Howard's Club H

The stage at Howard's Club H. 
Photo from the venue's Facebook page.

"Howard's Club H was established by Fred H. Howard in 1928," according to Laura Lee Caracciolo, of BG Falcon media in 2009. "On the 200 block of North Main Street in Bowling Green, Ohio, as Howard's Confectionary Store and acquired a liquor license after prohibition was lifted. Howard sold the business in 1938 and became the mayor of Tarpon Springs, Florida. Howard's Club H moved across the street in 1973, for the construction of the Wood County District Public Library."

Howard’s website states “Many local, regional, and national acts have taken the stage at Howard's over the past 4 decades. Some have gone on to great success and encompass all musical genres. Bands like Fallout Boy and 21 Pilots, to Kid Rock, Ekoostik Hookah, and Method Man have all rattled the walls of Howard's.”

A BG News article from September 22, 2006. 
It demonstrates anticipation for Method Man's September 25 show at Howard's.

Howard’s is also packed in early September of every year as it hosts the “After Hours” stage at the annual Black Swamp Arts Festival. A three day festival that brings thousands into the city of Bowling Green. Madison Bressler, a bartender at Howards, who has also performed at the venue with her band Half Kidding, explained, “We typically open early and have music going on all day.”

A poster showing Howard's Club H's participation in the 2000 Black Swamp Festival

Bressler also points out Howard’s desire to work with the community to put on weekend long festivals. “I think something that is rather recent in the scene is that DIY venues in the city have partnered up with Howard’s to put on large events that attract people from outside of our community. I think that has strengthened the BG scene and expanded its musical reach even farther.” She goes onto say that "the Summit Shack in Bowling Green has partnered with Howard’s on several occasions to put on day or two-day long events like Fauxchella, Snowchella, DIY Prom and Swordfest. These events have brought over 1,000 attendees to our little bar over the course of those couple days. It’s amazing to see different parts of the scene come together in one place.”

The 2020 Snowchella Line up from Howard's Facebook page.

Howard’s H Club also works to give back to the community that has kept it going for over 90 years. When asked about shows where Howards donates a portion of the proceeds back to community organizations Bressler answered “I would say we have 10-15 shows each year that are a benefit of some kind. One example is the Leelah Alcorn benefit that is organized by the QTSU on campus. Another one would be Mewvement & Subwoofers where proceeds benefited the Wood County Humane Society.”

A poster from a 1996 AIDS Benefit at Howard's

Local band Rizzo, which formed in the mid-1970s, pointed out Howard’s Club H willingness to book and invite back local bands, Bressler also agreed stating “Working at Howard’s truly inspired me to join a band in the first place. It’s always been a dream of mine to perform in a band and Howard’s really opened up that opportunity for me.”

The "Rizzo" band name tagged on a Howard's wall.

When you walk into Howard’s Club H, whether for a drink or to enjoy a show, you can see the above acknowledgments from local bands. The venue's graffitied walls and picnic tables only further establish the location as the corner stone of Bowling Green’s music scene, making it central to the local community.