COLUMBUS — The grungy familiarity of a local watering hole is something someone typically finds in their hometown, not smack dab in the middle of a music and arts festival.
But at Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival, that is exactly what you find at the aptly-named Dive Bar.
From a large deer head on the wall to band-themed memorabilia and writings all over the blacked-out walls, stepping foot in the Dive Bar feels intimate.
The bar is open to all over 21, of course, and features craft cocktails with the typical beer and seltzers found around the rest of the festival.
The festival advertises the bar as a space for the unpredictable, because obviously metalheads can’t get enough of that.
From impromptu DJ sets to the possibility of band members bartending, patrons may get more than just a cold drink when they set foot in the bar.
None of the action was missed as folks enjoyed songs blaring through the speakers from all the performing bands, the space serving as a place to collect one’s thoughts and share them with others.
As a nice touch, it also served as the only spot with air conditioning open to general admission headbangers, prompting a few jokes about the neighboring VIP area.
But arguably the best part is the community. Just like any bar, folks never know who they’re going to spark up a conversation with.
While Delaware Source wasn’t inside the bar for any artists meeting and greeting fans, this member of the team found something more special — perspective.
An unlikely friend
Thursday was a pretty warm day and less overcast than expected, so in-between sets, the Dive Bar usually saw an upswing in visitors.
Standing at one of the tables was a young couple, laughing, throwing back some cold beers and plotting who to see next.
I went over to them and sparked up a conversation: Where are you from? Who are you most excited to see? Who’s been awesome so far, and who’s been underwhelming? Have you been to a festival like this before?
I couldn’t tell you their names or half of their answers to be fully honest — but none of those answers are the point.
Suddenly, “Outside” by Staind came on, and before the first riff could even finish, we were rocking out together, stopping any conversation dead in its tracks.
Lyric by lyric went by, and it felt like I had known these people for some time — just that it had been a while since I’d seen them (yes, that’s a Staind reference, glad you caught that).
The young man couldn’t hold back tears after the song, and I said, “Wow, they mean a lot to you, don’t they?”
He just smiled, nodded and said, “More than you know.”
It was at this moment that I realized something. I’d bet anything that every single person who attends Sonic has at least one song from one band that they’ve connected to for some reason or another.
More likely than not, that reason might be something mentally heavy, given the nature of the music. That’s OK.
Some people also might have a story about being a little lit in a bar and letting a tear or two slide during a good song in good company. That’s OK, too.
I know I’ve been there, and I know I’ve let a tear slide in a bar listening to Staind, just like this guy I met.
I’ll save that story for another time, but the point is, there is something special about a bar, a beer and a song that makes you stop and think.
Fast forward to Friday, and sure enough, I’ve got a beer in hand, two of my best friends from my hometown with me and we’re watching Staind perform on the main stage from the lower bowl stands.
Call it fate, luck, or whatever, but I saw the guy from the Dive Bar down on the floor in a sea of black t-shirts. He, too, had a beer in hand, was in good company and visibly having an out-of-body experience seeing Aaron Lewis sing “Outside.”
That’s the magic of dive bars — and even though it’s a temporary place, Sonic Temple’s is no different.
