bye
the punk sends word that a west bank institution is closing its doors after 5 decades.the old viking bar -- the name predates the football team's arrival -- is only a couple blocks from the minnversity's social science tower. nevertheless, one is pretty unlikely to run into faculty or students there. on entering, you'll have to squeeze by the stage, walking past r&b vet willie murphy (who i remember from his willie and the bees days), spider john koerner (koerner, ray, & glover), or the front porch swinging liquor pigs. as i understand local history, mr. dylan played a block or two away at the new riverside, though one could easily imagine him sidling up to the viking's tiny stage to sit in with any of the aforementioned bands today. i was certainly no regular at the viking, but i'm sure sad to see it go.
posted by christopher uggen @ 7:39 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
The said the smoking ban killed them. Since I left, have a lot places closed their doors and cited the new ban as a factor?
i dunno. like many people and institutions, the viking's strengths were also its weaknesses. it had a great regular clientele and a strong west bank vibe, but i bet it was tough for newcomers to feel at home or find their place. at least one local says that things haven't been the same since the homicide in the late 90s.
It could be a smoking ban, although most data for smoking bans in cities (what very little I've glanced at) show that, almost without exception, business picks up everywhere. The exception has to be somewhere, and it may well be (unsurprisingly) a music venue.
A homicide I can relate to, having seen at least a dozen businesses go down the drain in downtown Cincinnati after the riots. Commuters will stay far away if they have a choice, and a small music venue with local (i.e., "missable" acts) could easily be one of those places to miss.
Two things...
One, I've been the Viking Bar a few times and I have felt comfortable there. I think some of it that the people who are not "regulars" may feel uncomfortable and this vibe may pass off or maybe the regulars may see those at the University as the elite who may look down on them (i.e. watch this in action at the "grungy" West Bank Bars, such as Palmers). Have a conversation with some of the regulars at many of these bars and see what their perceptions are when you tell them you are affiliated with the University.
But more about the smoking ban.. here's my question. I do have to say I'm in favor of the ban. But I do have to ask what cities have had businnes improve afterwards? I only ask this question because I'm curious about the # of people who live in a city (the # of potential customers) and other factors that may relate. For example, in NYC, you go out and there are tons of people there that still go the bars. But in MN, our culture isn't so much you go out as much. So the people who tended to go out more in the first place probably had a different lifestlye (drinking and smoking). I'm still not convinced that all the people who said they would go out to bars if the smoking ban will(or make up for the people who don't go anymore becuase of the ban). This is because I still think it's about lifestyle. Another example is in Lincoln, NE... the downtown bars right by the University, as far as I know, seem to be doing well. In my opinion this is because they have a crowd right next door that is willing to drink whether they can smoke or not (i.e. college kids). But bars in different locations in town, did have a drop in business, which goes along with my thoery.
Lastly, the police aren't checking on the smoking ban... Somone has to call it in. So, there are a few bars in Minneapolis, where people still smoke in them.
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