PRINTTavern tales
Vox casts the verdict on bar myths
Heather McGuire
Once rumor, now fact. Athena nightclub closed for remodeling, bar employees say.
February 14, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
People love to gossip, but sometimes it becomes a game of telephone in which the line between truth and fiction becomes blurred. Everyone has heard rumors about their favorite downtown destinations — the most recent is that Athena has shut its doors, which police have confirmed. It seems every bar has something hidden beneath its beer-stained floorboards. But what’s for real, and what should be forgotten? Maybe everything you hear on the street shouldn’t be taken at face value.
Myth 1
Cops are called to Athena on a weekly Basis
Athena has a reputation for being rowdy, but are the police regulars? Columbia Police Officer Will Green says that since June 2007, police have been called to Athena on 56 occasions and stopped while patrolling an additional 22 times. In contrast, they have been at Generic on Broadway 34 times in the past six months. Officer Green believes the blend of patrons is the cause. “I think that the locals get into it with the college kids,” he says.
VERDICT: True. But until further notice, there won’t be any more calls.
Myth 2
The Blue Note’s building was originally a brothel
People go to The Blue Note to get down and have a good time. But rumor has it that long ago this building’s patrons had a good time gettin’ down in other ways. The Blue Note’s owner, Richard King, laughs at the notion of a brothel in the building. Prior to its current gig, the location, which was built in 1927, was known as the Varsity Theater. “Varsity’s claim to fame was vaudeville; then toward the end, it showed movies,” says King.
VERDICT: False. And get your mind out of the gutter.
Myth 3
Back in the day, Booches was no-girls-allowed
Nothing radiates testosterone stronger than the combination of billiards and beer. So, when the cue ball was rolling and the ale was flowing, did the babes have to kick it elsewhere? In Booches’ case, it wasn’t a bar law, but females avoided the place anyway. Prior to 1971, the male-friendly billiards club didn’t have much to offer Columbia women.
VERDICT: False. The ladies simply had better dives to hit.
Myth 4
Women are slipped date-rape drugs at athena
Everyone knows the story: A woman sips from a drink at a bar, and the next morning, she wakes up with no recollection of what happened the night before. But is Athena a particular danger zone? Officer Green says date-rape drugs are everywhere and that it is difficult to pinpoint particular hot spots because many date rapes are not reported.
VERDICT: False. But please be careful wherever you party.
