TOLEDO, Ohio — Over three years after Frankie's Inner-City in east Toledo closed its doors, music is once again flowing from the venue, bringing the sounds of rock and roll back to Main Street.
"A lot of the people that come here are like family," Broc Curry, owner of Frankie's, said. "It's like a music scene family."
At its height in the late 80s and through the early part of the 21st century the often cramped club with the tiny stage feet from the crowd hosted such rock luminaries as the Smashing Pumpkins, X, and the Black Keys. It wasn't the cleanest bar in its heyday - the graffiti on the bathroom walls was 'colorful' - but for a generation of Toledo rock bands and fans, who liked their music loud and up-close, it was a mecca.
Frankie's closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During its closure, the bar was remodeled. One of the upgrades is an expansion to the patio.
"We spent that time on really remodeling the place, taking care of some things that kind of needed some updating, and that's what brings us here today," Curry said.
Frankie's celebrated its reopening Saturday night by featuring four live local music bands. Ice Cream Militia was one of the local bands. The group has been playing at Frankie's since 2016.
"We just really thought we'd never be able to play here again," Ice Cream Militia guitarist, Tanner Wertz, said. "It's a lot of nostalgia. It's a lot of a warm and friendly feeling."
Frankie's started as an Italian restaurant back in 1945. Around the mid-80s, it started to host live music.
"Gradually the restaurant phased out and it became more of a live music venue," Curry said. "That's really as how it's known today, and has been for the last 30 years."
To keep an eye out for upcoming concerts at Frankie's, click here.