[Tim]

Andrew Tallackson
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Memories of Cedar Tap are near and dear to Henry George's heart.

For him, it wasn't just that the bar, 2317 Franklin St., affectionately known as "The Tap," was the place for live music. It was that everyone was accepted there, regardless of where they were from, how much money they made or the color of their skin.

"It was so diverse," George recalled. "It was the only place that I can think of in Michigan City where people could still maintain their ethnicity and have an enjoyable night out.

"You could get rid of the daily stress in an atmosphere where anyone who went there, and you held your own, particularly on stage, you were accepted by the community."

That's why it seemed a given that George, manager of JuiceeApple Inc., a local entertainment management and consulting firm, agreed to help organize "The Cedar Tap Reunion" for Friday, Oct. 30, at White Eagle Park.

Not only will former Cedar Tap owners Keith and Debbie Rigterink be present, but the two postponed a trip by one day so they could attend, Debbie Rigterink said.

The reunion arrives at a bittersweet time.

This month, portions of the Cedar Tap building, which in 2000 became AJ's Bar & Grill after April Deer and Jordon Sklut purchased it, were knocked down so Midwest Eye Consultants can transform it into a state-of-the-art optometry business.

"Man, when I saw that, my heart dropped," George said. "You know, people have driven by to collect the bricks."

The Rigterinks took over Cedar Tap in January 1972, a few years after George graduated from Elston High School.

George had the chance to play percussion on the Cedar Tap stage with a couple of friends. That was all it took for him to fall in love with the place.

"It was in my blood," he said.

As the years went by, bands from all over the Midwest played there. Any band that wanted to be heard, George said, went to Cedar Tap, from Reborn with frontman Neil Singleton to The Lazer Band, Slander, Disturbed and The Current.

Patrons could expect to hear music throughout the week, until bands began upping their fees and music was limited to weekends, Keith Rigterink said.

And the fact that anyone was welcome? Rigterink said he wasn't trying to make a statement.

"If they could afford the price of a beer," he said, "they were welcome."

And if bands were good, the crowds gave them a warm embrace.

Drummer Wally Veden, whose group The Rock Doctors was one of the last to play Cedar Tap before it became AJ's Bar & Grill, was 17 and attending Elston High School when he first performed at the bar.

He was in a band called Coyote with pals Tim Miller and Scott Craig. Because he wasn't of legal age, he would perform a set, then be rushed back to the kitchen until the next set, forbidden to mingle with people.

"It was cool," Veden said, "because we thought we were big stars at the time because we were actually playing in a bar at that young age."

From then on, any band Veden joined made sure it performed at Cedar Tap.

"If you wanted to hear a rock 'n' roll band, you went to the Cedar Tap. That was it," Veden said. "It was in the center of town and they had the picture window with the name of the band on it so you knew every day who was playing there.

"It was great advertisement."

George and Veden both acknowledge the "rowdy" reputation Cedar Tap could boast. But, they argued, what kind of evening you had depended on how you behaved.

"There was always someone willing to oblige you if you wanted to pick a fight," Veden said with a laugh. "But never in all my years there did I encounter anyone messing with me. I was never in a fight with anyone."

Veden's affection for Cedar Tap remains so strong, he will perform with the band The Automatics at the reunion after the group does a "Say No to Drugs" show for high-schoolers in Knox, Ind. Sure, both gigs will make for one crazy day, but, Veden said, when it comes to keeping the memory of Cedar Tap alive, it's worth it.

"The first day I was driving down Franklin," he said, "and I saw them tearing it (the building) down, I thought, 'That was a piece of me.'"
______________________________

This is a great article - except our band was called Peyote. Seeing as how Wally's band is playing a Say No To Drugs gig maybe the drug reference was squashed. I'm at work now - but will share my memories later. Love to hear anyone else's memories of this hallowed place.

q

[Ang]

Gee Tim, you got your name in the N-D and you're not even in the country!

Impressive!

[Tim]

Gee Tim, you got your name in the N-D and you're not even in the country!

Impressive!

My shadow looms large, my dear.