Bridge Tavern Tuning Up To Be A Beacon For Wheeling Music Scene
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WHEELING -- Starting tonight, there will be no doubt that live music will be available at the Bridge Tavern and Grill. Call it a big, bright, neon sign from above.
Workers were putting the finishing touches on a giant guitar-shaped sign that now hangs above the tavern at the corner of Main and 10th streets in downtown Wheeling. That sign, modeled after a Gibson Les Paul, lets patrons know they'll be able to enjoy live acts from the world of bluegrass, honky tonk and old-school country, genres the owners love.
The Carl family has owned the building in which the tavern resides since 2016 and took over operations of the tavern in 2019, putting millions of dollars into renovating the entire structure. Doug Carl said he loves meeting brother Mike in Nashville to sit at Robert's Western World and listen to live country music. They wanted to bring that experience to downtown Wheeling.
"I think it's been a missing niche in Wheeling," he said. "And now that we've got that neon guitar out front, that'll indicate there will be country music live in here."
When the tavern throws the switch on the sign between 7 and 7:30 p.m., patrons will see white lettering, blue strings and a red outline around the guitar. Motorists should be able to see it from the Fort Henry Bridge.
"It's so exciting," Carl said. "And knowing that you can see it from I-70 is everything. If that doesn't bring 'em into downtown Wheeling, I don't know what will."
The guitar itself weighs 400 pounds and there is 1,000 pounds of steel inside the building attaching that guitar to the tavern.
The Carls want to see other bluegrass and country lovers come by to listen to music, and the tavern has a lineup set for the next couple of months. The Roadhog Band will play starting at 7:30 tonight, and the rest of the lineup is populated both with local acts, as well as national touring acts from North Carolina and Nashville. The plan is to have a live act either Friday or Saturday, but the schedule may change a little if the tavern can secure a touring act.
The Carls hope to rekindle the spirit of the Jamboree and bring back some of the energy music lovers found across the street at the Capitol Theatre, the longtime home of the Jamboree.
"Jamboree is what made Wheeling," Carl said. "So let's bring that back to downtown Wheeling. And I think we're well on our way."