots music but you could walk in (cover free) 4-5 nights a week and see something decent most of the time. But the guy has been there longer than anybody else really, and expanded. Who else is doing that? Perhaps he’s right that you can’t guarantee bands more than a hundred bucks anymore. I think he would rather be focusing on bands but knows that he can make more money with pool tables and video games. I would love to see him step it up a notch though. It would be nice to walk in every weekend and see George Bedard, Steve Nardella or Dan Mulhollands band on a regular basis like the old days.
You guys should open your own venues.
Another sad thing going on is the “temporary’ closing of Bombadills.
So, what I’m getting here is that everything was better and cooler when you were younger and your friends were running it and your favorite bands were playing and nothing in Ypsi is ever quite good enough. That sound about right?
Yes. Brilliant. You summed up the long list of fair and accurate points I made with one and a half sentences. That’s exactly my viewpoint.
Bombadills is closing? That’s really too bad?
And what’s up with this?
http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/elbow-rooms-owner-seeking-new-manager-for-downtown-ypsilanti-bar/
Not just you Bob. I don’t want to single anybody out.
What if we all chip in and buy the Elbow? Between all of us, I’d say we have a pretty good vision for what it could be.
We just need to be sure to include a portal back to the past.
If Andy can’t get something to work at the Savoy, he can always jump back to Ann Arbor and start something up where Studio 4 was.
http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/studio-4-closes-after-lawsuits-citing-unpaid-debt-public-nuisance-at-downtown-ann-arbor-bar/
The sad thing is, I really do think things were better (insert any number of years here). Aside from the speed of you computer and cel phone technology, what the hell is better these days?
“Bombadills is closing? That’s really too bad?”
I heard it’s reopening under new management (current and former employees) and with a new name.
Mark…you’re really dropping the ball. What’s the real story? We count on you and this site…
Quit jerking off into a puppet’s face, and start typing!
Yes, where Bombadills is right now will reopen with another coffee place, Bombadills, who’s owner, Peter, put a lot of effort into, is gone. Rumor was they raised the rent on him so much they forced him out.
I just hope that Bombadills doesn’t come back as, god forbid, a Starbucks.
Bob, I’ve been thinking about your comment all day, and I must admit you’ve got me vexed.
On the upside, shit is fertile soil.
I think my ability to irritate has improved actually. The news of Bombadills closing is worse than the Elbow to me. I went there a lot more often. Back to the Wolverine.
I’m not irritated, I’m vexed. Maybe they’re synonyms, and I should get a dictionary. But what I meant was that I’m trying to think of things that are better now than they used to be, and I think you’re right. Except for technology, pretty much everything used to be better. That sucks.
Shit, they are synonyms.
Not all that upset about the Elbow Room, I never thought the acoustics were any good at all. I think the lack of a local music venues or the lack of bands playin in Ypsi is really about the economy. Takes money to pack up your van and play a gig that pays crap – and it takes money to front a band if you are a local bar owner. It’s all about the economy.
As for Bombadilla’s – if it re-opens they need to find better coffee. They also need to have more staff on duty. Twice I have witnessed people stealing cookies off the counter when the one worker is busy doing other things. Didn’t seem to safe to me for the women to be working all alone there in the evenings.
And what is it with everyone hating Starbucks in Ypsi? It’s kinds immature that so many people in Ypsi hate “corporations”. I love Starbucks and I go there for the consistently great coffee. If I am going to pay over $3.25 for a latte, I want to know I will like it. I find in so many local coffee shops just buy any ol’ beans and think that the machine makes the coffee taste good. I tried Bombadilla’s, their coffee and lattes were flat, not full flavored and just average.
Bob — You’re forgetting that Andy Ypsilanti will not tolerate anything other that blind allegiance to anything and everything that’s happening in Ypsilanti. To think otherwise is anti-Ypsi and potentially communistic.
NotOneOfTheCoolKids, try Beezy’s or the Ugly Mug. Both have great, strong coffee – not the stuff you can see your hand through, like at Bombadil’s.
Starbucks, aside from just being evil and tough to avoid, has ruined coffee brewing standards. Too damn strong. Even Dunkin’ Donuts has intensified their brew in reaction to Starbucks. I thought Bombadills was just right.
Really, Wilby? Because I think I was just poking fun at all the folks who were saying “it’s not as cool as when I went there.” But I’ll take it. I don’t mind being mocked as an Ypsi cheerleader, because there are plenty of other folks, even ones who live here, that only talk about how much they think Ypsi sucks. Are you one of them? I choose to be proud of Ypsilanti. Maybe if more people joined me, there wouldn’t be so much to complain about.
Thanks for the coffee tips, that is the second time this week someone told me that Beezy’s has great coffee.
They don’t roast their own coffee. It’s Iintelligentsia from Chicago. Still, it’s great stuff.
http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/
With regards to the Elbow Room, I find it fascinating; that Andy Garris didn’t own anything there. He was also mentioned as setting up a business in Stewart Beals Thompson Block. I’m sure the bank would love to loan money to a guy, who never owned anything. Classic.
Watching Laughing.
The reason I hate Starbucks isn’t because the coffee sucks. I kind of like it, in fact. And I appreciate the uniform delivery of the product. When you go into a Starbucks, you know what the experience will be like, what the coffee will taste like, etc. There’s comfort in consistency. What I don’t like is that every town in America is beginning to look the same. And Starbucks is quite often the first sign of that in a downtown. For that reason, I’d rather deal with the sometimes rude people behind the counter of the Ugly Mug. It doesn’t hurt that they have great coffee either.
I used to live on Michigan Avenue across from Bombadill’s and got many a morning cup of coffee from Peter. He was a really nice guy, and his staff was pretty good too. I liked the space and because they were much closer than the Ugly Mug and Bombadill’s had wraps and such, I tended to walk across the street a lot. Then Beezy’s showed up, the coffee was stronger and the food was awesome and I stopped going to Bombadill’s. I always felt guily when I bumped into Peter on the street, though I’m pretty sure he had no idea who I was.
For straight coffee, I think Beezy’s has that area decently cornered, but a re-opened Bombadill’s offering coffee options could work. It’s a great location.
Perhaps I haven’t hit Beezy’s at the right times, but my experience with the regular coffee has been disappointing. I found it bitter and not particularly strong.
Beezy’s has great bacon.
Starbucks insists on brewing there weak ass Pike Place crap, before that their coffee was palatable. Now only Ugly Mug meets standards, a world standard really. Just wish they could be more consistent and sell their beans consistently too.
“Maybe if more people joined me, there wouldn’t be so much to complain about.”
Or maybe we would all just be kidding ourselves.
“Except for technology, pretty much everything used to be better. That sucks.”
Yeah, technology, like those awesome internal combustion engines that burn that cool fossil fuel and lubricate our lovely, slick coastlilnes.
Oh, wait….
Except for peoples ability to recognize a sardonic statement, everything used to be better. And potato chips. Potato chip selection today is definitely better.
Potato chips count as technology.
So, if anybody cares, I went to the new, Andy Garris version of Savoy last night, and it was a lot of fun. The service is way, way better than before, and the room is fantastic. It feels much more relaxed in there too. By far the best place in Washtenaw to see a show. I think this combination of room and manager could be really, really great.
I don’t know. I think we’ve got sardonic down cold.
The rest is sort of up in the air. I think it is funny that Pre Columbian Meso America invented the wheel, but didn’t use it for anything but childrens’ toys. Kind of like what we have done with the internet.
@Black Jake: Is there bacon that isn’t great?
I’ve eaten old gray bacon. Not great. Beezy’s bacon is greater than normal bacon.
Does bacon by definition have to come from a pig? Couldn’t you have woodchuck bacon?
This just in…. 63% prefer bacon to fries.
http://i.imgur.com/AAUzu.jpg
63% of Denver Democrats, that is. The percentage is no doubt higher here.
Woodchuck bacon?
If it tastes like sizzlean, it would not be very popular.
Even in Denver.
Word is that they’re hoping to get the Elbow back open in a few weeks under new management.
And we’re booked for this Shadow Art Fair already, but I’d love to have a woodchuck bacon vendor next time.
Woodchuck bacon cooked in a microwave with that little contraption the girl invented that you see on TV infomercials. It keeps the bacon flat and not stuck together and non-greasy. And she had to sue Wal Mart for stealing her patent and making a contraption just like it.
Count me in for an order of woodchuck at the Shadow Art Fair. Will it be sold in butcher paper rolled into a cone like they sell churros in Barcelona?
Regular woodchuck is pretty bland. Maybe you’re supposed to hang it from something for a little while to develop its flavor.
I’m not into the whole woodchuck processing thing anymore this year; it’s a huge pain in the ass. Good to know you can kill and eat a woodchuck if the shit hits the fan, but in the meantime, it’s better to just buy stuff that actually tastes good.
I recomend a visit to the Milan Market, where they sell apple cider cured bacon. It is for sure the best bacon I’ve ever had. It’s actually a very cool store, with a great meat and deli counter and an impressive beer and liquor selection. Their grocery selection is mostly specialty items, but they are reasonably priced, in some cases cheaper than Whole Foods or even Kroger. But the meat counter in amazing….
The Keystone Underground is starting to book different kinds of acts. My band Icarus Flight School played there the other night and it we are kinda weird and noisy. Keep your ears open. We’ll be playing there as The Antiquity with Man At Arms and Royale on July 17th.
Also, I hope Bombadill’s opens back up, or the Ugly Mug needs to take their place and move to Mich Ave, better yet, that little vacant decrepit party store on Congress. I was never too impressed with Bombadill’s, but it seemed like other people liked ‘em, and I just like to see things stay open downtown.
woops
That show on the 17th is at Goodnight Gracie’s.
Sorry.
The Elbow reopens tonight.
http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/ypsilantis-elbow-room-to-reopen-tonight-after-extensive-damage-repaired-attorney-says/index.php
messy
I came across this board by accident, trying to look up a restaurant for a job. All these brilliant posts confirm that I want to move to A2 or Ypsi. Thank God there are intelligent, funny people who care about indie music, venues, and coffee!! yay :D
The owner of the Elbow filed suit against Garris today.
http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/elbow-room-ownership-files-lawsuit-against-ypsilanti-nightclubs-former-manager/
i know. this on top of the closing of Savoy and Pub 13. The downtown bar scene is taking a serious hit.
It’s time for some new blood. Hopefully some of these buildings will be inexpensive enough that we can get some young entrepreneurs in them.
http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/elbow-room-ownership-files-lawsuit-against-ypsilanti-nightclubs-former-manager/
My takeaway from this story is that time and time again, Andy Ypsilanti proves what a complete tool he is. He never disappoints.
um…do you mean Andy Garris? Cuz he and Andy Ypsilanti are not the same person.
But yeah, I guess this means no new bar by AG in the Thompson Block. If anyone remembers that rumor.
No, I’m not Andy Garris, Andy French, Andy Richter, or any other Andy you might mistake me for. Bob, maybe you are just talking about the comment I made there. In that case, call me a tool if you want, but the reporting of this story, since well before this article, seemed to fall far into the category of gossip or yellow journalism. I’m sure as hell not the first one to say it either. They manufactured this story from the get go. There are plenty of other business dramas playing out all over the area. Hell, I lost my job to an opera that would put this one to shame. But this one rates mention in no less than five articles now? And this is the first article to lay out any facts on the subject, and it is still a pretty one sided story. The rest were decidedly one sided, even the original “human interest community ace-duce” what ever they want to call it story about the closing. Reporting on the entire subject has been FUBAR. AA.com has just unleashed on Ypsi again in the past few weeks. Rarely do they make any attempt to balance the coverage. They concentrate their reporters on bad news and ask “community contributers” (read: unpaid bloggers) to do the rest.
The truth of what happened will come out in the wash, both with the Elbow/Andy story and the pub/savoy/Dave story. And, um, you should take a trip to Depot Town this weekend. You might be surprised at what you see.
never a met an andy I didn’t like. true fact.
I’m referring to Andy Ypsilanti, not Garris or any other Andy. Time and time again, regardless the Ypsi topic, you just attack every reporter and story. Brainless, reactionary comments and a constant stream of dumb conspiracy theories. Ann Arbor reporters are not conspiring to keep small business people in Ypsilanti down. I co-owned a small entertainment related business in Ypsi. Ann Arbor News reporters went out of their way to do us favors and help us out. Any bias they have at this point is probably aimed at you for being such a damn tool, time and time again. The best thing you can do for the city you are so rabid about is to contribute something besides hot air. Open a successful business and shut up about the rest of it.
Really Bob?
http://markmaynard.com/?p=5625
http://markmaynard.com/?p=5725
http://markmaynard.com/?p=9648
http://markmaynard.com/?p=7670
http://markmaynard.com/?p=7573
http://markmaynard.com/?p=6145
Yup, I’m the only person who thinks aa.com’s coverage of Ypsi is garbage. I’m probably even the only one who thinks this string of articles reads like a series of bad gossip columns. And I’m the only one who ever says so on aa.com. And no, I don’t own a business, so it must also be true I’ve never done, said or accomplished anything that helped the city, ever.
So sorry to offend you by having an opinion.
In regards to Bob’s comment regarding Andy Ypsilanti I say AMEN.
I had an extensive conversation about that aa.com article with Andy Ypsilanti today on Facebook and I just want to say I am a different Bob than the one beating up on Andy Ypsilanti on this thread. I am in agreement that aa.com does not report on anything positive in Ypsilanti – at least as much as I have read.
Regardless, I am cool with Andy Ypsilanti. Go get ’em, Andy!
http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/the-deuce/the-last-night-of-the-elbow-room/
http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/elbow-rooms-owner-seeking-new-manager-for-downtown-ypsilanti-bar/
http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/elbow-rooms-owner-seeking-new-manager-for-downtown-ypsilanti-bar/
http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/elbow-room-update/
http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/elbow-room-ownership-files-lawsuit-against-ypsilanti-nightclubs-former-manager/
Look at all of these stories together, and tell me honestly that there doesn’t at least appear to be a bias here, and while you’re at it point out another business, other than Border’s or Zingerman’s, that’s received this much coverage in aa.com.
And just for bob and sylvia, here’s aa.com page on their moderation policy
http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/elbow-room-ownership-files-lawsuit-against-ypsilanti-nightclubs-former-manager/
the only problem with Bob’s rant is ….Andy’s been correct.
sorry, bob and sylvia, that last link was wrong. here’s the right one:
http://www.annarbor.com/about/comment-moderation-guidelines-meant-to-cultivate-community-forum/
377 comments and growing. yup, i’m clearly the only one who thinks there’s any problems.
then again, here’s one of those community bloggers. nice writeup for AG.
http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/the-deuce/another-800-words-about-andy-garris-and-a-bar-please-welcome-woodruffs-to-depot-town/
Andy, you’re really just hopeless. Anybody that shoots their mouth off as often as you do, and at such insufferable length, is bound to be right some of the time. Its like the monkeys with the typewriters theorem. I just don’t understand your insane Ypsi-fever. You are like an attack dog for anything that isn’t blind allegiance to the city. Did your grandpa invent Ypsilanti?
I’m not sure how a post about the Elbow Room closing morphed into a debate about Andy Ypsilanti, but I will say this: While I don’t necessarily agree with all of Andy’s opinions, I think there are few people in this town (or even on this blog) who pay as careful attention to “behind the scenes” Ypsilanti politics — and who work as hard as he has to make people aware of what’s really going on.
In this way, I think he has provided an important community service by helping fill a portion of the local journalism/reporting/ analysis black hole that has resulted from Ypsilanti no longer having a “local newspaper.”
I, for one, greatly appreciate all Andy’s efforts in this regard, and I hope he continues and expands this role in the future.
I’ve been called worse by better, Bob.
actually, you should hook up with Pete and Brian. They seem to like to take random shots at me in public forums, too.
Andy Y can take shots at people in public, but he doesn’t like it when other people take shots at him?
What a fucking pussy.
Take all the shots you want at me. I don’t believe I’ve told anybody to stop, just to kiss my ass.
If anyone would like to give me a piece of their mind in face to face, I’ll be at Woodruff’s tonight, Krampus Ball and DIYpsi on the 11th, and various other spots around town. I’m not hard to find and I’m not hiding behind a screen name. Well, I guess I am, but it’s not like I haven’t given out my real name here before. Watch, I’ll do it again:
Andrew Jason Clock
I’ve taken plenty of abuse from some of the more prominent people of Ypsi at one time or another. What’s a few anonymous assholes to me?
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