My roommate and I went to the Drumstick on a Saturday night in March,1983 to hear a band called Caribe. I met a young lady there that night and we danced the night away until closing.
Last October, we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. Thanks, Drumstick, we’ll never forget you!
photograph courtesy of Brian Barber
Shared by: Alan Cerveny
Back in the day, I was a hardcore almost every night, patron. I would come in early get the number seven chicken dinner and watch the band set up, talk to my buddy Tony that was the sound guy etc on occasion. One reason or another would find me in the Green room and I was always amazed at the signatures and artwork on the walls. After the club closed, a friend and I broke into the place before demolition and tore a good chunk of the drywall with all of the signatures and artwork out of there. I don’t know what we were thinking other than this can’t just go into a rubble pile and not be appreciated. There was talk of an art project, but unfortunately nothing ever became of it and over the years between the two of us we both lost track of those pieces of lost gold. I deeply regret that I didn’t do something with them or put them in the hands of somebody that would have been a better guardian. But I’m damn proud of myself that I had the balls to risk jail time in order to break in and rescue true American Art
Shared by: Mark Simpkins
We went to see Charlie Burton with the Crap Detectors on Halloween. My buddy Tom put on an old man wrinkled face mask and entered the costume contest calling himself “Old Fart”. Most of the night was a blur, but I remember Jim Jacobi throwing up on stage during Someone’s Sick and my buddy winning second place and a case of beer. Good times!
Shared by: Joel Warner
Boys with Toys brought an opener from Iowa City once called Whambo Jamboree. The singer/guitar player, Rob Gal, later went on to marry Anne Richmond Boston from the Swimming Pool Qs, and now runs a successful recording studio in Atlanta. Also, the drummer from that band, one Jim Rondinelli, went on to engineer Matthew Sweet’s “Girlfriend” record, as well as record “Columbia: Big Star at Missouri University,” among other famous recordings. Yeah, we knew people.
Shared by: Pat McGraw
I played there quite a bit in The Phones. In the summer it was hotter that hell. The owner, if I remember correctly gave us a couple of blow dart guns. Booze , Blow, Blow guns, what could go wrong?? Ha!!
Shared by: brad mattson
We were a 3-man band called “The Surf Penguins”. Really just a “basement” band of college guys in 1984. We were friends (and fans) of “The Finnsters” who played the Drumstick a few times back in the day. We opened for them at a small UNL campus event and they liked our sound and asked us to open for them at The Drumstick for their next booking. For us, this was our first BIG gig, even though we only had about 6 cover songs to play. We opened that night to a huge crowd and had an absolute blast. Afterward, one of the owners (?) took us aside and asked us if we wanted to book a night of our own. Knowing that we couldn’t play more than half of one set at most, we sheepishly told him we were a long way from being the “feature” act and graciously declined for now. About 1 week later, one of our friends came up to us and told us to drive by the Drumstsick to look at the marquee in the parking lot. Sure enough, it read “This Saturday – The Surf Penguins!”. Whoa! We had to go inside and tell someone that there was a misunderstanding. We couldn’t book it! Man, what I would give to have a picture of that. 38 years later, me and the bass player are still gigging all over Omaha and Lincoln area with our band “The Radio Eclectic”. We would give anything to see that on the marquee just off of O street in Lincoln at our old favorite chicken joint. Great memories!
Shared by: Kevi Sherlock
Our band, Chuck and the Taylors were all underage and smuggled beers in an old gym bag into the dressing room. One of us was a little nervous about getting busted and not being allowed to play until one of the staff came in and fired up a joint. Needless to say, the beers were not an issue…
Shared by: Mike Honeyman
My friends and I would go to the ‘Stick a lot for the bands and say to girlfriends, “Naaa, not tonight. I gotta see this band.” Well, my girlfriend at the time, who liked pop music said, “I want to go with you.” We were seeing a band similar to Black Flag, can’t remember the name. Her friend and my friend were dating. Sooo….we said, “ok.” We lived in the dorms and when we went by to pick them up they were dressed up and make-uped like going out for fine dining.
My friend and I looked at each other and said, “Don’t say a thing.”
Long story short they were with us in the pit, and by the time we left it, they looked like they had the shit beat out of them, lol. All sweaty, make up streaming down their faces, hair a sticky wet mess, clothes dirty as hell, beer thrown or spilled on them, down them, in the hair, shoes now look like they’re from good will. Shocked, they about fall down at the table. We were all moshing dancing. Basically, they smelled like a dump truck.
Us guys were like, “Hell yea, this is awesome!”
They said sobbing…”We need to leave.”
Shared by: Patrick Kassebaum
Endpoint live, Tune Inn (1994?) https://www.flickr.com/photos/pixofchangezine/
When Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. tour came to town in 1984, we waited four days in line on campus for tickets. One night in the line, we started dancing, and some girl saw the way I danced and said, “Oh, you must go to the Drumstick!”
Shared by: Tim Boughn
Yes, REM played the Drumstick
My sister Rise Stubblefield worked at the drumstick as a waitress. She used to take me there to see the bands and I am so blessed to have experienced this! I got to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers and R.E.M. for the first time. I went to the documentary last night at the ROSS Theatre and I swear I saw myself in the crowd scenes. Then I saw the list of all the incredible bands that played there! I noticed the Smithereens played there and I still have the original t shirt from one of their concerts!! Amazing memories of eating the food there and getting to be part of a great musical history. Thank you Thank you and Thank you!
Shared by: Julia Stubblefield