Skully’s is such a unique place because, for starters, it has occupied three wildly different locations, all of them along North High Street, each of them so dissimilar from one another that even I tend to forget about those earlier homes. Its current incarnation in the Short North has outlasted both of the other ones combined, however, and is legions more iconic, so this will naturally occupy the bulk of what we’re discussing here.
But first, a brief overview of its history, prior to arrival at this particular address. Skully’s started out as an underground (as in literally, below ground) dive bar on the OSU campus, which you accessed via some stairs along the sidewalk on High Street. In those days it was pretty much just a dank pool hall with four or five couches and an all-German Metallica tribute album on the jukebox. Then, in the late 1990s, when Campus Partners started buying up all the properties and knocking them down, owners Skully and Michele Webb were given a handsome payout of $172,605 to relocate – it was either that or hold out for the inevitable eminent domain proceedings. So for a short spell, they were then up in the Clintonville area, at the Graceland Shopping Center, although in this instance it was more of a restaurant than anything else. Finally, in November 2001, they opened up shop the current digs at 1151 North High, this expansion and refinement into the business’s greatest ever incarnation. Kind of like with Used Kids Records, who are also on their third home, you might say this is a “greatest hits” package of everything that worked in previous incarnations…except in this case, with the addition of a few brand new “tracks” which became more popular than anything else they tried before.
The first calendar listing I can find for them is Miss Kitty’s Hot Box, a burlesque show running from February 14 to 16, 2002. From day one, they’ve always featured that sizable stage, plenty of elbow room in front of it on the floor, and offerings centered around either live music or dance parties. Technically speaking, there’s a dash in the name: Skully’s Music-Diner. Most people do not trifle with the dash, but it dates clear back to their “coming soon” sign, before opening, and persists on their website logo, not to mention in plain sight on the official, somewhat famous and definitely glorious marquee to this day – in yellow, all caps font, below the cursive Skully’s and the stars which light up at night.
Foodwise, their menu is much better than you would expect at a venue like this, in fact would justify coming here just for that reason alone. Breakfast is available all day, there’s a decent selection of sandwiches, pizza, other pub grub, vegetarian/vegan options, even a children’s menu. Currently I’m on this run unearthing every detail I can find about 2006, though, so I’m going to start there, and expand outward to other years from this point. Expect much more detail as I work on the page. Presumably you know the drill by now – a little on the thin side at the moment, but bound to become as beefy and juicy as a Skully Burger by the time I’m finished.
Circa ’06, SoulGlo Sundays is a hiphop/funk/soul party with half off drinks for students; Monday nights from 7-10pm brought free pizza for everyone; Tuesdays were Service Industry Night, meaning half price drinks and no cover charge for everyone this applied to. Which seems like it must have been…half the constituent base, during that era; Thursdays were 80s Ladies night, playing the hit songs of that decade, whereby women got in free, also were given a free flower. There was free parking in a lot on the north side of the building, though I’m unsure if this is still true. As far as food went, they were quite proud of some deep fried Cajun calamari, which doesn’t seem to have survived to the current menu, but also their quesadillas, which do live on. Outdoor seating, and serving to 11 Mon-Wed, midnight Thu-Sat.
2006 events calendar:
March 8 – The Walkmen. Their set list is known and runs as follows:
Don’t Get Me Down (Come on Over Here)
This Job Is Killing Me
Little House of Savages
Emma, Get Me a Lemon
Louisiana
Danny’s at the Wedding
Thinking of a Dream I Had
Good for You’s Good for Me
Rue the Day
All Hands and the Cook
Always After You (‘Til You Started After Me)
Another One Goes By
April 5 – The Black Coin
April 7 – Jamnesia, The G.R.I.T.S, DJ Numeric
April 8 – it’s listed as a Dresden Dolls afterparty, but I don’t believe the Dresden Dolls themselves are taking the stage – instead, Zachery Allen Starkey, DJ True Skills, and Ocean Ghosts are, and I also see The Loyal Divide mentioned in one listing.
April 10 – Only Flesh play a CD release party
April 12 – Something for Rockets play. I also see mention of South and yet another one of Alpha Zentradi playing on this night. So I’m not sure if any of these are typos or if all in fact graced the stage here.
April 15 – Kill Hannah. They played Nerve Gas at the very least that night, and it sounds great, you can tell as much even through a so-so recording:
Shiny Toy Guns are also on the bill this night.
April 24 – Gil Mantera’s Party Dream, Shuttlecock, Black Cloud, Stylex. There’s at least one small clip of the very last bit from Shuttlecock’s set. They went on right before Gil Mantera:
April 28 – a CD release party from The Receiver.
April 29 – Sheldon Marsh
June 23 – Tough & Lovely play at 11pm. This is billed as their “Comfest” show but I’m not sure what that means, really. Other than occurring the same night as the beginning of Comfest.
June 24 – Weightless Recordings Comfest Afterparty
July 6 – DJ Chuckstar oversees Ladies Eighties night, as is the case every Thursday during this stretch
July 9 – DJs Kenny Kim & Carma running Soul Glo Sundays – again, this is their standard weekly gig
July 10 – Mixed Tape Monday starring DJs Pegasi and Gypsy Rider.
July 22 – The Slide Machine, Melty Melty, Kristi Strauss & The Blue Medusa, Moonlight Chemist
July 26 – Obus, Lunarium
August 25 – Weightless Records Presents an “official beatdown” hosted by Blueprint. Whatever that means, although it is an all-ages show so maybe I shouldn’t ask too many questions. DJ Abilities (gotta admit I like that name – almost like he’s saying, “eh, you know, I’m pretty good at some things, maybe not so great at others, but who cares”), Maker (of Clue) and Pompeii This Morning are listed as performers.
August 26 – Ocean Ghosts, Vietnam II, Blood Violets
August 30 – Poor White Trash
Sep 1 – The Slide Machine
Sep 2 – Dynamik, Thought Set
Sep 8 – Watershed
Sept 15 – Bang! Dance Rock Party
Sep 16 – The Receiver CD release party
Sept 19 – OSU vs Texas game on the big screen
Sept 22 – Evil Queens, Fine Dining, Church of the Red Museum. $1 PBRs
Sept 23 – Craftin Outlaws ( an “alt craft show”) until 8pm, featuring Cinema Eye. As well as over 50 handcrafted works from local artists.
Then there’s something called Jetgirl Dance Party – according to one listing. According to another, it’s Bustown Beatdown with Bottom Brick, Envy Records, Kadiz and 3, Kim Wilburn, Interchemistry, Alphabetics, Hold Em High, Ayce the Prophit and DJ Carma. Which, although it shows a Buckeye football helmet in the ad for some reason, is apparently some kind of Urban Music Showcase. I don’t get the connection. So please allow this reporter additional time to investigate such a gripping piece of intrigue. Whatever the case, ladies get in free, and there’s a VIP balcony.
September 24 – Soul Glo Sunday features not only DJ Kenny Kim and Carma but this time also Wild Kyle
September 26 – S.I.N. Service Industry Night with a live DJ playing Britpop, soul, shoegaze, and postpunk classics.
September 27 – The Marble Faun, Mainstreet Gospel, and Demander play
September 29 – Postcard, Proximity Grey
September 30 – The Slide Machine
October 2 – Brother Ali, BK One, DJ Bombay n’ Manwell, Dub Watson, Red Sun
October 4 – Templeton, The Prids
October 6 – The Lab Rats CD release party
October 11 – Hansel und Gretyl, Crud w/ Bella Morte
October 23 – Kid Congo Powers
November 9 – a 1980s themed Five Year Anniversary Party, with a best-dressed contest paying a cool $500 for first prize. And $25 runner up giveaways all night. There are also free massages thanks to Open Sky Bodyworks, and this being an 80s themed bash and all, I can only wonder at the nature of said massages.
November 10 – a potent bill consisting of Embassy, Novada, Marking Twain, and Sean Benjamin. $1 PBRs may get you in the door as well, in case you weren’t already enticed.
November 11 – a Hip Hop Beat Battle. Never let it be said they aren’t mighty diverse with their offerings. The Green Brothers, Lord 360, and more of that ballyhooed dollar Pabst Blue Ribbon are among the listed attractions.
November 14 – features $3 Skully Burgers, a live DJ, and half off drinks for service industry personnel
November 15 – Leah-Carla Gordone is playing at Skully’s. Not on this specific night, but on some other occasion, Brandon and I were at some other bar and saw a poster advertising an upcoming Gordone performance. He joked that this sounded like some mobster’s daughter, and that if you ever happened to bump into that crew at some bar, her mafia don dad would hint around about wacking you if you didn’t go see her show. You wanna be catchin’ her show, now, sonnyboy, if you get my drift. Got it? Not that we ever did.
November 17 – Band: Mickey Avalon, whatever that means.
November 18 – A leukemia benefit featuring 4 bands: The Judas Cow, Earwig, Celebrity Pilots, The Proper Nouns. There is at least one short video taken from this show, but the recording’s audio is very bad. This was apparently shot by Joel Treadway from cringe.com, and let’s just say we should maybe all be thankful the iPhones came along. Worth viewing so you can get a decent shot of the stage setup, and these guys playing, but I would recommend turning the sound off. The Judas Cow are excellent, though, so this is no fault of their own – and definitely not the venue itself, either. Merely indicative of the video limitations and technical difficulties we were facing back then:
November 25 – “The Return of…The Flying Saucers.” Although I’m not sure if this is a movie, some other band, or else the return of local group Th’ Flyin’ Saucers, who disbanded I think in the late 90s.
November 29 – Miss Molly and Hope Vitellas
December 1 – Red Dahlia and Evil Queens on the bill.
and…
Clash-a-Thon: exact date unknown. The Moops play four songs, but rate it one of their best shows.
2011
January 19 – mgk
January 31 – Hawthorne Heights
February 19 – Cadaver Dogs
February 21 – Baths
February 28 – Say Hi
March 18 – The Wet Darlings
March 27 – The Beat
April 4 – Gogol Bordello. Their set list is known and runs as follows:
Tribal Connection
Not a Crime
Wonderlust King
My Companjera
Last One Goes the Hope
Trans-Continental Hustle
Immigraniada (We Comin’ Rougher)
Break the Spell
Raise the Knowledge
American Wedding
When Universes Collide
Pala Tute
Start Wearing Purple
Sun Is On My Side
Mishto!
Sacred Darling
Dirty Old Town
2012
January 25 – Parenthetical Girls play, also Los Campesinos! The latter’s set has been documented:
By Your Hand
Romance Is Boring
Death to Los Campesinos!
You’ll Need Those Fingers for Crossing
A Heat Rash in the Shape of the Show Me State; or, Letters from Me to Charlotte
Songs About Your Girlfriend
Life Is a Long Time
We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
There Are Listed Buildings
Straight In at 101
To Tundra
You! Me! Dancing!
February 11 – Ekoostik Hookah
February 20 – Zola Jesus
March 10 – Loyal Divide
March 23 – Phantods, Indigo Wild
April 22 – The Beat. Set list:
Twist & Crawl
Save It for Later
Mirror in the Bathroom
The Tears of a Clown
Ranking Full Stop
Hands Off…She’s Mine
Sole Salvation
April 25 – Touché Amoré, Defeater, Code Orange, Birds In Row
April 28 – The Town Monster, Mr. Gnome
May 19 – NastyNasty
July 21 – Phantods. Set list:
Raise The Dead
The Promising
Just Like You
Missed the Boat
The Blood of Kings
One Hundred Years
Revival
Music Is Dead
American Girl
All That Glitters
Lone Highway
Our Last Goodbye
July 27 – Bonneville
September 7 – Hoodie Allen, G-Eazy
September 28 – Karate Coyote. Set list as follows:
Underwater Mouthbreather
Cat-O-Pillar
Wookie
Ride On, Pegasus!
When In Rome
Icu2(Rn4a187)
You’re So Cruel
Front Door
So Far So Good
Zombibabi
Lupercalia Pt II
October 14 – House Of Heroes. Set list:
Remember the Empire
Comfort Trap
Touch This Light
Friday Night
God Save the Foolish Kings
Serial Sleepers
Code Name: Raven
If
October 15 – Torche, Kvelertak, KEN mode, Converge
November 2 – VHS Or Beta
November 5 – Espermachine, Assemblage 23
November 9 – Black Moth Super Rainbow
