The spirit of The Mill returns to Iowa City through a new December concert series at La Wine Bar & Restaurant
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The legendary Iowa City venue The Mill will live on thanks to a new concert series that transports its former frequent performers to a new stage right across the street.
Instead of entering the now-demoloshed brick building at 120 E. Burlington St., concert-goers are invited to step into La Wine Bar & Restaurant at 180 E. Burlington St.
Instead of spaghetti, viewers can dine on Korean BBQ.
But they can hear familiar Iowa performers including singer-songwriter Dave Zollo and Iowa blues musician Scott Cochran for multiple weekends in December, all to recapture the spirit of The Mill and add to the local music scene options.
The Mill Revival Showcase Series is the brainchild of Bobber Hall, a drummer who has been involved with numerous local bands including Illinois John Fever and Scorched Earth Policy — which was resuscitated to the present from the 1990s, according to their Facebook page.
Through conversations, Hall discovered that people continue to feel the absence of The Mill for a variety of reasons, whether it be because of the music, because that was their go-to spot to watch a game or because they frequented its trivia nights.
“It was kind of a community club is what I'm really realizing about why people are missing The Mill specifically,” he said.
The Mill closed in 2020, decades after it opened in 1962. The venue regularly hosted concerts, theater performances, fundraisers, presidential candidates and generations of Iowa City residents.
Marc Moen, owner of The Mill property in Iowa City, told the Press-Citizen in January that the site will be home to a new restaurant, bar and performance venue.
More:What's next for The Mill in Iowa City? Owner envisions new restaurant and performance venue
This revival concert series is something Hall had thought about for some time, starting with the question, where?
Where in the downtown area could be transformed into a place to recreate that sense of community The Mill offered?
The ongoing global pandemic put a hamper in any immediate action.
When Hall was contacted about helping organize regular live music at La Wine Restaurant earlier this year, he immediately saw the space’s potential, likening it to a blank canvas.
He wanted feedback from working musicians and invited Zollo to check out the restaurant with him and get his opinion on the idea.
“We realized where we were standing as we're having this conversation about this local music potential, we realize we’re like 30 feet from the old Mill stage,” Hall said.
They had a light bulb moment, Hall said, and decided to revive the spirit of The Mill and invite a few local bands to perform in the space.
‘It was home away from home for a lot of us’: Who’s performing at The Mill Revival Showcase Series
Ryan Bernemann and Ben Schmidt will perform this weekend at La Wine Bar & Restaurant as part of The Mill Revival Showcase Series.
Bernemann told the Press-Citizen in an email that he had probably performed at The Mill at least 200 times over the past two decades.
One memorable performance as a musician, he said, was a 2008 Halloween band cover show where he and his band Shame Train performed Neutral Milk Hotel’s “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea” album from front to back.
“There were nearly 500 people crammed into the Mill that night,” he said, adding that he believed they stopped keeping count. “It was packed, it was hot and it was beautiful. Everyone sang along to all of the lyrics while we played. It was as close to Beatlemania as I will ever experience.”
There were numerous great shows Bernemann recalled. That included any of the Burlington Street Bluegrass Band performances, open mic nights hosted by J. Knight, when songwriter Jay Farrar (Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt) performed during his “Terroir Blues” solo album tour and more.
When Bernemann first learned of The Mill’s closure, he figured it was only a matter of time before it reopened. It was a place he spent so much of his early adult life, he said.
When demolition began earlier this year, that erased any possibility, and hope, of reopening.
“It wasn’t just a place to perform, see shows, or eat, drink,” he said. “It was home away from home for a lot of us. It felt like being part of a special club, but also that anyone was welcome.”
The Mill Revival Showcase Series schedule:
Flash In A Pan, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Dave Helmer, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Ben Schmidt & Ryan Bernemann, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Pigs & Clover with Illinois John Fever, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Scott Cochran, Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Dave Zollo, Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Anyone interested in performing at La Wine Bar & Restaurant can contact Hall. He can be reached via social media or through contacting La Wine Bar & Restaurant.
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Hall’s history with The Mill goes back almost 40 years, he said.
He worked for the original owners while he was a teenager, recalling how they cultivated a family-like experience for the staff.
The Illinois John Fever made an effort to play at The Mill every three months, Hall said.
As Hall contacted musicians about this revival series, he was met with largely positive reactions, though some folks’ attachment to The Mill colored their response with mixed emotions.
It made sense to Hall.
After all, there won’t ever be another Mill, he said. But there is room for more live music, evident by the fact that Hall has performers booked through early next year.
Hall believes that the live music scene at La Wine Bar & Restaurant will set itself apart from the other options throughout Iowa City including Gabe’s, Elray’s Live and Dive and Trumpet Blossom Café, the latter he repeatedly complimented for their support of local music.
Owner Shanshan Kong is not asking for a cover charge, instead inviting people to enjoy the music and perhaps try some food.
“She's really investing in the local music scene by doing this,” he said. “So, taking a chance on us, we're taking a chance on her and hopefully we can all lift each other up a little bit. The fans, the musicians, the restaurant and the staff there.”
Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Reach her at PBarraza@press-citizen.com or (319) 519-9731. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Concert series honoring The Mill brings bands to new Iowa City stage
