Zak D./Staff

I’m sitting on a rickety stool by an outdoor mini-bar, surrounded by older people and listening to live music fifty years older than I am while the gig attendees range from humming the tune of “Hey Jude” to hopping out of their chairs and yelling out the well-known lyrics.

Established in 1991, Signatures Mill Stone Tavern is a hub for the older generations to reflect on their younger years with 50’s to 80’s hits from famous bands such as The Grateful Dead, The Beatles, and Pink Floyd (performed by cover bands) and ranging from the mellow love songs such as “Love Me Tender” by Elvis Presley to the pop-rock of the swinging 60’s such as The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” and Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.”

Last summer was when I first visited Signatures, albeit an impromptu one—while walking through the small town of Bridgeport, Gahanna, accompanied by a couple of friends. I was lured into the tavern by the familiar smooth and funky sound of Dusty Springfield’s “Spooky.” When I dragged my friends along and entered, I was surprised to find Spooky being played by four older men, named of Jimi and the CoolCats. 

Jimi and the CoolCats made their debut—and so far only—performance at Signatures on August 15, contrasting the McDickies, a 60’s rock cover band that performs there regularly. The night I watched the McDickies, they attracted a sizable audience of roughly two dozen. According to one attendee and his wife who have been attending performances for years, they regularly and specifically come to hear the McDickies when they play, as they are close friends with the band members.

According to one barista, a reason for the primarily older gig-attendees is that Bridgeport, and its surrounding parks and restaurants, were social hubs when they were younger—proposing that with the nostalgia of their physical environment compounded with the nostalgia of the music from their generation, they find themselves transported back to their younger years—dancing and cheering as if they were in their teens again. 

In the 60’s, Garage Rock, not literally meaning to play rock in a garage, but rather the genre of amateur, energetic rock, was a movement that swept through the American Midwest in the 60’s, especially in the newly-expanding Columbus. Garage Rock was a movement that encouraged teenagers to form casual bands to create and cover music whenever and wherever they could rather than accepting the notion that only those who have experience, studio access and prodigious talent could produce decent music. The Dantes, another band that came out of Worthington, Columbus, was a direct product of the movement, releasing regional hits in the 60’s such as “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love” as a ragtag group of teenagers. 

Garage Rock is a driving factor for why the older population—especially for those who participated in the movement—find the pop-rock played at Signatures so reminiscent of their teens. Whether they tuned into the radio to hear the hits that arose from this genre, or even created the music themselves, it had become a part of their area’sculture, and in turn, a part of their lives. 

Signatures has a cult-following of regulars who come to drink in the environment and live music. After their set, band members often hop off the stage and socialize with the attendees—most of whom are on a first name basis with each other—continuing to foster friendship and good relations with their listeners and community.

For just a few hours every Friday and Saturday night, Signatures is a time-machine that goes back 50 years.