FEATURED STORY FROM THE Best of BG – 2017 ISSUE
Howard’s Club H:
A Premiere Music Venue for More than 50 Years
Along Main Street in the heart of downtown Bowling Green are dozens of entertainment establishments geared toward University students. Over the years many have come and gone, but one – Howard’s Club H – is an iconic business that reflects the rich history and traditions of entertainment, social movements and music that have graced Bowling Green for well over 50 years.
While other local venues host live entertainment shows, it is safe to say it’s not done in the same capacity as Howard’s. According to Zmarzly, the spot is a place for music before it’s a place to have a drink. He said, “it’s a live music venue, with a bar in it.” When it comes to their music schedule, on Fridays and Saturdays, count on their live music shows for a different flavor of BG nightlife – especially in comparison to other establishments around town.
Tuesdays are karaoke nights as well. Additionally, there is an Open Mic Night every Thursday, completely free of charge. You can expect to see bands, poets, acoustic acts and more on stage at Howard’s, so be sure to stop in. It’s no wonder current owners Tony Zmarzly and Steve Feehan have a passion to keep alive the iconic building and its rich history in the Bowling Green music scene; Howard’s Club H and its evolution are part of local folklore.
Because of Howard’s close relationship with the team, the mascot was named after him and is still known today as Freddy Falcon. According to the history of Howard’s on its Myspace page, Fred Howard sold the business and moved away in 1938. Paul (Red) Williamson took over for the next 20 years and kept the bar well managed. After Williamson passed the bar on to local businessmen it was expanded and although there were many changes, the name remained the same. Howard’s next big move was to where the Public Library is located today.
Since 1973 the bar has not changed much. It has, of course, been cleaned up but it is still the same old Howard’s. And something else that hasn’t changed is its reputation as “The” venue for live bands, which sometimes have been up-and-comers that went on to make a name for themselves. Howard’s hosted The Ramones in the late 1970s, jazz legend John Scofeld, Kid Rock when he was a rapper and Fall Out Boy in the first decade of the 2000s.