Wellington Tavern

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• I remember the Wellington Tavern. In the 1970's you could not walk from table to table with your drink, and there were no standup tables, only sit down - you had to have a server carry your drinks for you to another table in the bar if you wanted to move. I played there with a few different bands throughout the 1970's to 1990's.

  I then became TuneUps Tavern in the early 1980's - I recall many Monday nights at TuneUps, when we couldn't even leave the stage in between sets because it was so packed with hundreds of people - that happened 6 nights a week at that popular spot - live music every night of the week. And Leo Dufour's Comedy Club was also featured there weekly - Tuesday night, if I recall.

  Come 1990, the name was changed to VERTIGO Nightclub - I designed the interior and the exterior (similar to the way it is today) of that nightclub for the owner, trying to leave the original facade as untouched as possible. We added the corrugated metal, and parking stops, and painted it all in black, red and galvanized silver, keeping an industrial styled theme - it ended up being a pretty popular night spot with a good sound system, and a real pro light show.

  I am not sure what goes on there now, but throughout the life of most the bars at this location, they were always successful. Andrew, thanks for posting this, I will send you some pix of VERTIGO Nightclub when I can dig them up.

• I remember the Wellington was a faculty hangout for the university profs. I was there as a student in the sixties when I was dating a young professor. I didn't realize it was so new then.

  I was in it again when it was Tune Ups (I think) and it's had a couple of ressurrections as a "gay bar" in more recent years. I think I wa sat the opening of one of them.

  Sure has changed from its staid old beginnings!

• i know the bar but never patronized it i heard that it had a bad reputation for alot of fights and trouble

• A friend of mine had ownership of the bar in the early 1980's. It was called Mr. C's. It didn't last very long, if I recall correctly, less than a year.

• It was a hangout for lifeguards in the mid 70s. Draft beer was 35¢ a glass.

• Whereabouts is this tavern located, please ?

• Annie, it is located in Windsor, Ontario, on Wellington Rd., one block south of Wyandotte Street.

• After Vertigo it went to Johnny Rockets I do believe. At some point it changed to The Zoo, then The Rise, then The Wellington... Now it's no longer a night club, and of course I can't recall what it's used for now. I live half a block away, but never did like that place. They had a real bad habit of pissing off the neighbors with the overly loud music, crowds of people who threw their garbage and beer bottles anywhere and everywhere. They'd park up and down the street, in which case we had nowhere to park at the house, except for the back yard. Then there was the problem with their alarm, that would go off once in a while, day or night.

  Annie, the address is 800 Wellington Ave.. It's directly next to the railroad tracks that cross east\west over Wellington and Elm streets.

• I visited it during the Vertigo years, and at some point during the Zoo era. I promise Jeff that I didn't take up a parking spot since I didn't have a car at the time, but I know what he means about the surrounding general mayhem.

• The evolution of this location in this order: The Wellington Tavern, Mr. C's, Tuneups, Johnny Rockets, Vertigo, The Zoo... then I have no idea what happened after that. in the old days... parked cars everywhere, up and down the streets, in the alley, across the street on vacant lands.... the place was packed, and popular.

  But Jeff, you must admit, although often loud, some of the bands that played there throughout the years, especially the early years, were pretty good! ;-) I actually think the now, very popular DJ Richie Hawtin was one of the folks that cut their teeth in there as well in the early days (Vertigo)... so it was a good spot for some.