TOLEDO, Ohio —
For years, Ottawa Tavern on Adams Street has been the go-to spot for live music in Toledo. But in early December, the venue closed its doors, leaving bands and artists shocked.
"I've seen all sorts of different events here. I've seen everything from 'Dungeons and Drag' shows to hardcore shows to bands with tubas and trumpets and all sorts of things have happened here," Gregg Blankley, lead guitarist for a local metal band Port Authority said. "It's very, very sad that this venue closed."
Port Authority frequently played Ottawa Tavern over the past year but had no idea a closure was coming.
"It was definitely a shock," Blankley said. "A lot of people didn't see it coming and it just kind of came out of nowhere."
A now-deleted post from the venue's Facebook page said the owner is no longer involved with Ottawa Tavern and hinted at a possible transfer of ownership soon.
WTOL 11 reached out to the owner and the employee who made the post but has not heard back from either.
For bands like Port Authority though, the closure means one less live music venue to play.
"This was like the venue. This was the venue most bands play. I mean, most of our shows are here now and, you know, we've been a band for about one year," Quinton Lilly, Port Authority's lead vocalist said. "We play here probably 75% of the time."
Lilly said they'll now have to search around to find venues to fill that time. Blankley said the list isn't very long.
"For local musicians – especially musicians in like the heavier music – there's not a lot of venues we can play like the Cock N Bull or Chevy's," Blankley explained.
In the meantime, the band is staying hopeful Ottawa Tavern makes a comeback.
"I hear that it's for sale. I don't want to get too ahead of it," Lilly said. "So I'm hoping that the person who buys it is going to keep it the 'Ottawa Tavern' and we still have that option."